Cinema Sunday: The Princess Comes Across

Last week's Cinema Sunday was about a romantic screwball comedy starring Carole Lombard, a much beloved and admired actress whose life was cut tragically short in 1942 in a plane crash but her legacy lives as an icon of American Cinema.  

Carole had a deft comedic touch, a lightness and freedom of spirit. And that is most definitely on display in today's movie. 

The Princess Comes Across (1936) is a combination of murder mystery and romantic comedy. 

On the ocean liner Mammoth bound for New York City is Wanda Nash (Carole Lombard), an actress from Brooklyn masquerading as "Princess Olga" from Sweden in order to land a film contract with a big Hollywood studio.  

Also on board is King Mantell (Fred MacMurray), a concertina-playing band leader with a criminal record in his past. 

Both are blackmailed by Robert M. Darcy. 

Then Darcy is killed and the eye of suspicion falls on "Princess Olga" and King Mantell.  Or I should say "eyes of suspicion" as there are five (FIVE?!) police detectives travelling on the ship and the Captain of the ship is looking to get his horrible business wrapped up quickly.  

The investigation gets complicated as Wanda Nash isn't the only one on board pretending to be someone they are not. 

There appears to be a spy lurking about, up to no good.  

Lombard occasionally lapses into her character's real identity, Brooklyn-born wannabe Wanda Nash, but spends most of the picture masquerading as Princess Olga, giving her the chance to do a wickedly smart impression of  Hollywood's famous Swedish born film star, Greta Garbo. 

Lombard has some pretty solid chemistry with Fred McMurray with whom she made 3 other movies.  Originally the role of King Mantell was going to go George Raft.  Raft made such a rep for himself on turning things down, studios were reluctant to even approach the actor. Lombard had gone to bat for Raft to help him out of his self imposed career slump.  BUT the notoriously prickly and picky Rath turned this role down as well. 

Besides being beautiful and charming in front of the camera, Lombard had a beloved reputation off camera for looking after people who were in need of help, including members of the technical crew. She was known for preferring to hang with the production crew over other actors. 

The Princess Comes Across is an adequate little movie with mystery and romance elevated by the charms of Carole Lombard. 

Next week, our weekend movies are about sex.

Or the lack thereof.