King's Rhapsody

Finlay Currie - King Paul
Errol Flynn - King Richard
Anna Neagle - Maria Karillos
Joan Benham - Countess Astrid
Francis de Wolff - Prime Minister
Martita Hunt - Queen Mother
Miles Malleson - Jules
Reginald Tate - King Peter
Patrice Wymore - Princess Christiane

Pure escapism, set in a rarefied, if rusty 'Ruritanian' world that only Ivor Novello could create. The story has echoes not only of the romance between King Carol of Rumania and actress Magda Lupescu, but also the of 1930s cause celebre, the abdication of King Edward VIII over Mrs. Simpson, which perhaps accounted for its popularity on the West End stage at the Palace Theatre in 1949 (where it ran for 839 performances).

Errol Flynn plays King Nikki of "Murania" who has been living in exile with his love, Marta Karillos (Anna Neagle). His then(real life) wife Patrice Wymore plays the 'Snow Princess' Christiane of Norseland who is looking for love. When she first runs down an Elstree studio snow-scape wearing a pale blue fur lined frock and sings "Some Day My Heart Will Awake", one knows I think that suspension of disbelief is required. The musical numbers include: Some Day My Heart will Awake (Patrice Wymore); Take Your Girl (Orchestra/Chorus);The Years Together (Anna Neagle); The Gates of Paradise (Anna Neagle/Chorus) If This Were Love (Patrice Wymore, Edmund Hockridge, Chorus); A Violin Began To Play (Patrice Wymore/Chorus) and Coronation Scene and Finale (Orchestra/Chorus) Although some songs are left out and others are reduced in length to one chorus/verse and thus shortened from stage version, there is still a lot of music in the film, as Novello's melodies are used in some masterful underscoring by Robert Farnon. There are some nice choral arrangements too, and much ceremonial music - for processionals, royal weddings, parades, coronations and the like. 'Kings Rhapsody features dance music prominently, from folk dances ('Muranian Rhapsody') to a modern dance dream/nightmare ballet featuring the Princess (Wymore) and a group of unaccredited male dancers wearing face masks on the back of their heads, but young Lionel Blair is clearly recognisable.

By 1955, Errol Flynn's Hollywood star quality was in descent, and he was working in modestly budgeted films in England. I suppose it is a sign of a star that they have an aura about them, and viewers cannot take their eyes off of them whilst they are on the screen. In this film, although his performance is rather on the lazy side, Flynn retains much of his old charm, has true star quality, and is compulsively watchable, from his entrance in a drunk scene (surprise.......) 'Kings Rhapsody' is however, clumsily shot - camera set-ups are frequently dull and unimaginative, and the film is decidedly sluggish in parts with the static shots and long takes typical of early CinemaScope movies. The lighting in some scenes is also very odd, with pink hues, which give a tacky look, and the (at times) weak 1950s Eastman Colour doesn't do the film any favours.

The films opens in Monte Carlo, and is set in Royal palaces and spectacular scenery, which is also rather poorly photographed: it looks as if some of the location shots were brought in from a travelogue/another source- perhaps evidence of a budgetary problems: it really needed big US money to give the lavish look required. Working with very limited resources, Herbert Wilcox has tried to produce a 'lavish' musical, but the cracks do show, particularly in the location photography and the art direction. However, the sound is quite lively for 1955, with what seems to be stereophonic, or at least 'perspecta' (directional ) sound. This MAY be the first British musical film recorded with a magnetic stereophonic soundtrack. On the print viewed, the orchestral playing has presence and bite, and some really loud sound effects (gunshots etc.). But, the sound in some studio dialogue scenes in the early part of the film is reminiscent of the early talkies satirised in 'Singing in the Rain', with every rustle of clothing and footstep over-amplified.

The whole film is quite preposterous of course, and you either surrender to the piece or dismiss it. Take the ending which is kitsch of the highest order, and which is brought off very well by the director to tug at the emotions, in synchronisation with Novello's glorious music. As his young son is crowned, Rikki is in the Cathedral, hiding in the shadows, After the service Nikki goes alone to the altar to pray as, unseen to him, Christiane, his Snow Princess appears in the RH side of the frame. If you have surrendered to this story, there will not be a dry eye in the house at this moment - which is just how Novello would have wanted it, as THE END comes up on the screen.
Review ©Roger Mellor.