Molnar's play "The Swan" was dug up as a vehicle for Grace Kelly in the last year or two of her brief Hollywood career. She's teamed here with the always skillful Alec Guinness and Louis Jourdain, who could get by on his handsome looks alone but is equally fine in his role.
The premise of the film is clever: A plot to snag a prince into marriage goes awry, and the story then hinges on which of two men--royalty or commoner--will win the hand of the innocent but gradually awakening "swan." One of the problems I had with the film is that it begins with a lot of comedy and then turns, rather abruptly, into something, if not darker, then decidedly more serious. The ending comes rather suddenly, and neither genre--comedy or drama--quite hits the mark to render the film satisfactory, let alone memorable.
Of the three major players, Grace Kelly is the least effective, doing her frequent "upper class" act, complete with irritating voice mannerisms. Here, I suppose, it's at least appropriate, and fans of Kelly won't be disappointed. Jessie Royce Landis, Estelle Winwood, and Brian Aherne are fine; Agnes Moorehead arrives like gangbusters late in the film and injects some broad comedy when that aspect of the story has already passed.
The film is beautifully shot, great to look at, with lavish sets and costumes. Just wish the director or writer or ? had figured out what they wanted the film to be. The downbeat ending doesn't work here.
The premise of the film is clever: A plot to snag a prince into marriage goes awry, and the story then hinges on which of two men--royalty or commoner--will win the hand of the innocent but gradually awakening "swan." One of the problems I had with the film is that it begins with a lot of comedy and then turns, rather abruptly, into something, if not darker, then decidedly more serious. The ending comes rather suddenly, and neither genre--comedy or drama--quite hits the mark to render the film satisfactory, let alone memorable.
Of the three major players, Grace Kelly is the least effective, doing her frequent "upper class" act, complete with irritating voice mannerisms. Here, I suppose, it's at least appropriate, and fans of Kelly won't be disappointed. Jessie Royce Landis, Estelle Winwood, and Brian Aherne are fine; Agnes Moorehead arrives like gangbusters late in the film and injects some broad comedy when that aspect of the story has already passed.
The film is beautifully shot, great to look at, with lavish sets and costumes. Just wish the director or writer or ? had figured out what they wanted the film to be. The downbeat ending doesn't work here.