The King and the Chorus Girl

Director: Mervyn LeRoy Mervyn LeRoy

Overview

Groucho Marx received co-writer credit (along with his old friend Norman Krasna) for King and the Chorus Girl, though very little Marxian wit is in evidence. What remains is a fun but forgettable comedy about a European monarch (Fernand Gravet) who woos and wins a down-to-earth American chorine (Joan Blondell) who works at the Folies Bergere. Edward Everett Horton and Jane Wyman (fifth-billed) provide comic relief as the respective best friends and severest critics of the leading players. The film had a topical edge in that it was released the year after Britain's King Edward renounced his throne for American divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson. Significantly, King and the Chorus Girl was released in England as Romance is Sacred, effectively downplaying the touchy "royal" angle.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/12/2019
UPC:	0883929675401
Original Release:	1937
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[B&W]
Language:	English
Time:	1:34:00
Sales rank:	47,109

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Fernand Gravet	Alfred Bruger VII
Joan Blondell	Miss Dorothy Ellis
Edward Everett Horton	Count Humbert Evel Bruger
Jane Wyman	Babette Latour
Alan Mowbray	Donald
Mary Nash	Duchess Anna
Kenny Baker	Soloist
Luis Alberni	Gaston
Ben Welden	Waiter
Lionel Pape	Prof. Kornish
Leonard Mudie	Footman
Adrian Rosley	Concierge
Ferdinand Schumann-Heink	Chauffeur
Torben Meyer	Eric
Armand Kaliz	Theatre Manager
Velma Wayne	Bolero Dancer
Georgette Rhodes	Hatcheck Girl
George Sorel	Servant
Alphonse Martell	Servant
Sam Ash	Violinist
Lee Kohlmar	Violinist
Carlos San Martin	Policeman
Gaston Glass	Junior Officer
Jacques Lory	Waiter
Robert Graves	Captain of the Ocean Liner
Adele St. Maur	Stewardess
Georges Renavent	Yacht Captain
Carole Landis	Actor

Technical Credits

Norman Krasna

Groucho Marx

Mervyn LeRoy	Director,Producer
Norman Krasna	Screenwriter
Groucho Marx	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

The King and the Chorus Girl is an agreeably pleasant little comedy. This is surprising only when one considers that the film was co-authored by Groucho Marx, whose work is usually described in livelier terms than "agreeable" and "pleasant." That Marx and co-writer Norman Krasna didn't provide a funnier screenplay for King is unfortunate; what exists is amiable and entertaining, but could have been considerably more if there had been some of the anarchic humor of which Marx is clearly capable. Still, there's nothing wrong with being pleasant, and King is certainly a fine way to pass the time. Mervyn LeRoy directs in solid fashion, with one eye on romance and the other on comedy, and the resulting work is efficient and moderately energetic. King also features the American debut of Fernand Garvey, who is charmingly amusing as the titular member of the royal family. The chorus girl is Joan Blondell, which is not surprising, but who turns in a subdued and "ingénue"-like performance, which definitely is unexpected. She's quite good and does get to display her comic timing in several instances, but one misses her usual brashness. Fortunately, Jane Wyman is on hand to pick up the brash slack, and Edward Everett Horton gets to contribute his usual put-upon performance, which he does with aplomb.