REVIEW: Her Highness And The Bellboy (1945)
Title: Her Highness And The Bellboy
Release Year: 1945
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Cast: Hedy Lamarr, June Allyson and Robert Walker
Plot: A princess goes to New York to find her long lost love whom she had left years ago. During her stay at the hotel, the princess befriends a bellboy, but the bellboy sees it as more than just a friendship.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️＿ ＿
Review: This is a fun film to watch but not as good as it should've been. The story was great but I still felt like there was something missing.
I really loved the opening and closing sequences because they had elements of a fairytale. Starting with "Once Upon A Time" and ending with "They Lived Happily Ever After".
Hedy Lamarr was beautiful as usual but her dresses weren't fitted well. I later learned that they weren't, on purpose, because she was pregnant at the time, so they couldn't tighten her dresses or it would've shown.
She was perfect for the part of a princess but the commoner she's in love with, wasn't. He was cold and his acting was dull. I definitely had a problem with that casting.
In the film, before the princess and her love reunited, they both kept worrying about what the other looked like now, that six years had passed since they last saw eachother. I think it's silly for them to worry about each other's appearances, if they were really in love. It just doesn't seem realistic. I mean if I were in their place, I would probably worry about what the other person would think of how I looked after all these years but I don't think I'd care what they looked like.
Robert Walker as The bellboy was hilarious, especially when he kept confusing everyone by using names of places and making gibberish sentences to get out of awkward situations. It was the first film I had watched of his and loved him instantly. I read that his wife Jennifer Jones left him and their children for another man at the time of filming. Yet it couldn't tarnish his cheery disposition. I cannot imagine what he must've gone through but I appreciate his acting even more now that I know because his feelings certainly weren't reflected on the screen.
Mickey Rooney was considered for Walker's part, but couldn't go through with it because he ended up being drafted to war. Eventhough he probably would've been great, I'm very happy with the final choice.
June Allyson was the girl who was in love with the bellboy. At first I was disappointed to know she was in the film but she did a good job, which rather surprised me. I still could've been more satisfied if she wasn't in the film though.
There was a dream sequence in the film where Allyson and Walker sang a beautiful song called Honey. That song made the film even better.
It was actually written and composed by the trio; Simons, Gillespie and Whiting for Rudy Vallée in 1929 and it was a huge hit then. I listened to many versions that I'll probably post about later on.
Release Year: 1945
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Cast: Hedy Lamarr, June Allyson and Robert Walker
Plot: A princess goes to New York to find her long lost love whom she had left years ago. During her stay at the hotel, the princess befriends a bellboy, but the bellboy sees it as more than just a friendship.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️＿ ＿
Review: This is a fun film to watch but not as good as it should've been. The story was great but I still felt like there was something missing.
I really loved the opening and closing sequences because they had elements of a fairytale. Starting with "Once Upon A Time" and ending with "They Lived Happily Ever After".
Hedy Lamarr was beautiful as usual but her dresses weren't fitted well. I later learned that they weren't, on purpose, because she was pregnant at the time, so they couldn't tighten her dresses or it would've shown.
She was perfect for the part of a princess but the commoner she's in love with, wasn't. He was cold and his acting was dull. I definitely had a problem with that casting.
In the film, before the princess and her love reunited, they both kept worrying about what the other looked like now, that six years had passed since they last saw eachother. I think it's silly for them to worry about each other's appearances, if they were really in love. It just doesn't seem realistic. I mean if I were in their place, I would probably worry about what the other person would think of how I looked after all these years but I don't think I'd care what they looked like.
Robert Walker as The bellboy was hilarious, especially when he kept confusing everyone by using names of places and making gibberish sentences to get out of awkward situations. It was the first film I had watched of his and loved him instantly. I read that his wife Jennifer Jones left him and their children for another man at the time of filming. Yet it couldn't tarnish his cheery disposition. I cannot imagine what he must've gone through but I appreciate his acting even more now that I know because his feelings certainly weren't reflected on the screen.
Mickey Rooney was considered for Walker's part, but couldn't go through with it because he ended up being drafted to war. Eventhough he probably would've been great, I'm very happy with the final choice.
June Allyson was the girl who was in love with the bellboy. At first I was disappointed to know she was in the film but she did a good job, which rather surprised me. I still could've been more satisfied if she wasn't in the film though.
There was a dream sequence in the film where Allyson and Walker sang a beautiful song called Honey. That song made the film even better.
It was actually written and composed by the trio; Simons, Gillespie and Whiting for Rudy Vallée in 1929 and it was a huge hit then. I listened to many versions that I'll probably post about later on.
I recommend this film if you love fairytales and aren't picky with castings like me hehe
That’s so sad about Robert Walker...that must’ve been dreadfully hard for him.
ReplyDeleteSo they’ve explained why Hedy Lamarr’s outfits weren’t fitted for this film but it still doesn’t explain why it’s never fitted properly in any film...her costumes are always loose on her.
Both Hedy Lamarr and Robert Walker were perfect for their roles.
June Allyson ruined the whole film for me, I really can’t take her...her acting is awful and she always gives this impression like she wants people to feel sorry for her even when she’s not supposed to give that vibe...I don’t feel she was supposed to be an actress at all, not even for a supporting role. She definitely had connections...haha!
The song and Robert Walker were the best part of the film. Hedy Lamarr’s acting is never really my favourite but she can get away with it with her beauty.
Yes I felt so bad reading about Walker and they say that he didn’t come out of depression after that (don’t know how they would know but probably people who worked with him). He died in 1951 I think. Now I don’t want to watch any films his ex-wife was in - not that I wanted to before.
DeleteI don’t remember much of Allyson in this film but on my notes I said that I didn’t find her that bad on this film. I can’t imagine what I was thinking or maybe it was one of those days when I wanted to write something nice about people I disliked for a change hahahahah
Hahahaha you’re right about Hedy. Her face helped her with a lot of things.
And then she went and ruined it...