Those who know veteran actress Sylvia Sidney mainly for her pathetic waifs ("An American Tragedy", "Dead End") or crotchety old ladies ("Damian: The Omen II", "Beetlejuice") will find her uniquely different here in a dual role-as a European princess in America on a good will tour and her American actress look-alike, asked to understudy the princess on the tour when she gets the mumps. The actress character is close enough to Sidney's characters in the sense that she is down on her luck, seen early on manipulating the doors of an auto-mat window containing a turkey dinner which ends up going to the dogs anyway. As she takes on the life of the princess, she falls in love with reporter Cary Grant while a missing person's report is filed for the actress. Will she manage to continue to fool the press as the lisping suitor of the real princess is manipulated to question her validity as the noble royal?
Rarely cast in comedy during her leading lady era, Sidney stands out in two key comic scenes: first breaking the champagne glasses in continuous toasts while posing as the princess, and later acting all tough when detectives pick her up while searching for the missing actress. It's nice to see her in something other than slum clothing, and at times, she is photographed very exotically, almost appearing to be Asian. Grant is amusing in romantic support, while Edward Arnold is delightfully befuddled, in total shock when his guests follow Sidney's lead in tossing his prized champagne glasses over their shoulders as she toasts everything but the royal cattle. Henry Stephenson, as the King of the struggling country, is wisely droll, and Vince Barnett steals every moment he is on screen as the doomed to be dumped suitor. An early writing assignment for future director Preston Sturges, at times this seems more appropriate for Paramount's other leading ladies, but Sidney does a fine job, making this a somewhat delightful surprise.
Rarely cast in comedy during her leading lady era, Sidney stands out in two key comic scenes: first breaking the champagne glasses in continuous toasts while posing as the princess, and later acting all tough when detectives pick her up while searching for the missing actress. It's nice to see her in something other than slum clothing, and at times, she is photographed very exotically, almost appearing to be Asian. Grant is amusing in romantic support, while Edward Arnold is delightfully befuddled, in total shock when his guests follow Sidney's lead in tossing his prized champagne glasses over their shoulders as she toasts everything but the royal cattle. Henry Stephenson, as the King of the struggling country, is wisely droll, and Vince Barnett steals every moment he is on screen as the doomed to be dumped suitor. An early writing assignment for future director Preston Sturges, at times this seems more appropriate for Paramount's other leading ladies, but Sidney does a fine job, making this a somewhat delightful surprise.