Her Highness and the Bellboy (1945)

Back in its day, when first released, it was panned by the critics, and I was in agreement. Robert Walkers character was too obnoxious for my taste. Rags Ragland too dopey, reminded me of the real Dopey of the seven dwarfs. Hedy, gorgeous as ever, was completely wasted in this farce...and she supposedly turned down "Gaslight" for this? The cast was first intended to be Mickey Rooney as Jimmy, with Hedy. Hedy was pregnant at the time of the filming, resulting in most head shots of her, which was her best feature anyway, and limited viewed in the movie. June Allyson, a newcomer at MGM, was being highlighted for future films. She had the best part,if there was such a thing in this movie. This movie would definitely go under the category of a chick flick, results most women liked it. I went cause I am a fan of Hedy, and was disappointed..not in her, who could, but in her small, insignificant part.

Hedy Lamarr plays a foreign princess who travels with her entourage to New York City in the hopes of meeting up again with a former flame who writes a daily newspaper column (and detests royalty!); while staying in a swank hotel, the princess is befriended by a boyish, charming bellhop who develops a crush on her, despite the fact he's also playing big brother/boyfriend to a bed-ridden girl who lives in his walk-up. Very odd romantic comedy seems to lay the character eccentricities on a bit heavily...but once the mechanisms of the plot take hold, the players seem more at home within this scenario, which is jaunty and friendly more than funny. As the bellboy, Robert Walker doesn't seem to know whether to play his role like a grown-up or a klutzy kid--so he does both; he's very ingratiating with his double-takes and exasperated looks (he gives the hotel receptionist a beaut!), and a lengthy scene early on--with Walker reading a fairy tale out loud to his girl, and indeed the neighborhood--is very tricky yet easily pulled off by the actor. Lamarr is less successful; her royal visitor doesn't require a lot of joy or spontaneity, and she isn't reluctant to show her emotions, but still she's an awfully grim beauty, harboring love's disappointments. June Allyson has the strangest role, that of an invalid girl who can walk but chooses not to (?), but she beams like Judy Garland and her smile is a welcome relief after too much of Lamarr's scowling. There's a nice musical dream sequence that seems a little padded, yet the hotel staff, Agnes Moorehead's Countess, and Walker's cohorts are all a very likable bunch. Not a completely successful fantasy, but a well-produced, well-paced one with lots of happiness to go around. *** from ****

I saw This 1945 Movie on TCM and loved it. If it was available on DVD I would own it. It's a heartfelt story with June Allyson "Leslie O'Dell" as an invalid that lives in the same apartment building and is secretly in love with Robert Walker "Jimmy Dobson" who works as a clumsy bellboy in a posh hotel. Hedy Lamarr "Princess Veronica" is a beautiful princess that is staying at the hotel where he works as the bellhop. This cute fantasy thickens as he is assigned to take care of the princess's needs, and develops a crush on the princess. Agnes Moorehead "Countess Zoe", is the princess's watchdog who is very protective of her. The Princess is really in love with a columnist. This is where a little light situation comedy occurs, but, the real true love wins out with June Allyson, at the end.This picture also features a song "Honey" which back in 1928, Rudy Vallee had a hit with. I wish I could get a copy of June Allyson's rendition of it, she did in the flick, no soundtrack is available.

I saw this movie when I was a teenager and I loved it.Of all of June Allyson's movies this ONE stayed with me all these years. I would like to see it again and if possible ,own it. I have asked at the video store for ten years if it has come out yet in video and the answer is always NO. Will it ever come out in video?