Vintage 8x10 in. US single-weight glossy restrike photograph (not a vintage original photo printed at the time it was taken but one that was printed from the original negative at a later time) from the classic 1950's comedy romance, THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL, released in 1957 by Warner Bros. and directed by Laurence Olivier. Set in London in 1911, an American showgirl (Marilyn Monroe) becomes entangled in political intrigue when the prince regent (Laurence Olivier) of a foreign
country attempts to seduce her.
The image features an exterior medium shot of a wide-eyes and beautiful Elsie (Marilyn Monroe) as she arrives at the quarters of the prince regent for her first meeting with him as a chauffeur stands next to the prince's limousine behind her. It is in fine condition with a 1.5 in. diagonal crease on the top left corner that goes into the background area; a 1 in. long thin diagonal scuff on the door knocker at the top left; and a 1.25 in. diagonal scratch on the top of the limousine to the left of the chauffeur. The image quality is razor-sharp with very fine detail and great contrast.
The Prince and the Showgirl was the first film from Marilyn Monroe's own production company and the only film she made outside of the United States. Monroe got one-up on Laurence Olivier when she discovered that someone in the crew - she suspected it was Olivier himself - was running a book on how many takes she would need for a fairly tricky scene. She went home and studied hard so that on the day of shooting, she was more than prepared. She delivered the line and then left the room, closing the door behind her as directed. However, within seconds the door flew open again and Monroe stuck her head through the gap. "Pretty good, huh?" she exclaimed, before shutting the door for a final time. This line was not in the script and was an obvious dig at those who doubted her ability to do the scene. However, it fitted in so well that it wasn't re-shot and can now be seen in the final cut. |