SimonJack
This film is a tremendous satire. It's loaded with laughter-inducing lines and scenes. The screenplay is quick and witty. It pokes fun at 17th century Russian empress, Catherine the Great, at her court, at the military, and at other European countries of the time. All aspects of the production are excellent. And, the lead actors are tremendous in their roles.Top billing goes to Tallulah Bankhead as Catherine the Great. The film script fits the raucous, mostly dramatic stage actress to a tee, and she plays her role hilariously. At least equal to her is William Eythe as Lt. Alexei Chernoff. He is superb as the exuberant, somewhat naïve, loyal and dashing Russian army officer who admires the czarina. He refers to her frequently as "our little mother," or "Mother Russia," much to her chagrin and disapproving looks. There are many laughs in the exchanges between these two.Charles Coburn has one of the meatier roles of a great career. He had played leading men in a few roles, but mostly was one of the few stellar supporting actors in many top Hollywood films. In this film he shows more than his usual facial expressions of dismay, chagrin, surprise, etc., in comedic situations. He plays Nicolai Ilyitch, the chancellor of Russia and right-hand man to the empress. In reality, he runs the country behind-the scenes, according to Catherine's wishes or best interest – as he sees it.Other supporting actors contribute to funny scenes in the film. One reviewer thought Vincent Price was wasted here. I think he is a riot as the Marquis de Fleury who is the ambassador from King Louis XV of France. Sig Ruman is another of the great supporting actors of the golden age of Hollywood. Here he plays Gen. Nicolai Ronsky. Mischa Auer is hilarious as Captain Sukov. Vladimir Sokoloff, Mikhail Rasumny, Donald Douglas, and Grady Sutton have short humorous parts.There's a considerable track record behind "A Royal Scandal." It was a silent film in 1924, "Forbidden Paradise." Before that it was a Broadway play, "The Czarina," written by Edward Sheldon. He adapted it from a Hungarian book and play, "Die Zarin," by Lajos Biro. In all of those earlier forms, the story was successful. It was a comedy, billed as a humorous look at the 17th century Russian empress with her many amorous affairs. Yet, when this film came out in April 1945, it flopped at the box office. As a result, it has been little seen or known about since then.I suspect that timing was mostly to blame. The American public probably was confused or conflicted with the different messages it had heard and seen in the news and movies about the Soviet Union. First Stalin's communist regime had starved millions of Ukrainians and the Soviet five-year plan had failed. Then the U.S. provides arms and supplies to the Soviets as allies against Nazi Germany. And Hollywood issues a film at the urging of President Roosevelt, "Mission to Moscow," in 1943 that whitewashed Stalin's atrocities. No wonder the public might be confused. In a few more years – by 1948, I think this film would have been a smashing success, and would be regarded something of a classic satire today.Even reading the comments of reviewers to the time of my writing, I find that few have seen as little more than a simple comedy. But, those who enjoy much laughter and a satire that pokes lots of fun should enjoy "A Royal Scandal." It's part of my film library, along with other great satires such as "Dr. Strangelove," "The Mouse that Roared," "Ninotchka," "Comrade X," and "To Be or Not to Be." Here are some sample lines to whet one's appetite. Ilyitch, "Oh, that Louie (French pronunciation of Louis). He's really ruining France. He's worse than the 14th. And Louie the 14th was worse than the 13th. That's the trouble with France – too many Louies." Alexei, "You know what's going on in Russia?" Sukov, "No, and please don't tell me. I don't want to get mixed up in anything. All I want to do is guard the east gate." Ilyitch, "My dear marquis, I'm so embarrassed. A perfect stranger coming out of the wall." Marquis, "Oh, please do not even mention. In Paris nothing but secret entrances. Only the husbands and servants use the regular doors. In the salon of Madame du Barry, you can see the best people coming out of the book shelves." Alexei, "Look, here are 50 rubles. Please take me to her majesty." Ilyitch, "You can't bribe the chancellor of Russia. Not with 50 rubles." Alexei, "You're the chancellor? The man everybody says is ruining Russia?" Ilyitch, "You're from the East?" Alexei, "No, from the West." Ilyitch, "How things do get around. It's amazing." Alexei, "Your majesty, I'm ready to die for you." Catherine, "That's no news either. I expect that from my soldiers." Ilyitch, "I beg your majesty not to waste your precious energy. We have these minor revolutions every day." Alexei, "I don't believe his excellency has a very high opinion of me. Frankly, he seems to think I'm something of a fool." Catherine, "That's a lot of nonsense. You're brilliant … and you look simply divine in that uniform." Ilyitch, "I even dreamed about you last night." Gen. Ronsky, "Something bad?" Ilyitch, "I don't know yet. I'm going to dream the end tonight." Alexei, "I didn't think you listened." Catherine, "I remember every word, every syllable." Alexei, "Then you heard what I said about the peasants?" Catherine, "Did I hear? How can you ask? I've been thinking of nothing else but peasants, peasants, peasants, and peasants."
