A Disappointing Continuation

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Directed by Charles Vidor, with a screenplay by John Dighton (Roman Holiday (1953)), this average romantic drama with comedic elements stars Grace Kelly (The Country Girl (1954)), in the title role, as a Princess who hopes to (marry to) become a Queen. Ironically, production on this film was wrapped up (at the Biltmore House in North Carolina) just before Christmas, when Prince Rainier of Monaco, who had been corresponding with the actress since they'd met at the Cannes Film Festival (quite by chance, sometime earlier), visited her in Philadelphia, beginning his courtship which will culminate in their royal wedding.Kelly plays Princess Alexandra, a blonde icicle of a woman whose mother Princess Beatrix (Jessie Royce Landis, who also played Kelly's mother in To Catch A Thief (1955)) has prepared her for, and dreamed of, the day when their family could be reunited with the crown through marriage to Prince Albert, played wittingly as always by (now, Sir) Alec Guinness. So, in effect, Albert is the fish that Beatrix wants to "hook" for her willing daughter Alexandra, who's convinced to use her admiring "friend", and younger brothers' (Van Dyke Parks and Christopher Cook) tutor, Dr. Nicholas Agi (Louis Jourdan), to make the Prince jealous enough to show an interest in her. A problem arises when Agi, who'd lit an improbable candle for Alexandra, reads too much into her inviting him to the ball for the Prince, such that he believes he can miraculously rise above his class.Agnes Moorehead plays Albert's mom, the Queen, who appears briefly near the end of the film. Brian Aherne (Juarez (1939)) plays Beatrix's brother, now Father Hyacinth, whose insight and wise guidance proves invaluable to their "side" of the family. A nearly unrecognizable Leo G. Carroll plays Caesar, the subtle and all knowing family butler. Estelle Winwood plays Beatrix's older sister, and Alexandra's Aunt Symphorosa, who's facial expressions and "gasps" as well as her championing of Jourdan's character in the "love triangle" highlights several of the film's too few amusing scenes. Robert Coote plays Albert's ever present aide, Captain Wunderlich, whose valuable services allow the Prince to appear to be more in touch than he actually is; the Captain also "rescues" Albert from uncomfortable or otherwise boring situations. These "interventions" provide the balance of the remaining "funny" scenes.Besides the confusing and rather frustrating romantic triangle interactions that dominate the film's final third, the ending itself is especially downbeat, as are many of these "stiff upper lip", "one must not forget one's duty" royalty pictures ... though we do, finally, get an explanation for the film's title.

Boring, ridiculous, despicable, annoying.I guess I'm stupid.I don't understand this film.Yeah yeah, duty over desire, but that does not even apply, she doesn't have to marry him??!! The prince surely doesn't seem in love with her, he needs a queen, and towards the end he seems to take pity on her, who turned from a plank to a teenager in love (very unconvincingly). Maybe that what he's supposed to be? Her rescuer?The family schemes to get the prince, so the professor becomes a token, despicably so. Then his advances soften her, but she wants to be a queen, she's so sorry, can he forgive her. No, he says. He gets all angry with everybody and holds socialist speeches, which are somehow connected with his admiration for Napoleon (lol!). She likes that for some reason, or his hurt pride, or whatever. So now she's in love, with a vengeance. I can actually accept that, putting aside the improbability of its sudden appearance. The way she's in love is believable. Then the prince insults the professor, he wants to retort, she stops him with a kiss - that ends it for him---huh??? Says she kissed him out of pity, like she would kiss a dog - huh??? Well I love my dogs! With passion!:-)So then he leaves and everybody manipulates her thoughts and so she is a swan again, who actually are rather aggressive animals on land, while I have found geese to be much gentler! I thought the ending was tragic. Nothing funny or romantic in it. And just for her I say that, as I don't understand the professor beyond the kiss. And I don't care. I guess he just didn't want to bother with her fickleness, or a kiss was all he wanted... You know, I like Alec Guiness, but even the uncle is more dashing than him with his moustache-twirling and his padded chest (or so it looked - ridiculous!) - shudder.All hail to the aunt!So, first hour boredom extraordinaire, then a little one-sided romance and a lot of overacted drama about it, very confusing, at the end back to the ice swan - great. Fantastic. Call that entertainment?But, as I mentioned, I just didn't get it.Just my two cents.

Molnar's stately examination of romance and duty, THE SWAN, made a slightly disappointing "swan song" for Grace Kelly in Hollywood (it and the delightful PHILADELPHIA STORY remake, HIGH SOCIETY with Cole Porter songs, marked her final two studio films before marrying Prince Rainier of Monaco who she met at a photo shoot at the Cannes Film Festival following her filming Alfred Hitchcock's TO CATCH A THIEF in his principality on the Mediterranean - near the borders of France and Italy). The disappointment today is less in the undeniably beautiful film itself than the undeserved reputation for "emptiness" and misconceptions which have grown up around it and served to limit the film's showings and the knowledge of Princess Grace's actual legacy.Even in 1956, the popular taste was shifting to faster paced entertainments with more emphasis on car chases and adventure than language and communication. Ferenc Molnar's original 1923 play (he was also responsible for the 1921 LILIOM which became Rodgers & Hammerstein's CAROUSEL, filmed the same year as THE SWAN) was from a quieter age between the Wars when the popular taste was willing to look within the provinces of mythical royalty for its universal stories of human relationships. It seemed talky to a 1956 audience who saw the trappings of a long passed royalty and stopped listening to the very real emotions and honor at the heart of the story. Who wanted to care about the problems of a girl who happened to be living in luxury - and worse, was being torn between the love of two essentially good men? That failure to care - or care to listen - was the audience's loss (and the studio's - it was obviously a very expensive film), for the problems under examination were hardly trivial and the final scene between Alec Guinness and Princess Grace was as moving and true as any that could have been crafted from more earthy elements. Audiences today who care to listen to what literate people are actually saying rather than wallow in explosions and contrived "action" plots will find much to appreciate.I said the film also perpetuated myths about its star. Seeing Princess Grace in this sumptuously costumed and technically undemanding setting, it's easy to believe she was the "little Philadelphia girl" given the Hollywood treatment and polished there into a "star," but Grace Kelly was far from the a Hollywood naif. She came from one of the wealthiest families in Philadelphia, and a not unconnected one theatrically. Her uncle, George Kelly, was a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright who probably inspired Grace's theatrical ambitions.Before finding an all too brief position in the Hollywood pantheon, Kelly graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and polished her craft in at least two productions on Broadway, winning a Theatre World Award for her first, a 1949 production of August Strindberg's THE FATHER! In his book "Darling, You Were Wonderful," press agent Harvey Sabinson, who worked on that production, tells of the dedication and generosity of the young actress who he didn't know at the time was so well connected (and when he learned, was not permitted to capitalize upon).While the ending of her story (the far too early death in a car accident at 51 notwithstanding) may be one of seeming fairy tale romance, the true story of Grace Kelly the actress is one of natural ability rewarded through careful preparation and hard work - a tale not unlike the quietly inspiring plot of THE SWAN.

Wonderful, romantic yet realistic movie. All characters are given dialogue which allows a wide range of emotions -- and the fine cast gives true life and realism to every scene! Sets and costumes are magnificent! (Was a real palace used here...or was it constructed on a studio back lot??) This is movie not just for romantics, but also for those who want to know how the other half, (or other 1/200th!) live and think!I would like to see this movie re-made! I suggest ANNE HATHAWAY as Princess Alexandra, JOHNNY DEPP as Tutor Nicolas, and ERIC PIERPOINT as Prince Albert!