Swan The (1956) – full review!
Swan The (1956) – full review!
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 & 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 & all knowing family butler. Estelle Winwood plays Beatrix’s older sister and Alexandra’s Aunt Symphorosa who’s facial expressions & "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.
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