The Prince and the Showgirl

I want to clarify the fact that I avoided watching this show for years because I had Laurence Olivier up on such a pedestal (I actually thought of him as the best actor in the world for years!) I thought it must be awful. I watched this film for the first time today and it absolutely delighted me. I can understand why Sir O, would have been driven crazy by Marilyn's much over-discussed behavior during the making of this film and his direction of it. He was to the nth degree a classically trained actor. She, most definitely, was the exact opposite. That does not detract at all from a naturally born actor. Her shenanigans throughout her marriages, movie-making and personal life are documented well enough for us all to know they are probably true enough. I actually found the differences in their styles completely understandable and that they fit the differences in their particular stations "in life" totally fit their respective roles. It was quite believable and also entirely delightful. I also believe that if Sir O. were able to come back from the grave and could see his film now with a more objective eye, rather than one of mere "ownership; which I think he must have had at the time it was produced, he might even be able to see how truly wonderful it is. The interplay between the two characters seemed entirely believable, playful and at times even loving. The way she treated his son, the King, was also lovely AND loving! I found this film in it's entirety a delight and would recommend it highly for either a Laurence Olivier fan or a big Marilyn fan. In either case, they were equally talented; just in entirely different ways. She couldn't have ever done Shakespeare well, as he did. He could never have played the lead in her many successful well-known comedies. They were perfectly suited for each of these roles--him playing the part of a bombast so well, and she playing the role of a loving coquette.

Miss Monroe's personal troubles have been well - documented and hardly bear repetition here.However,it is clear that she was scarcely in control of her own life by the time she came to England in 1956 with her new husband the deeply uncharismatic Mr A.Miller on a kind of working honeymoon.To make Mr T.Rattigan's "The sleeping prince" into a movie Sir L.Olivier needed a star attraction and there was none bigger than "Marilyn",an entirely artificial media - created persona Miss Monroe hid behind. In an era riven with snobbery it was truly believed that Sir L. was "The Prince"slumming it with the dumb blonde American movie star who was extremely lucky to be on the same set with him. In reality the reverse was true.Sir L.was a huge ham at home only with the works of a playwright dead for 400 - odd years,and almost incapable of a believable portrayal of any man born since about 1600.His magnificent voice was a gift that he abused for the greater part of his movie career.Only in "Term of Trial" and "Bunny Lake is missing" did he connect with the 20th century in any meaningful way.He had more funny voices than Mr P.Sellers and wasn't as amusing.As the eponymous prince he took his cod - German impersonation out of the box and gave it an airing,applied his Brylcreem liberally and suffered nobly as Miss Monroe,superbly lit by Jack Cardiff,glowed ethereally in every scene.He gave every impression that it was just another day at the office for him whilst she portrayed awe and innocence and a degree of humanity that was clearly beyond her supposed superior. He may well have felt he was not being given due respect by her and her entourage,he was a "Sir" after all,and an obviously tense and anxious set is not liable to produce a light and frothy movie which is what "The Prince and the Showgirl" should have been. Instead he shows off abominably,overacts alarmingly and,in the love scenes has all the ardour of a monocled codfish. With the biggest movie star in the world and a great Shakespearean Actor on board it could have been a wonderfully entertaining experience,but the impression I came away with was that of a rather distant man unable to empathise or even cope with a talent vastly different to his own. But it is Miss Monroe for whom the movie will be remembered,not the man who went on to make "The Jazz Singer"

In this decidedly over-exaggerated, 1957 Romantic-Comedy (Ha! Ha! So funny I forgot to laugh) - "American Vulgarity Personified" (that's Monroe's character) meets and is swept off her feet by "Utterly Pretentious Political Refinement" (that's Olivier's character). And what inevitably takes place between this truly tiresome, mismatched twosome has got to be one of the most sickening displays of contrived, slap-dash, screwball shenanigans ever recorded on film. IMO - Not only did Olivier prove (as a director) that he couldn't effectively direct this particular genre of film - But (as an actor) he also proved that he was totally clueless (as a man) about how to really give Monroe (the ultimate, 1950s sex symbol) an honest-to-goodness kiss like he really meant it. It was all just quick, delicate pecks on the lips without ever once demonstrating any intense, sexual intimacy, whatsoever. Anyway - Speaking about the creamy-white, skin-tight dress that Monroe wore throughout most of the story - Man-oh-man! - Did that glitzy outfit ever emphasize the monumental proportions of her ample ass, big-time. Yep. It sure did.

