This is a warm comedy and romance film with a very good cast that incudes two young stars who wouldn't have very long careers on the silver screen. As one or more other reviewers have noted, though, it's a bit strange for the time and setting and what it doesn't show. The film was made during World War II and released before the end of the war. Yet there's no sign of the war anywhere, including and especially the absence of any men in uniform. Well, that aside, the film has a nice story - sort of a mixture of smaller plots and some fantasy rolled together.
Austrian-born Hedy Lamarr plays a princess from one of those Hollywood mythical eastern European countries. But, she's been lonely and doesn't want to marry the count who's sort of been picked out for her, and she brings her entourage to the U. S. A. She hopes to rekindle a romance she had in the past with an American she had met in her home country. Of course, all of her court members are against her marrying a "nobody."
But, while she's staying at the unnamed swankiest New York hotel, she sneaks out to go for a walk on her own and bumps into Jimmy Dobson, a bellhop. He mistakes her for a new maid and discovers that she's a stranger and from a foreign country. So, he takes her under wing. On returning to the hotel after introducing her to hotdogs for lunch, he finds out that she's royalty. But, instead of his getting fired, he becomes her personal aid.
Now, before all this, Jimmy has been watching after an invalid neighbor, Leslie Odell, who lives with her aunt. June Allyson plays the young woman who had been a dancer but a shock of losing her parents left her unable to walk. Jimmy also acts like a big brother to Albert Weever, a not-too-bright but good-hearted thug of sorts. That's to keep him out of trouble. Albert had a bit of a record and some tough neighborhood boss wants Albert in his gang to pull a heist of some sort But, Albert likes Jimmy and sticks with him, and he also likes Leslie.
Well, with this somewhat convoluted plot of a few subplots, there's romance in the air. Leslie pines for Jimmy, Jimmy pines for the princess, the princess pines for her former beau, Paul MacMillan, Baron Faludi pines for the princess, and Albert himself pines a little for Leslie. The pining is further complicated by Jimmy's mistaken belief that the princess pines for him, and deep down, he really pines more for Leslie
It all works out in the end, but one has to watch the film to see how. The humor is mostly situational, with a peppering of some funny lines here and there. I mentioned two short careers - they were Lamarr and Walker. She was in 35 films and he in just 22 Lamarr was born in Austria and got her start in cinema in Berlin. She was discovered early and brought to the U. S. by MGM. She was one of the real beautiful women of Hollywood then. Not the glamorous but the natural beauties. She had some good roles and was popular to the time of this film, but her career waned after WW II and by the late 1950s she was done in films. She was married half a dozen times and died at age 85 in Florida living on a very small income.
Robert Walker was a very talented actor who had some very good roles. He could play comedy and drama equally well. He came from a broken family, which affected him emotionally for a long time. He played roles of characters who often suffered from anxiety and depression - his very problems. He died from an adverse reaction to a sedative that his psychiatrist administered after a bout of high anxiety.
In "The Princess and the Bellboy," Rags Ragland gives a superb performance as Albert, and June Allyson gives a very good performance as well. Here are some favorite lines from the film.
Jimmy Dobson, "Good evening, Miss Odell. How ae you this evening?" Aunt Gertrude Odell, "Poorly." Jimmy: Aw, that's too bad. I guess working nights doesn't agree with you." Aunt Odell, "Neither does workin' days."
Jimmy Dobson, "Well, you're a stranger here. A babe like you with a face like that - you've gotta be awfully careful in a world like this." Princes Veronica, "Careful of what?" Jimmy, "Ohhhh, things." Princess, "Things?" Jimmy, "Well... men. I'm sorry to say, but we can't be trusted."
Albert Weever, "I brought you some flowers - eh, fornot-me-gets." Leslie Odell, "Than you, Albert. I love fornot-me-gets."
Aunt Gertrude Odell, "I wish I'd been born a princess. Instead, I was born tired."
