kindtxgal Absolutely completely well done film by the future Princess Grace of Monaco, Grace Kelly and supporting staff including dreamy Louis Jordan, staunch Alec Guiness, and a surprise entry as Queen, Agnes Moorehead.Each actor worked so well together and yet in each one's style. Complete delight to watch the story unfold, ebb & flow, and then glide just like a swan to a restful ending. A fantastic use of comedy for interjections into a plot line that could easily been bogged down in monarchical dribble.What an orchestra of a movie. I was put off a bit by the overly flowery love declarations from Jourdan to Kelly, but outside of that, everything was a delight to watch.What clinched this movie for me is Guiness's description of a swan: gliding and graceful in water, but cumbersome and put off as a goose on land. The need for them to shine forever on the water in order for their beauty to be appreciated. Ahhhh.... wonderful.

cumbite With rare exceptions (i.e., 'The Age of Innocence' and 'The Painted Veil,' among a few), too many contemporary movies set in earlier (from Elizabethan to Oscar Wildean) times miss out from a distinct failure to capture apparent period authenticity in manner or speech, be it: 'A Perfect Husband;' 'The Importance of Being Earnest'; 'Moulin Rouge;' 'The Other Boleyn Girl;' etc.Not so here.Every moment and character in director Charles Vidor's 'The Swan' (with the possible exception of usually adept Agnes Moorehead) takes one to an aristocratic pre-WW1 middle-Europe - at least, in Ferenc Molnar's stage conceit from 1922.Fortunate enough to have purchased the laser-disc widescreen issue in the mid-1990s, continue to enjoy every telling exchange among the principals in the exploration of the values of a long by-gone era, politically dated as they might be - which intent might have been the author's, whether Mr. Molnar's or screenwriter John Dighton's. Not for nothing does the introductory scene convey the off-handed delivery of bread from the local baker.Mr. Guinness is wrong in age as the heir to the throne (after all, 'Kwai;' 'Tunes of Glory,' and 'The Horse's Mouth,' were only a few years away), but acquits himself fairly well, altogether.Ms. Kelly was slightly past taking on roles of ingénues, but does herself proud in coming across as the well-bred princess but unsophisticated woman in matters of the heart; brought up as she has been in obedient fashion towards her elders, her lack of experience makes feasible her deception towards the initially indifferent Prince Albert, as it certainly does her surprise of the unintentional emotional hurt of Professor Agi (Louis Jourdan), the man whom she makes the unwitting instrument of the deceit.Jourdan, as a matter of fact, is in best form possible, convincing as he lets down his long-held reserve towards Alexandra and, more importantly for the piece, is assured in the English language, better so than in other performances.SPOILER: Certain wonderful moments can best be experienced on-screen, particularly during the moment of truth between Alexandra and Professor Agi, as: Alexandra (to Agi): "Don't come any closer Nicholas...I have never seen a man in love...(with sudden awareness) and he happens to be in love with me!" Would not dare spoil any other such quote, such as when Uncle Carl (Brian Aherne), standing near the young lovers, wisely observes that the emotion that they share may never again be as deep or as true, but that nevertheless, it is perhaps already fleeting.Restoration of 'The Swan' in DVD form is imperative. Leave it to younger audiences to sort out its relevance.

eschetic-2 Molnar's stately examination of romance and duty, THE SWAN, made a slightly disappointing "swan song" for Grace Kelly in Hollywood (it and the delightful PHILADELPHIA STORY remake, HIGH SOCIETY with Cole Porter songs, marked her final two studio films before marrying Prince Rainier of Monaco who she met at a photo shoot at the Cannes Film Festival following her filming Alfred Hitchcock's TO CATCH A THIEF in his principality on the Mediterranean - near the borders of France and Italy). The disappointment today is less in the undeniably beautiful film itself than the undeserved reputation for "emptiness" and misconceptions which have grown up around it and served to limit the film's showings and the knowledge of Princess Grace's actual legacy.Even in 1956, the popular taste was shifting to faster paced entertainments with more emphasis on car chases and adventure than language and communication. Ferenc Molnar's original 1923 play (he was also responsible for the 1921 LILIOM which became Rodgers & Hammerstein's CAROUSEL, filmed the same year as THE SWAN) was from a quieter age between the Wars when the popular taste was willing to look within the provinces of mythical royalty for its universal stories of human relationships. It seemed talky to a 1956 audience who saw the trappings of a long passed royalty and stopped listening to the very real emotions and honor at the heart of the story. Who wanted to care about the problems of a girl who happened to be living in luxury - and worse, was being torn between the love of two essentially good men? That failure to care - or care to listen - was the audience's loss (and the studio's - it was obviously a very expensive film), for the problems under examination were hardly trivial and the final scene between Alec Guinness and Princess Grace was as moving and true as any that could have been crafted from more earthy elements. Audiences today who care to listen to what literate people are actually saying rather than wallow in explosions and contrived "action" plots will find much to appreciate.I said the film also perpetuated myths about its star. Seeing Princess Grace in this sumptuously costumed and technically undemanding setting, it's easy to believe she was the "little Philadelphia girl" given the Hollywood treatment and polished there into a "star," but Grace Kelly was far from the a Hollywood naif. She came from one of the wealthiest families in Philadelphia, and a not unconnected one theatrically. Her uncle, George Kelly, was a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright who probably inspired Grace's theatrical ambitions.Before finding an all too brief position in the Hollywood pantheon, Kelly graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and polished her craft in at least two productions on Broadway, winning a Theatre World Award for her first, a 1949 production of August Strindberg's THE FATHER! In his book "Darling, You Were Wonderful," press agent Harvey Sabinson, who worked on that production, tells of the dedication and generosity of the young actress who he didn't know at the time was so well connected (and when he learned, was not permitted to capitalize upon).While the ending of her story (the far too early death in a car accident at 51 notwithstanding) may be one of seeming fairy tale romance, the true story of Grace Kelly the actress is one of natural ability rewarded through careful preparation and hard work - a tale not unlike the quietly inspiring plot of THE SWAN.

Neil Doyle Capitalizing on Grace's intention to marry a prince in Monaco, MGM dusted off Molnar's antique play, a comedy of manners involving a princess torn between the love of two men--ALEC GUINNESS (as her second cousin) and handsome LOUIS JOURDAN (as the tutor of her young brothers). By the time she makes her choice, you won't care.On this painfully dull story, they've spared no expense to give the production a handsome cast adept at assuming royal manners--BRIAN AHERNE, AGNES MOOREHEAD, JESSIE ROYCE LANDIS, ESTELLE WINWOOD and ROBERT COOTE, among others, and Charles Vidor was chosen to direct Kelly's last film at Metro.The ice princess herself is perfectly at home in such material, never once letting a believable expression disturb the beauty of her classic features. She's strictly playing herself in an arch manner and letting others do the real emoting. There's plenty of eye candy aside from Grace, the sets and costumes being beyond reproach.But it's a stuffy affair, talky and full of dull stretches where almost nothing happens to move the story forward. Women will adore watching Grace parade around in a number of fetching costumes and will no doubt enjoy seeing her paired with Jourdan in the more intimate scenes.But overall, it's an awful bore with its chief compensation being a delightful cast.