The Student Prince

This is the only talking film version of Romberg's famous 1924 operetta--unfortunately, and it took MGM thirty years to get around to making it after they did a silent version. Although from all reports the silent version, directed by the great Ernst Lubitsch is excellent (I haven't seen it), in spite of the fact that it IS a "silent operetta", this 1954 sound version is a considerable letdown. Mario Lanza was supposed to have played the Prince, but his temper and weight problems got him fired, so the film was released with Edmund Purdom acting the role and lip-synching to Lanza's singing. Purdom is a considerably better actor than Lanza, but that's really not saying much. Ann Blyth, who does her own singing, is very good. However, the MGM adapters and screenwriters have done their dirty work. New, hopelessly bad dialogue has been added, as in the 50's remakes of "The Desert Song", "Show Boat", and "Rose Marie", but in this case the adapters have gone a few steps further. Only about half the original music (the score alone is ninety minutes long) is used; only Purdom/Lanza, Blyth, and the chorus sing, and they even filch the songs given to other characters in the stage version. Worse yet, new songs (not by Romberg and Dorothy Donnelly) have been added,and in EVERY SINGLE ONE of the original songs, only the first few lines of the lyrics have been retained----the rest have all been changed.

Audiences who are undemanding or completely unfamiliar with even a recording of the songs won't mind, but although the original lyrics weren't on the level of Hammerstein, Porter, Berlin, Ira Gershwin, Larry Hart, or Alan Jay Lerner's efforts, "Student Prince" fans will--and should---be outraged at this musical mangling.

THE STUDENT PRINCE should have been a lot better. After all, it's based on a famous operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg, features the golden voice of Mario Lanza at his singing peak, is cast with competent enough MGM players, and is filmed in glorious Technicolor.

But something happened--the uninspired Richard Thorpe was chosen to direct (Vincente Minnelli, where were you???) and the result is a tedious, slow-paced musical with stagebound sets and much of the Romberg score either missing or drastically altered with the insertion of two new songs (which, by the way, aren't bad at all). One of them, BELOVED, is sung with great feeling and style by Mario.

Lanza was at a difficult stage of his career by the time THE STUDENT PRINCE was set to roll, and his temperament and weight problems made it impossible for the studio to let him play the lead, even after he'd recorded all of the songs. EDMUND PURDOM, a relatively unknown newcomer, was given the chance to step in and, in all fairness to Purdom, it must be said that he does a commendable enough job in the acting department and does the lip-sync thing with professional results (he's right up there with Larry Parks in that department!) ANN BLYTH, never a particular favorite of mine, does her own singing with a pleasant soprano voice but is less than satisfying as the barmaid. She looks much too sophisticated and stylish for her lowly status to be believable and is rather arch and patronizing in her attitudes.

The rest of the cast isn't handed the best of material but they do workmanlike jobs with it: EDMUND GWENN, LOUIS CALHERN, JOHN ERICSON, S.Z. SAKALL and EVELYN ARDEN--but the extensive faults lie with the limp direction unable to give any luster to the proceedings. And the soundstage look for outdoor scenes doesn't help.

Worth hearing (if not watching) for Lanza alone on some delightful Romberg songs. His soundtrack recording of the music was a big seller and it's easy to understand why.

Mario Lanza's beautiful tenor soars on the soundtrack of this fairytale, loosely based on Sigmund Romberg's beautiful operetta.

In an interview on a Lanza bio program, Music Director George Stoll shared how Lanza came into the recording studio and rendered perfect one-takes on the entire score, within a remarkable single session.

The glorious timbre of his voice is a highlight of this film. A special treat is hearing the pleasant lyric soprano of Ann Blythe, who was a trained, experienced singer even before making her film debut. The two are heard to advantage in the lovely "Deep in My Heart" park scene duet.

Composer Nicholas Brodszky contributed two ravishingly beautiful added songs, "Beloved" and "I'll Walk With God," intoned to perfection by Lanza.

Alas, Director Richard Thorpe lets the production down with very routine and uninspired direction, allowing for often tedious pacing and formatting. Despite having a great cast to work with, his contribution produces a lethargic bent to the proceedings.

In the end, "The Student Prince's" attributes rest primarily on a beautiful soundtrack, rich score, attractive players, and Lanza's thrilling singing.

I personally enjoyed this film very much. It is a sweet trip to bygone times when musicals were just good entertainment. The character actors in it, (Cuddles Sakall in particular, and Louis Calhern as the king.) Edumund Purdom does an excellent job in the uneviable position of literally standing in for Mario Lanza.(And he's probably a better all around actor).There is an urban legend that says that Lanza is actually in one sequence in the film, and I think I have found it.

It is the beautiful scene in the cathedral after the old king has dies and Karl is standing in front of the catalfalque. There is a very wide angle shot of him singing 'I'll walk with God' and then a close up of Purdom. I really do think that this is the scene my friend was talking about. Anybody else think so??

Edmund Purdom does a fine job of lip-synching to Mario Lanza in this beautiful fairytale of a movie. The combination of Lanza's glorious romanticism and Purdom's very British demeanour is an odd combination, but it works - after a fashion. It helps that Purdom was actually singing along with Lanza's pre-recorded vocals - a daunting task for any singer, let alone a non-professional like Purdom. (The actor spent three months practising with the recordings, and commented 20 years later: "It was enough to make you sweat - just listening to the voice.")

It's to Purdom's credit that he persevered, for Lanza's singing is at the very core of this movie. The Serenade, Drinking Song, Beloved, Golden Days and I'll Walk With God are without peer, and represent the pinnacle of Lanza's achievement in English language song. Lanza's timbre was at its most ravishing by this time (1952) and he imbues these songs with such magic that every word sparkles - a feat not lost on Purdom, who later compared Mario's poetic artistry to that of the great soprano Elizabeth Schwarzkopf.

The Student Prince is loosely based on Sigmund Romberg's operetta, with three new songs (Beloved, I'll Walk With God and Summertime in Heidelberg) by Nicholas Brodszky replacing some of the more dated Romberg numbers. The film is a decided improvement on the creaky original and boasts a witty script, replete with memorable one-liners from the screen-writing duo of Sonya Levien and William Ludwig, scenarists for Lanza's The Great Caruso. As a previous reviewer has noted, the original lyrics have been changed in some instances, but the alterations are tastefully done.

Ann Blyth provides worthy support as Kathy, the barmaid with whom The Student Prince falls in love, and the hilarious supporting cast includes such seasoned pros as Edmund Gwenn, SZ (Cuddles) Sakall and John Williams.

Aside from Lanza's absence, what ultimately makes this merely a good movie rather than a classic is Richard Thorpe's uninspired direction. His stolid by-the-numbers approach (ie long shot, then medium shot, then close-up) is at its most obvious during the musical numbers, where he lacks the magical touch that the story - and the music - demands. Still, he was undoubtedly a better choice than Curtis Bernhardt, the "Prussian pickle" (to paraphrase one of the characters in this movie) originally slated to direct, and the real reason for Lanza walking out on The Student Prince.

But watch this movie for its irresistible fairytale appeal, and the magic of Mario Lanza at his extraordinary best.