A Royal Scandal

A Lost (?) Gem
I saw this movie a couple of times on afternoon TV at least forty years ago and would give anything to have it on DVD. It's a hilarious farce with Tallulah Bankhead giving an unforgettable (well, obviously) performance, ranging from sharp wit to pure slapstick. Catherine the Great, a part she was born to play, and admirably backed up by a stellar supporting cast. It was prepared and partially shot by Lubitsch, then when he fell ill Otto Preminger took over. Please bring it back!

Great comedy
"A Royal Scandal" is a Royal Treat with members of the Hollywood royal comedy teams of the 40s. The film was developed by comedy master Ernst Lubitsch (1892-1947) who gave us such memorable films as "Ninotchka" (1939), "The Shop Around the Corner" (1940), and "To Be or Not to Be" (1942). Multi-talented Otto Preminger took the directing reigns when Lubitch got sick, and stayed true to Lubitsch's intentions. Lubitsch liked to say "Nobody should try to play comedy unless they have a circus going on inside", and this film is every bit a fun circus with fast delivered witty lines, slapstick at every turn, and marvelous tongue-in-cheek performances from all.

The film features Tallulah Bankhead as Catherine the Great with Charles Coburn, Anne Baxter, Mischa Auer, and Sig Ruman as members of her court. William Eythe co-stars as Bankhead's love interest.

Tallulah Bankhead (1902-68) was more of a personal force than an actress, although she had many memorable performances...

OTTO PREMINGER, OPUS 8
**** 1945. Directed by Otto Preminger. St.-Petersburg, Russia. XVIIIth century. Catherine the Great has just fired her last lover when she meets the naive Alexei Chernoff who wants to warn her against a possible revolution. This film was meant to be directed by Ernst Lubitsch who chose the script before falling ill. Nonetheless, ROYAL SCANDAL remains a sophisticated comedy à la Lubitsch with witty and energetic dialogues. Tallulah Bankhead, Charles Coburn, Anne Baxter, William Eythe, Vincent Price and Sig Ruman are all given the opportunity to present a one (wo-) man show worth remembering. Highly recommended.

In addition to the present edition, you can find a zone 2 DVD released by the BFI (British Film Institute) at amazon.co.uk or another zone 2 DVD released by Columbia Classics at amazon.fr.

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