The Prince and the Showgirl [Region 2] |  | Director: Laurence Olivier
Actors: Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier, Sybil Thorndike, Richard Wattis, Jeremy Spenser
Category: DVD
Buy New: $9.28
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Rating:  42 reviews
Sales Rank: 130341
Format: PAL
Languages: Italian (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired), English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Italian (Subtitled), German (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Arabic (Subtitled), Romanian (Subtitled), Dutch (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Italian (Original Language)
Region: 2
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Running Time: 115 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.6 x 0.6
EAN: 7321900111546
ASIN: B0000695IS
Theatrical Release Date: June 13, 1957
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
Destined to remain a curio in the careers of Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier, The Prince and the Showgirl is a good movie that might have been great. While's she's wonderful as a saucy showgirl with a knack for foreign relations, Monroe's off-screen notoriety in 1957 made this a directorial nightmare for Olivier, who never bursts out of his stiff-collared finery as the Carpathian Prince Regent, who's smitten by Marilyn's innocent, unpolished candor. Of course, she's actually smarter than the monocled monarch, at least in her sensible handling of his stuffed-shirt diplomacy, so it's easy to forgive Terence Rattigan's script (from his play The Sleeping Prince) for favoring pomp over circumstance. The comedy percolates without bubbling over in this tale of opposites attracting, but it's a top-drawer production anyway, blessed by Jack Cardiff's gorgeous Technicolor cinematography and by the charm of costars who successfully concealed their off-screen anxieties. --Jeff Shannon
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 42
 Get it for Monroe February 21, 2009
L. Peyronnin (Phoenix, AZ United States)
This is a very mediocre movie. If it did not have the divine Marilyn and sir Olivier in it, if others had played their parts, nobody today would remember this flick. As it is, Olivier does well playing an ultra stuffed-shirt aristocrat, as there is nothing more to the character than that. The only real virtue of the movie is Marilyn, who in this movie, even more so than many of her others, is . . . how should I put this . . . Totally HOT.
 Not as bad as they say... or as good as they say January 15, 2009
Kallisto (EU)
... but then, that goes for most things - and people - in life.
**** SPOILERS AHEAD ****
The story is simple - and occasionally baffling - enough.
It is the year 1911. Elsie, an American showgirl performing in London - typically (or stereotypically?) "candid" and seemingly rough around the edges, but as cute as a button - gets to meet the Prince Regent of a fictitious small kingdom (one suspects the "model" might have been the Kingdom of Montenegro) who has come to London to attend the coronation of the new British king.
His attempt at seducing her fails, but the next morning, still under the same roof (nothing happens during the preceding night, mostly because she had a few drinks too many and fell asleep), Elsie wakes up suddenly enamoured of the stern-faced and monocled prince, and their roles are reversed: she becomes the suitor, he becomes the "prey".
There is an element of political intrigue involving the prince's adolescent son; but as promising as it seems, it eventually leads nowhere. It is basically just an opportunity for Elsie to bring the alienated son and father together, which is the main - if highly implausible - outcome of the situation.
The ending (which I see no point in revealing explicitly) is, in my opinion, one of the best parts - perhaps because it is slightly unexpected (although it is similar to the ending of "Roman Holiday", filmed four years earlier); but I suppose some may find it unsatisfying.
This film is obviously - and sometimes painfully so - derived from a stage play (in which Olivier performed the same lead role opposite his then-wife, Vivien Leigh, in the leading female role, here played by Monroe).
The result is a very reduced, often too static space of action. (Even the costumes of the leading actors, notably Monroe, are basically the same throughout the film.) There is also relatively very little "eye candy", with the exception of Monroe's fresh and radiant presence.
(And by the way: the scene depicted on the promotional poster must be the most deceptive such photograph EVER. It does not appear anywhere in the film; in fact, Monroe's dress and hairdo as seen on the poster bear no relation to the character of Elsie Marina. Even their pose is highly misleading considering the dynamics of their interaction in the actual film.)
In the stage production the limited space of action was offset by the dynamics of the quirky, often witty dialogues (which Olivier and Leigh had ample time and opportunity to fine-tune to perfection).
On film it doesn't work quite as well, but I suspect the main reason could be the curious (or not) lack of chemistry between the protagonists. Also, Olivier's prince regent, while witty enough, deploys curiously little charm that would explain Elsie's sudden tender, dewy-eyed love for him.
Personally I found the film somewhat surprising, which partly compensated for its lack of substance. Most of all, it was refreshing to see Monroe in what was probably the only unabashedly level-headed (yet tender) character of her career. Elsie is giggly and deliciously giddy when the champagne kicks in - but she is no dumb blonde. Although it is not flawless, certainly not perfectly uniform, in my opinion, it may very well be one of her two best performances (the other one being "Bus Stop") - and I am not even a fan of hers. For that alone it is a must-see film for those who ARE her fans.
All in all, I found this film not particularly good, story-wise, but interesting enough - and curiously endearing.
3.5/5 stars
 Delectable November 13, 2008
Sharon Lynn Farley (Colton's Point, Maryland United States)
The cover of the DVD notwithstanding, this could be a testament to professionalism (Olivier's) and a force of artful nature (Monroe). I'm thrilled that Olivier didn't get his first choice of leading lady for this one; Vivien Leigh was entirely too British and refined to be convincing as a showgirl from Milwaukee. I'm not alone in thinking this was Monroe's best performance, Her timing alone was a miracle, no matter how many takes it took her to get there. How much Olivier might have spared himself if he'd had video on set to see instantly how well she was registering on film; he might not have asked for more takes, tiring and exasperating himself as well as her. But no matter: the confection came out delectable. What is often neglected are the supporting gems, particularly Richard Wattis as the bemused diplomat, both dry and kindly. Dame Thorndike as the Dowager and Jeremy Spence as the young prince are royally appealing. If the coronation got short shrift, the ball was beautifully done. The affair between the prince and the showgirl was both inevitable and inevitably short-lived. "A bird can fall in love with a fish, but where would they live?" Still, the brief magic is thoroughly enjoyable. The reason you don't see it revived and publicized along with her Fox hits is simple: it was produced by Marilyn Monroe productions. No one profits by it except the people who seek it out, and they profit in pleasure.
Rather slow and talky, but Marilyn is simply radiant November 4, 2008
Joseph A. Admire (Manassas, VA USA)
As a romantic comedy, "The Prince and the Showgirl" really isn't that funny; it's fairly slow and talky, and I found myself shifting around in my seat in some irritation hoping that something would happen (as Raymond Chandler once said, more or less, when things get slow, you should have somebody burst through a door waving a gun!). However, it's still quite watchable for the simple reason that Marilyn Monroe is at her loveliest and liveliest here. She looks purely fantastic in Edwardian-period dress and, as other reviewers have noted, is in a bright, happy mood throughout the film. So, whenever things get slow, I can content myself with enjoying Marilyn, because she totally enlivens a film that otherwise would be too dull for words.
Not so great movie April 5, 2008
Richard Franks
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a movie that was a waste of time for everyone. Marilyn is strained in her role and Sir Lawrence Olivier acts as though he would rather be having a root canal. Very, very dull.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 42
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