it have be rightly state in other comment on this page that the prince and the showgirl be not the best marilyn monroe movie ever make and especially consider such later picture a some like it hot and the misfit . it be also true that the prince and the showgirl be not marilyn best performance and give her outstanding acting a sugar kane and roslyn taber in the aforesaid movie . i do contend nonetheless that the prince and the showgirl be a delightful comedy in an interesting historic set with hidden message underneath while a movie in which the supposedly empty head blonde loom a lot large than her illustrious male costar or director . and i may add though i be aware that this be a matter of taste entirely that marilyn be never sexy than when she play elsie marina . she real eye candy . but one step at a time . the plot run a follow represent on the eve of world war i at the 1912 coronation of king george v and to be precise a british diplomat by the name of northbrook ( richard wattis ) be charge with entertain the pro british ruler of the imaginary balkan state of carpathia and the grand duke charles ( laurence olivier ) . carpathia be a fairly important regional power and which be why the british foreign office fear that the county might side with germany if charles pro german son nicholas rise to power . northbrook take the grand duke to see a light musical comedy and and it be in the theater that charles be introduce to the attractive american born actress elsie marina ( monroe ) and who and a we later learn and be of german descent . charles wish to lure elsie into a one night stand and but the american showgirl lack of refined manner collides with the high strung aristocrat idea of a smooth and short live love affair . in a sub plot and nicholas conspires with the german against his father . a say earlier and the genteel humour be delightful and the edwardian costume be dazzle to look at and and marilyn monroe overshadow the unimaginative performance of olivier be simply white hot . there be a number of shot in that movie that would make great still of monroe and e. g. when she read charles write invitation ( she have her hair down and look like a vermeer beauty ) and when she enter the carpathian embassy and admires at the gilded decoration and when she be engulfed in her marvellous reverie in westminster abbey etc . etc . not only be she sexy in these moment and but there be really a sense of great ( silent ) acting and the emotion show in her feature . and the shot a such could almost be describe a devotional picture . just stop the dvd for a sec at these moment and enjoy the tableau . regrettably and olivier rendering of the grand duke seem rather wooden and date by comparison . he speak with an inauthentic german accent and and he move in a stiff and military way to indicate the grand duke arrogance and authoritarian stance and which he exhibit by tyrannize his son and yelling at servant and and by have opposition leader arrest and jail without trial . overall and olivier do his best to show the grand duke a the archetypical ugly german . i guess this be precisely where the prince and the showgirl go a little deep than most other play in musical comedy and a olivier character once remark about the play in which elsie marina appear . i do not know if terrence rattigan and on whose play and script the movie be base and intend this and but the allusion be quite obvious represent the prince and the showgirl can be understand a a comment on mccarthyism and much like arthur miller the crucible . because when a powerful man in a 1957 movie have political opponent arrest without trial on charge of un carpathian activity and that a comment on the ongoing red scare in the u rather than on imperial germany . and to crown it all and it the innocent american who criticize the ugly german for the persecution of these un american ( mccarthy ) or un carpathian ( grand duke charles ) people and who conspire with a foreign power to overthrow the constitution . it almost uncanny that arthur miller and whom marilyn have wed just a few month before and be present when the movie be shoot and have to appear before the house un american activity committee immediately when he return from england . bear in mind that the committee be originally intend to find german american nazi collaborator . there be one other historical detail i a a german find almost hilarious in an american movie base on an englishman screenplay represent a other commentator have observe and olivier spice up his dry performance by use german swear word which be probably outdated in the 50 already ( kreuzdonnerwetter noch mal etc . ) . ask by elsie marina why he always swore in german and the grand duke reply represent because the german have the best oath and the best machine gun . isn not that the truth the hun simply have the best machine gun . funny only that the german maschinengewehr 08 be more or less a direct copy of the english maxim gun invent by the american born engineer sir hiram s. maxim . and by the time the great war start the brit have a way more modern machine gun than the 08 in the shape of the famous vickers gun a do the yankee when their force enter wwi ( brown m1917 machine gun . ) in a nutshell and the prince and the showgirl be a fun movie to watch on the surface and provide highly interesting commentary on contemporary u history underneath . marilyn monroe sparkle and though her role doesn not challenge her in the same way a do her part in some like it hot and the misfit those part really bring out her enormous artistic versatility and a do the 1952 picture don not bother to knock . the costume and prop and and decoration be splendid and contribute to a dense and decadent and somewhat fin de siècle atmosphere of this romantic comedy set in the edwardian era . a must see and clearly a 10 and despite the shortcoming of olivier performance .