Prince and The Showgirl [DVD] [2020]

This new blu ray edition from Warner Archives is really beautiful to look at. And the film itself is wittier and funnier than I remembered it. Please don't spend viewing time thinking too much about the story of the filming, although "My week with Marilyn" is a charming little wonder. And don't compare acting styles too much. The Monroe part is meant to be very working class American, the rest are stiff upperclass Europeans. This is very well written comedy of manners and class, and it is very much filmed Grand Theatre,- in this case that is what really makes it work. There is absolutely no attempt a realism here! This is luxury fantasy!Marilyn is utterly enchanting, almost shining and very much alive, Olivier is stiff by choice, and wonderful as such. And there are the fantastic Dame Sybil Thorndyke as a highly amusing eccentric elderly queen and Richard Watts as the utterly, beautifully overdone Northbrook. They all have very well written lines by Terrence Rattigan to say. Much can be quoted from this! All of it looks fantastic as photographed by Jack Cardiff himself, and the music by Richard Addinsell makes it even etter!My God, it's so British! Jolly good!

Wonderful Marilyn movie one of my favorites!

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.

This elegant looking period comedy sticks out like a sore thumb in Marilyn Monroe’s career résumé. The costumes and decor are smashing, and her supporting cast of distinguished British character actors couldn’t be better. The script is more “amusing” than laugh-out-loud funny, but it has several bright moments. Unfortunately, the flow of the movie comes to a dead halt in the middle, when Marilyn goes to church during the coronation of King George V, but it slowly recovers for a wistful third act. Jack Cardiff’s cinematography shows off Marilyn in some gorgeous closeups. This newly restored blu-ray looks great, too, and is finally in the proper screen ratio (which previous DVDs and VHS versions were not). Richard Addinsell’s score, both on-screen music and in the background, is charming.

These two actors are so different. It’s just really makes the show it is a great show. Have fun watching it.

After watching My week with Marilyn, I felt compelled to watch The Prince and the Showgirl. I must admit that I was mainly looking for signs of the movie's well known problems and adversities, however what stood out for me the most was Olivier's miserable attempt at directing and acting in a comedy. It's as if he gave up at the beginning and never got beyond his contempt for Marilyn, the script or his regret for ever having taken on such an ill fated endeavor. I assume this was in no small part to the lack of star quality he showed next to Marilyn in the dailies. I suspect that Marilyn's insecurities and need for constant reassurance were only made worse by the fact that the film was made at Pinewood studios, a tight knit company used to doing things their way. Its a testament to her courage and desire to elevate herself as an actress that she played opposite Olivier and that in spite of all the opposition around her she still managed to pull off amazing moments on film. Where Olivier stomped and bullied throughout most of the troubled script and implausible plot, Marilyn brought a realness and vulnerability revealing her determination to deliver her personal best. Regardless of the many luminous closeups and captivating scenes with Marilyn who understood how to do comedy, Olivier's inability to appreciate and utilize her talent and rare screen presence to direct and produce a better movie prevailed. The thing that did endeare me to the movie and made it interesting to watch was how their performances seemed to actually be driven by the tensions mounting during production. I give this film 3 stars because although there are obvious pitfalls Marilyn is really nearly at her best and makes the movie worth watching. Olivier may have sat with head in hands as he watched the final edit but nevertheless it endures mainly because Marilyn never gave up.....!

I have been in love with Marilyn since I was 14; just needed this video to complete my collection. Did not disappoint 👍👍

Soy fan de Marilyn Monroe y de los clásicos del cine de la época de oro, y cuando supe que Warner Archive Collection había restaurado en formato Blu-Ray el clásico"The Prince and The Showgirl" lo compré de inmediato. Se ve espectacular, mejor que nunca, con una calidad de imagen fuera de serie.Llegó en perfectas condiciones, el único inconveniente es que no trae subtitulos ni doblaje en Español.

Increíble la calidad de imagen y audio de este Blu-ray, parece que la película ha sido rodada ayer. Por ponerle un pero me faltan contenidos extra

A ma surprise DVD directement dans ma boite (pas de notification) mais tant mieux ! Super film pour les fans de Monroe. Le DVD demeure quasiment introuvable (provenance Allemagne) et c'est bien dommage. A regarder en vo sous titré.

VERY PLEASED WITH DVD, THANK YOU. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED SELLER A+++++++

Super happy with the quality of this movie in that there are no deficiencies throughout the viewing.I love Marilyn and am happy I can own this piece of work that she is quite famous for. I am also happy having seen "My Week With Marilyn" which has provided background on the making of this movie and insight into who she was based on that perspective.Marilyn is lovable and charming and just makes you want to be her best friend (as a straight woman). Lol.CheerZ!