Princess is destined to marry the Emperor, until her sister steps in.Princess is destined to marry the Emperor, until her sister steps in.Princess is destined to marry the Emperor, until her sister steps in.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Grace Moore
- Princess Elizabeth
- (as Miss Grace Moore)
- …
Johnny Arthur
- Chief of the Secret Police
- (as John Arthur)
Stella Adams
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
John Beck
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Guy Bellis
- Captain
- (uncredited)
Wilson Benge
- Servant
- (uncredited)
Beatrice Blinn
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey
- Peter
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFilm debut of Gwen Verdon.
- GoofsThe Emperor's carriage is unoccupied when it first appears entering the palace but is occupied when it stops.
- Quotes
Barker at Shooting Gallery: Well, we all know the emperor plays second fiddle.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Merely Marvelous: The Dancing Genius of Gwen Verdon (2019)
- SoundtracksStars in My Eyes
Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Music by Fritz Kreisler
Copyright 1936 Chappell & Co., Inc.
Sung by Grace Moore
Featured review
"The King Steps Out" is a very good comedy romance and musical. The latter is mostly in seeming impromptu songs that female lead, Grace Moore, sings a few of. This is a whimsical treatment of some real-life people in the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It's a highly fictitious account of the meeting and marriage of Franz Joseph I and his cousin Elisabeth. In real life, he was 18 and she was 10 when they first met in 1848. He became emperor that year, survived an assassination attempt five years later, and then married Elisabeth ("Sisi") in 1854 when she was 16.
But the rest of the characters and parts of the story are fairly accurate. The king's mother, Sophie, had a strong hand behind the scene, and she had originally wanted him to marry Sisi's sister, Helene, who was four years older than she.
Well, this isn't meant to be a history lesson or biography, but a sort of fairy tale romance and comedy. And, it's quite good on those fronts, as well as offering a good look and listen to Grace Moore. I knew nothing of the then famous opera singer and actress. She made only nine films and performed in operas until her tragic death at age 48 in 1947. She had just finished a performance to a packed house of 4,000 people in Copenhagen on January 27. But, the plane she boarded to fly to Stockholm crashed and exploded on takeoff.
Moore has a very good voice and a very sparkling character that I think lights up this story. Franchot Tone plays opposite her as Emperor Franz Joseph. All of the cast are good, including three very prominent and excellent supporting actors of the 1930s and 1940s in comedy. Walter Connolly plays Sisi's father, Maximilian, the Duke of Bavaria. Raymond Walburn plays Col. Von Kempen. And Thurston Hall plays the Major. A number of other very good actors of the day contribute. Herman Bing has a considerable supporting role as the flustered proprietor of the Ox Inn, Pretzelberger. The one strange cast member is Victor Jory who plays Capt. Palfi, who's in love with Princess Helena. He would become mostly known for many later roles as an outlaw in Westerns or a shady character in crime and drama films.
The sprightly performance of Grace Moore and the comedy with Tone, Connolly and Bing make this a very fun film to watch. Beer drinkers are wont to get quite thirsty watching this film, with the Duke of Bavaria having to try so many brews.
But the rest of the characters and parts of the story are fairly accurate. The king's mother, Sophie, had a strong hand behind the scene, and she had originally wanted him to marry Sisi's sister, Helene, who was four years older than she.
Well, this isn't meant to be a history lesson or biography, but a sort of fairy tale romance and comedy. And, it's quite good on those fronts, as well as offering a good look and listen to Grace Moore. I knew nothing of the then famous opera singer and actress. She made only nine films and performed in operas until her tragic death at age 48 in 1947. She had just finished a performance to a packed house of 4,000 people in Copenhagen on January 27. But, the plane she boarded to fly to Stockholm crashed and exploded on takeoff.
Moore has a very good voice and a very sparkling character that I think lights up this story. Franchot Tone plays opposite her as Emperor Franz Joseph. All of the cast are good, including three very prominent and excellent supporting actors of the 1930s and 1940s in comedy. Walter Connolly plays Sisi's father, Maximilian, the Duke of Bavaria. Raymond Walburn plays Col. Von Kempen. And Thurston Hall plays the Major. A number of other very good actors of the day contribute. Herman Bing has a considerable supporting role as the flustered proprietor of the Ox Inn, Pretzelberger. The one strange cast member is Victor Jory who plays Capt. Palfi, who's in love with Princess Helena. He would become mostly known for many later roles as an outlaw in Westerns or a shady character in crime and drama films.
The sprightly performance of Grace Moore and the comedy with Tone, Connolly and Bing make this a very fun film to watch. Beer drinkers are wont to get quite thirsty watching this film, with the Duke of Bavaria having to try so many brews.
- How long is The King Steps Out?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 25 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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