GManfred
A drawing room comedy can find a limited audience in almost any era, but this is 2013. I am not sure about 40's audiences, but nowadays, "A Royal Scandal" ain't going over. I am old enough to appreciate subtle humor but this picture is far too subtle for today's average viewer. I think Lubitsch needed more of a hand in this production, even though he is the nominal producer. He was taken ill and directorial duties were handed over to Otto Preminger.In any case, it is another chance to view a national treasure in Talullah Bankhead, who made very few movies - and that's our loss. She gets good support from Charles Coburn, and not much from William Eythe. His performance was one-note and strident and he seemed ill-at-ease as her officer-lover. He was billed as the 'next Tyrone Power', who was himself an underrated actor. I felt Eythe nearly sank the picture by himself with his shrill heavy-handedness. Vincent Price plays the French ambassador, and with a very bad French accent.I just felt that this picture was not in the same league with other Lubitsch films and his definitive touch was not so much in evidence. It was disappointing in this regard, and the script needed to be funnier.
eschetic-2
NO film with Charles Coburn can really miss, and A ROYAL SCANDAL has so much more going for it on top of Coburn and top billed Tallulah, you want it to be as delicious a Lubitsch confection as it promises to be. It is for at least the first ten minutes while the pacing remains frantically break-neck (and some necks are nearly broken). Even when it inevitably slows down, it remains lightly enjoyable for most of its 94 minutes, but Otto Preminger was decidedly the wrong director to shepherd the Lubitsch project to fruition, and too much of the blithe banter, even in the hands of such reliable clowns as Sig Ruman just misses the mark as Tallulah alternately rages at and romps with alternating 'favorites' while senior minister Coburn protects her and her country (and keeps French Ambassador Vincent Price frustratingly off screen waiting his turn with the Empress).Coburn's scenes all sparkle with his amused knowing looks and quite conspiring, and "Guard of the East Gate" Misha Auer makes his few scenes comic gems, but neither handsome William Eythe (a Tyrone Power hopeful who never quite caught on - bad roles hurting more than rumors about his private life) nor the raging Tallulah (taking a slight wrong turn into costume farce after a dazzling contemporary outing for Hitchcock in LIFEBOAT) are given enough substance or variety in their frustrated - intended to be comic - dance of seduction to deliver either the hilarity or the sexual tension intended. With the exception of PORGY AND BESS, did a Preminger film *ever* understand the comic aspect of sex? His closest approach to subversive comedy may be in inexplicably showing COBURN more fond of Anne Baxter (William Eythe's on screen fiancé) than Eythe appears to be - but it would be easy to miss her entirely in an underwritten role but for Coburn's concern.Other than the polished LIFEBOAT, the great Tallulah's dozen or so movies (Bette Davis kept getting to make Bankhead's greatest stage roles in film - from DARK VICTORY to the LITTLE FOXES) show up so seldom these days, and so few of them preserve the comic touch which Bankhead was known for on stage (her Broadway revival of Noel Coward's PRIVATE LIVES is still the longest running production of that great comedy and her Sabina in Thorton Wilder's THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH is justly renowned) that no one should miss a chance to see A ROYAL SCANDAL, but the great misfortune the film originally suffered of opening the day before President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died (can you think of a WORSE time for a farce/comedy to open?!) was not the only reason the film is not ranked among Lubitsch's masterpieces.Still, a Lubitsch near miss is as good as many another film maker's milestone. 'Well worth a look - and if it adds to our enjoyment to think of Ann Baxter's later role in ALL ABOUT EVE as a love letter from Tallulah to Bette, well, it isn't such a bad idea either.
