''King's Rhapsody'' is a 1955 British

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...

directed by

Herbert Wilcox Herbert Sydney Wilcox Order of the British Empire, CBE (19 April 1890 – 15 May 1977) was a British film producer and film director, director. He was one of the most successful British filmmakers from the 1920s to the 1950s. He is best know ...

and starring Anna Neagle,

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

and

Patrice Wymore Patrice Wymore Flynn (born Patricia Wymore; December 17, 1926 – March 22, 2014) was an American film, television and stage actress of the 1950s and 1960s, known for her marriage to Errol Flynn. Early life and stage career Born Patricia Wymor ...

. Wymore was Errol Flynn's wife at the time of filming. It was based on the successful stage musical '' King's Rhapsody'' by

Ivor Novello Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. He was born into a musical ...

Plot

Prince Richard of Laurentia is summoned from exile with his mistress Marta (Anna Neagle) in Monte Carlo, to resume Royal duties following the death of his father, the King (Finlay Currie). He is charged to marry Princess Cristiane of Norseland (Patrice Wymore) and produce an heir to the throne. Although Richard's affections are with his mistress, he soon finds his heart warming to his new wife.

Cast

* Anna Neagle as Marta Karillos *

as Richard, King of Laurentia *

as Princess Cristiane * Martita Hunt as Queen Mother * Finlay Currie as King Paul * Francis De Wolff as The Prime Minister * Joan Benham as Countess Astrid * Reginald Tate as King Peter * Miles Malleson as Jules * Edmund Hockridge as The Serenader

Production notes

The film was the second from Everest Productions, a company established by Herbert Wilcox. He hoped to sign with Republic but they refused so he signed a deal with British Lion. The film was the first of what was meant to be a six-film deal over three years worth £2,500,000. The intention was that Flynn and Neagle would form a team along the lines of Neagle's pairing with Michael Wilding, starting with ''The White Witch of Rose Hall'' in Jamaica. However this was the last of the two movies they made together. The budget consisted of £227,680 for British costs, plus Errol Flynn's fee, plus a Yugoslavian contribution towards location costs.

Reception

The film was not a success. ''Filmink'' said that "at times ''King’s Rhapsody'' feels like an amateur theatre production, with the stars “acting” but with enthusiasm." In ''Errol Flynn: The Life and Career'', Thomas McNulty noted, "Shot in CinemaScope, the colorful costumes were wonderful to look at but unfortunately the actors wearing those costumes, particularly Flynn, are wooden and unconvincing," and went on to write that he found the film "merely dull," and that "The plot is a disaster disguised as a screenplay"; while

Allmovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, television series, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was ...

considered the film "one of the few Neagle/Wilcox failures."

Release

The film underperformed at the box office.Tony Thomas, Rudy Behlmer & Clifford McCarty, ''The Films of Errol Flynn'', Citadel Press, 1969 p 206 A condensed 45-minute version, taken from the film's soundtrack, was broadcast as a

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...

play in September 1955.

References

External links

*
''King's Rhapsody''
at Brit Movie {{Herbert Wilcox 1955 films 1955 musical films British musical films Films directed by Herbert Wilcox Films shot at Associated British Studios Operetta films Films set in Europe CinemaScope films 1950s English-language films 1950s British films Films with screenplays by Christopher Hassall English-language musical films