The Student Prince

Director: Richard Thorpe Richard Thorpe

Overview

Edmund Purdom plays Prince Karl, but Mario Lanza sings the bold tunes coming out of Purdom's mouth, in this MGM remake of the 1927 Ernst Lubitsch silent picture based on the renowned 1924 operetta by Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy Donnelly, which itself was based on the novel and play by Wilhelm Meyer-Foerster. Lanza was signed to play the German Prince of Heidelberg, but weight and temperament problems caused the director Richard Thorpe to use Purdom instead. Lanza's pre-recorded tenor tones come out of Purdom's lip-synching mouth in the many lusty tunes such as "Drink, Drink, Drink" and "Golden Days." Prince Karl's grandfather, the king (Louis Calhern), wants his sheltered grandson to see the world and sow a few wild oats before he returns to the marriage that has been pre-arranged with Princess Johanna (Betta St. John). The prince ends up in a tavern in Heidelberg and meets and falls in love with Kathie (Ann Blyth), the niece of the local innkeeper. But the King gets sick and dies, and Prince Karl must return to assume the throne. He can't have a peasant girl as his queen, so he must part with his secret lover.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/11/2011
UPC:	0883316364505
Original Release:	1954
Rating:	G
Source:	Warner Archives
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:47:00
Sales rank:	20,669

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Edmund Purdom	Prince Karl Franz
Ann Blyth	Kathie Ruder
John Ericson	Count Von Asterburg
Louis Calhern	King Ferdinand of Karlsberg
Edmund Gwenn	Prof. Juttner
S.Z. Sakall	Joseph Ruder
Betta St. John	Princess Johanna
John Williams	Lutz
Evelyn Varden	Queen
John Hoyt	Prime Minister
Richard Anderson	Lucas
Roger Allen	Von Fischtenstein
Steve Rowland	Feuerwald
Chris Warfield	Richter
Gilbert Legay	Von Buhler
Archer MacDonald	Head Corps Servant
Charles Davis	Hubert
John Qualen	Willie Klauber
Mario Lanza	Prince Karl (singing)

Technical Credits

William Ludwig

Sonya Levien

Richard Thorpe	Director
William Ludwig	Screenwriter
Sonya Levien	Screenwriter
Joe Pasternak	Producer
Warren Newcombe	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

Operetta is never as satisfying an experience on film as it can be onstage, but The Student Prince is one of the better treatments of this genre. Clearly its biggest asset is its Sigmund Romberg songs (and, to a lesser extent, the enjoyable if not as distinguished additions by Nicholas Brodzky and Paul Francis Webster.) While the purple-tinged lyrics and the unashamedly open emotionalism of "Serenade," " Deep in My Heart" and "Golden Days" make the score seem far removed from contemporary tastes, most music lovers will find it hard to resist the beauty of Romberg's soaring melodies. The screenplay is serviceable, but it unfortunately does not dig deeper into characters and situations that by 1954 were rather well worn and in need of specificity, invention and surprise. The cast does relatively well, especially the always charming Edmund Gwenn and the appropriately supercilious John Williams. In the lead roles, Ann Blyth puts her operatic chops to good use and sounds quite nice, making one wish she had been given more to sing. Her dramatic talents are not greatly challenged, but she makes a more than decent barmaid/love interest. The male lead is more problematic. Edmund Purdom is rather too bland and predictable; there's nothing wrong with what he does, but aside from his looks, there is not a lot to command attention. As a result, when he opens his mouth and Mario Lanza's vigorous tones pour out, it seems rather unnatural. Matters are not helped by the fact that the role really requires a baritone rather than Lanza's tenor, nor by the fact that several of his high notes come off too pinched. Still, most of the score is well served, and there's lots of color, lusty and rousing choristers and attractive sets to cover over the rougher spots.