it be interest that a number of film set during the 1900s and early 1910s and both comedy such a the assassination bureau and serious drama such a the riddle of the sand and the robert powell version of the 39 step and focus on diplomatic attempt to prevent the outbreak of a european war and even though we know that in real life such attempt be to end in failure . perhaps this reflect a view that 1914 be the year that witness the modern age loss of innocence and that the history of the twentieth century would have be immeasurably happier if the first world war have indeed be avert . the prince and the showgirl be another comedy that look back to the pre 1914 era a a lose golden age . it center upon grand duke charles and the prince regent of the balkan state of carpathia and who and while in london for the coronation of king george v and meet and and have a brief romance with and elsie marina and an american born showgirl work in a london music hall . their association be encourage by official of the british foreign office and who be seek to encourage the pro british policy of the carpathian government and to prevent a shift towards a pro german stance which could threaten the peace of europe . laurence olivier be today rightly regard a one of britain great heavyweight actor of the twentieth century and a man who ( unlike some of his fellow theatrical knight ) be at home in film role a he be in the classical shakespearean drama in which he make his name . marilyn monroe be perhaps wrongly widely regard a a lightweight hollywood starlet whose main talent be look decorative in a series of undemanding part . when the two go head to head together and however and there be an unexpected result and with the lightweight beat the heavyweight by a knockout . the above box metaphor be suggest by the numerous story about the strained relation between olivier and monroe during the making of the film and supposedly cause by what he saw a the inadequacy of her performance . if those story be true and i think that lord olivier should perhaps have look more closely at the beam in his own eye than at the mote in hers . although this be not monroe best film and there be nothing particularly wrong with her portrayal of elsie and who come across a a typical monroe character empty head and flirtatious and but basically decent . it be olivier grand duke who strike me a the main problem with the film . although charles be supposedly the hungarian born ruler of a balkan kingdom and he speak english with the heavily guttural pseudo germanic accent normally associate with british actor play nazi of the have haff vays und mean school . to strengthen the impression and he occasionally barks german interjection such a himmel . and dummkopf . schweinehund . and even donnerwetter . and an imprecation i have never hear a real german use . ( the few extended example of german dialogue in the film suggest that the carpathians not only speak english with a german accent and but also speak german with an english one . to judge from sybil thorndyke effort and their french be even bad ) . give that his persona be uncomfortably close to the standard cinematic version of an ss officer ( an association that must have seem even more apparent in 1957 than it do today ) and that his preferred method of solve the political problem of carpathia be to imprison without trial a many opposition politician a possible and charles be not exactly love young dream . his emotional coldness and obsession with formality and protocol suggest a caricature more than a real person . caricature may be appropriate in certain type of comedy and especially satire and but in romantic comedy it seem misplaced and a the romance of real and or real seeming and individual be more interesting than those of cartoon character . moreover and for romantic comedy to work we need to be able to believe in both party to the romance and not just one . while monroe try to make elsie a real and likable person and olivier seem content to draw upon a combination of two stock comic character and the funny foreigner and the tuffy aristocrat . although old man or young woman love story be a common in the cinema of the fifty a they be today and this one seem particularly incongruous . monroe be already in her thirty when the film be make and but the naïve and innocent elsie seem much young and whereas the middle age charles seem a man old before his time and an impression create a much by his stiffness of manner and bearing a by his grey hair . the gap in the age of charles and elsie seem considerably great than the nineteen year gap in the age of the actor . halliwell film guide praise the film for it good production value and that publication normal shorthand for expensive set and costume . certainly and those element be impressive and although elsie hairstyle and figure hug dress seem to reflect the fashion of 1957 more than they do those of 1911. there be and however and little else in the film that impress . perhaps olivier himself be less than impress by the film and a it be his first experience of direct other than his three famous shakespeare adaptation and and it be to be his last until he direct a version of chekhov the three sister thirteen year later . my lasting impression will be of an unconvincing romance between two ill match character and of an uncharacteristically poor performance from a great actor . 4/10 .