IMDb > The Prince and the Showgirl (1957)

The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   1,828 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Laurence Olivier
Writers:
Terence Rattigan (play)
Terence Rattigan (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Prince and the Showgirl on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 June 1957 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Romance more
Tagline:
Some countries have a medal for Everything.
Plot:
When Grandduke Charles, the prince-regent of Carpatha, a fictitious Balkan country which could start a European war by switching alliances... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 5 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
Movie Legend Cardiff Dead At 94
 (From WENN. 22 April 2009, 2:55 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
The Showgirl Reigns more (29 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Marilyn Monroe ... Elsie Marina

Laurence Olivier ... Charles, the Prince Regent
Sybil Thorndike ... The Queen Dowager
Richard Wattis ... Northbrook
Jeremy Spenser ... King Nicolas
Esmond Knight ... Hoffman
Paul Hardwick ... Major Domo
Rosamund Greenwood ... Maud
Aubrey Dexter ... The Ambassador
Maxine Audley ... Lady Sunningdale
Harold Goodwin ... Call Boy
Andreas Malandrinos ... Valet with Violin) (as Andreas Melandrinos)
Jean Kent ... Masie Springfield
Daphne Anderson ... Fanny
Gillian Owen ... Maggie
more
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Sleeping Prince (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
115 min
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
French | German | English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
Australia:G | Iceland:L | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Finland:S | Argentina:Atp
Filming Locations:
London, England, UK more
Company:
L.O.P. more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Writer Terence Rattigan had initially expressed doubts about an actor of Olivier's stature playing such a mundane character. His doubts were allayed when he saw Olivier play the part on stage. more
Quotes:
Elsie Marina: Oh, don't give me that. I'm an American citizen, no one can do anything to me. Besides, who cares about your old Balkan revolutions, anyway? You have them all the time. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Doctor Who Confidential: Making Manhattan (#3.5)" (2007) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
33 out of 36 people found the following comment useful.
The Showgirl Reigns, 12 March 2005
7/10
Author: abelardo64 from United States

I've seen enough of Laurence Olivier's work for the cinema to understand why, previous generations, considered him the greatest actor that ever lived. I was introduced to him in "The Boys From Brazil" so I didn't quite get it. Then in "Marathon Man" he was chilling. Only recently I've seen "Wuthering Heights" "Rebecca" "Hamlet" "Henry V" and "The Entertainer". He was unquestionably great. "The Prince and the Showgirl" presents an interesting picture of that famous "test of time" thing. The greatest actor that ever lived is, this time, not only acting with Marilyn Monroe but he's also directing her. Apparently they didn't get along. Olivier was, naturally, fed up with her lateness and her moods. He wasn't a model of diplomacy. He complained that her teeth looked yellow on the screen. That alone put her out of business for a couple of days. But now in 2005 we look at the film, forgetting all those amusing bit of nonsense and what do we see? The greatest living actor, acting, yes, acting up a storm. Doing justice to Rattingan's words and rhythms in the most respectful theatrical tradition. His performance, amusing as it is, seems completely embedded in 1957. Marilyn Monroe on the other hand travels with the times and her performance is as fresh and natural today as his is stuffy and calculated. She is glorious. Isn't funny, how time does what it does? I call it justice.

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