My problem with this film is that it tries to do too much, and doesn't have the time to adequately develop any of its themes to a satisfying conclusion. Romantic comedy, screwball comedy, political intrigue, comedy of manners—it has so many angles that it leaves one rather unsatisfied. Monroe, even with her sometimes doe-eyed stupor, is still captivating---I am a fan, and part of her appeal to me is her sometimes obvious lack of polished acting tricks. She sometimes walks a tightrope in her performance, just on the edge of tumbling into abject amateurism, and that tension is definitely part of her appeal. You can't take her eyes off of her…a bit like watching the Indy 500 and secretly dreading yet anticipating a fatal crash, all the while captivated by the sheer beauty of the event. Laurence Olivier, on the other hand, is imminently forgettable in this…choosing to play the character as a stereotype. We learn so little about what makes him tick, other than the obvious fact that he keeps his emotions bottled-up. And there is something reptilian about his eyes which keep me from ever regarding him as someone's romantic interest. They always looked narrow and conniving, and it just got worse with age. Yes, there seemed little chemistry between them, and in spite of what I just said about his eyes, there just wasn't any time devoted to letting that chemistry develop. Did I miss something, or did Marilyn announce her love for him in the midst of his predictable, bumbling attempts to be seductive? If so, I must assume she was just overwhelmed by his looks, and I find this incomprehensible. Overall, this remains a weak entry in Marilyn's oeuvre. It was visually delightful, with a sort of premeditated artifice which lent it a storybook charm. If only the writing could have accomplished the same.

This one gets broadcast a lot for some reason when greater classics do not. It must be some sort of economic thing. In general, Marilyn Monroe had nothing but her body to offer. Put her and James Dean in a grave together (maybe with Marlon Brando who seems incongruous in this company only because he's still alive). Monroe was famously difficult to direct. In this one, directed by Olivier himself, he said to her one day, "Is there some reason you have to be so [serious expletive deleted} late every day?" And she replied, "Oh, you have that word in England too." Nevertheless, this movie is a smashing success. I'm a sucker for foreign language scenes. Sybil Thorndike's rapid-fire French is perfect not in accent but in delivery. In fact her whole performance is so unexpectedly cogent to the plot and so subtle that every time I see it I have to listen carefully for something I didn't pick up before. The boy playing the young uncrowned king rips through a bit of German in a phone conversation and unfortunately mars it with a glaring mispronunciation near the end. A pity that Olivier, a fiend about detail, didn't notice it. Another subtlety that is often overlooked is Northbrook's initial apprehension at accepting the job of being the liaison with this royal family, at the same time he is obviously, explicitly, attracted to the regent in a way you would not expect to find in a movie of this era. A splendid movie in every detail and in every respect of movie making. A masterpiece.

Laurence Olivier directed this adaptation of Terence Rattigan's play "The Sleeping Prince" about an American showgirl performing abroad in 1912, wooed by a stuffy prince. Marilyn Monroe-watchers will be disappointed by MM's lack of sparkle here; she certainly looks lovely but seemingly has no connection to this part, and no chemistry whatsoever with mannered Olivier as the starched, though not entirely humorless, royal. The sluggish pacing and overlength are deterrents, although the beginning of the movie is quite bright and the thoughtful, serious finish almost gives the dreary film some actual meaning. ** from ****

