Memorable, crazy movie

hyped garbage

best movie i've ever seen.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

I picked this movie to find a late Marilyn's movie as well as British flavor. On those two points, it's OK : Marilyn is convincing with her tough character to play and the movie is rich in royal pump and London places. It's funny to see how special effects were done 60 years ago. Sure, they are not transparent but they are as poetic and as useful as today ! As it's the first time i watch him, Olivier seems to be a competent actor and a honest filmmaker as the movie scratches the so- pure and divine royals : in fact, the regent wants escort girls, the queen is close to being senile. However, as a director, he fails to give a soul, a rhythm to this movie. Yes it was hard as the original material is a play but unlike « 7 years itch », this one doesn't take off the boards : the scenes are long, endless, the speeches are long, endless, the stages are poorly limited as it happens mainly inside the embassy. So it's really like a filmed play whose story is rather poor and unidimensional and i recall only two scenes that shows what a movie is about: 1) Marilyn's wake-up with the British grenadiers (the same that was in « Empire of the sun ») and Marilyn's dream in the church during the coronation !

I have watched most every Marilyn Monroe movie and this is on my opinion a very underrated classic! I love that this film was done in COLOR so that it could bring out all of the pomp and regalia of palace life. So many things could be said about this movie...it is so funny. A chorus girl completely out of place trying to remember protocols and positions but clever enough to know that she does not want to leave the embassy grounds as she may never get the opportunity to return again.Laurence Olivier is wonderful as a dry and stiff ruler who really has a hard time with scandals, popular opinion, and his future but wants occasional one night stands without any complications...oh boy did he mess that one up!This movie has so many good parts, so many good lines, and of course Marilyn outsmarts them all. How in the world people citied rate thus movie so low is beyond me.1. Beautiful colors and cinematography bring this film to life in a spectacular way 2. A wonderful and sophisticated plot which gets crazier and more improbable as the show goes on 3. Certainly one of Marilyn's best performances...she is sexy, funny, conniving, and amazingly clever in this one...you will love how she learns that she can manipulate people to break the tension that was leading to war and uncertainty.9 out of 10. Could of been higher but the ending is a bit of a let down, but all in all this is a great show and not one to be overlooked!!!

Grand Duke Charles (Laurence Olivier) is the prince-regent of Carpathia, a fictional Balkan country which could be the cause of a worldwide war. He's in London with his pro-German minor son and the Dowager Queen to attend the coronation of King George V in 1911. British foreign officer Northbrook (Richard Wattis) is tasked with getting him whatever he wants. The Prince is completely taken by the actress Elsie Marina (Marilyn Monroe) at the Coconut Girl Club. Northbrook brings her to a supper for two.Laurence Olivier is very stiff which is his character. He's a tiresome old geezer. He is utterly overshadowed by Marilyn Monroe in every scene. This is a very unlikeable romance. The two characters and actors have no chemistry whatsoever. When it comes, the romance feels forced and uncomfortable. Monroe is great when she's drunk acting. She's magical and the screen loves her. The difference between the two can't be any greater. She is fun and hilarious. The movie grinds down whenever she's not on the screen.

The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) ** 1/2 (out of 4) The Regent of Carpathia (Laurence Olivier) arrives in London and requests the company of an American showgirl (Marilyn Monroe) thinking that he can get his way with her but soon he realizes that she's more than you might think. THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL isn't a good film by any stretch of the imagination but it's making of is probably more entertaining than the actual film. With that said, it's certainly quite charming in spots but there are just way too many flaws for it to work as a whole. To some shock, the best thing that can be said about the movie is the performance of Monroe. I thought the actress did a very good job with her character and I think it's probably one of the most likable I've seen from the actress. She brings a certain warmth to the part and she really does make you like her character. Everyone knows the troubled history with the production (see the wonderful MY WEEK WITH MARILYN) but I must say that director Olivier did good getting what he did from the actress. As for Olivier, I really don't want to call his performance bad but it's certainly stiff and over-the-top at times. I'm guessing this was done on purpose so that's why I can't call it a bad performance but it's certainly not something you'd expect to see from one of the greatest actors in history. It also seems that he's quite mad in certain scenes and this here really doesn't seem like a performance. Again, I do wonder if the trouble going on behind the scenes had something to do with this. Sybil Thorndike is also extremely good in her supporting part. As I said, there are several flaws in the movie including the fact that it goes on at least twenty-minutes too long. I thought there were several scenes in the movie that should have been trimmed or cut out all together. Another problem is that for a comedy there simply aren't any laughs to be found. The dry, slow moving pace also doesn't help. THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL features some wonderful cinematography by Jack Cardiff and it really captures Monroe at one of her most beautiful periods and add this in with the performance and it makes the film worth sitting through.