Terence Rattigan's play "The Sleeping Prince" was a delightful comedy that came to Broadway in 1956, but closed after only a short run. Audiences did not respond to the play in New York, as well as it was received in London. It was directed by Michael Redgrave, who also played the title role. Barbara Bel Geddes and Cathleen Nesbitt were featured in the cast. The West End cast featured Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh as the Regent and the showgirl with Michael Redgrave directing.
The play takes place in London in 1911 as King George V was going to be crowned. Among the distinguished guests attending were the royal family from Carpathia, which included the queen dowager, her son-in-law, the Regent, and the future king of that country, Nicholas. Their embassy is the setting for the action. The Regent, who has an appreciative eye for showgirls, picks on Elsie Marina, an American girl working in the West End, to be his companion for a night of fun, and perhaps sex. Alas, he gets companionship, and perhaps more than he was expecting from the down to earth girl with more common sense than he was expecting.
The film version of the play was undertaken by Laurence Olivier, who directed as well as starred in it as the Regent. The casting of Marilyn Monroe, at the peak of her career was probably a sort of gamble. After all, Ms. Monroe was going to go one on one with one of the pillars of the English theater. Instead of a mismatch, the film offered a good opportunity for Marilyn Monroe to prove she was worth the opportunity.
The chemistry seems to be right between the two stars. Sybil Thorndike was perfect as the Queen Dowager form Carpathia, an obscure country in the Balkans. Richard Wattis also contributed to the production with his Northbrook, the indispensable man to the Regent.
The play takes place in London in 1911 as King George V was going to be crowned. Among the distinguished guests attending were the royal family from Carpathia, which included the queen dowager, her son-in-law, the Regent, and the future king of that country, Nicholas. Their embassy is the setting for the action. The Regent, who has an appreciative eye for showgirls, picks on Elsie Marina, an American girl working in the West End, to be his companion for a night of fun, and perhaps sex. Alas, he gets companionship, and perhaps more than he was expecting from the down to earth girl with more common sense than he was expecting.
The film version of the play was undertaken by Laurence Olivier, who directed as well as starred in it as the Regent. The casting of Marilyn Monroe, at the peak of her career was probably a sort of gamble. After all, Ms. Monroe was going to go one on one with one of the pillars of the English theater. Instead of a mismatch, the film offered a good opportunity for Marilyn Monroe to prove she was worth the opportunity.
The chemistry seems to be right between the two stars. Sybil Thorndike was perfect as the Queen Dowager form Carpathia, an obscure country in the Balkans. Richard Wattis also contributed to the production with his Northbrook, the indispensable man to the Regent.