Among all of Marilyn's films this is the best performance and although she is best remembered today by here brilliant performance as sugar cane in ( Some like it hot 1959) she is doing much better here, she gives us a very simple performance which is too hard to play because u have to be both simple and very real and that is the hardest style of acting. This was my the first film i saw for MM back to 2008 and it attracted me from the start till the end. The film is based on a play called ( The Sleeping Prince ) starring Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh and i think that it was back to 1953 anyway Marilyn bought the rights and played the part of Vivien. The production of the film was very difficult and there was a lot of tension between Sir Laurance and Marilyn because first they were from two different schools and second she was regularly failed to show up in the set and when does she never arrived on time not to mention the endless retakes , to know more a bout the production on this film you should see a documentary film called -The prince and the showgirl and me- which was made in which was made buy Colin Clark ( you can see it in YouTube) , and if u don't like documentary films u can watch a movie made in 2011 starring Michelle William called ( My Week with Marilyn). At the end yes Marilyn was difficult to work with but she delivered one of here best performance on screen and she was nominated for Best Foreign Actress in BAFTA Awards .

Considering that all of the backstage talk on the making of 'The Prince and the Showgirl' tells us that a huge rift developed between Oliver and Monroe, their chemistry in this charming comedy is incredible and very apparent. Oliver has his stuffiest role since 'Pride and Prejudice' and does a standout job. Their would-be seduction scene early on, where a tipsy Monroe confronts him with a show of confidence amidst her giggles, is a highlight of the film and sets the tone for the kind of banter between them. Marilyn never looked more elegant than she does here, costumed and coiffed to look incredibly beautiful. The others in the cast are all impressive in their supporting roles but the main drawback is a script that lumbers along, poorly paced and finally going nowhere. At least twenty minutes of footage could have been clipped to make the whole thing more watchable. But if you enjoy seeing Marilyn play comedy, this is the one for you. Never has she shown such a flair for enjoying herself in a role. One would never suspect that rumors of unprofessional behavior and disputes with Oliver were even remotely true. The finished product has a glossy, elegant and thoroughly professional look--and as I said before, the only drawback is the script itself and a story too slight to make it totally absorbing. But Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe are both excellent--and, surprisingly, Monroe even upstages him more than once.

Olivier and Monroe...an unlikely combination, it would seem. Yet Olivier's blustering pomposity and Monroe's giddy naivete create a surprising chemistry. Sir Lawrence is ever the blue-blood in this well conceived comedy, the tale of a lovely, bubbly young American showgirl who is invited to spend the evening with the smitten Prince. Monroe is absolutely wonderful--her performance is well thought out and very strong, using every ounce of her famed comedic skill . And she's beautiful as always...even in a pristine white, elegantly beaded evening gown she fairly radiates sensuality. What truly holds the film together, though, are the outstanding performances by Richard Wattis (the unerringly English, ever mindful Majordomo Northbrook) and Sybil Thorndike (the Grand Duke's hilariously incomprehensible mother-in-law the Queen Dowager). The movie is well filmed and well paced, with the exception of the coronation ceremony segment which could have been edited considerably. Overall, the story is a winner... a very charming tribute to the virtues of persistence! We learn that our Prince isn't nearly so cold and conniving as he'd like us to believe, and Miss Elsie Marina isn't nearly the wide-eyed ingenue we thought she was...

This is an odd, quirky movie that I can't say I really enjoy. Like many of Marilyn's movies, they come off being unbalanced, but this is the first, and only movie made by her own production company. There are some good parts, and there are even more boring, and "Plug in the coffee pot to keep me awake" moments. Still, if it's on TV, I'll tune in for one scene only. The coronation scene, which has no dialog, concentrates almost solely on Marilyn's emotions while she watches history being made. Through her, we are drawn through the scene, and at least I, experience a full range of emotions to almost being on the brink of tears at how beautiful this scene is. With a close up of her face, she fades away and a glorious circular stained glass window appears, then to another stained glass window of cliffs that transforms and becomes real, long enough to hear the sound of a ship's horn in the distance, to the "violence, violence, violence!" chant and the thundering canon which brings this wonderful scene to its conclusion. That scene alone, with a few other glorious shots of Monroe make this movie worth watching.