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, who's 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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