The Swan

The summer of 1955 Grace Kelly read love letters from her real-life prince while sitting on the terrace of the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, N.C., waiting for the cameras to be set up for exterior shots of "The Swan." I saw the film for the first time in 1958 at the 25-cent movies for University of Illinois students in Champaign-Urbana. I thought my date that night looked like Louis Jourdan, the tutor who dared to love a princess. I watched the videotape of "The Swan" just before visiting the Biltmore Estate the summer of 1998. I looked for the rooms in "The Swan." They are studio sets.

I read a review proclaiming Grace Kelly was a young girl from Wisconsin, who made a hit in Hollywood, and became a real life princess. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native met her Prince at a photo match arranged by Paris Match in Monte Carlo, Monaco. She later transcended the realm of film and married the reigning prince of one of Europe's oldest principalities. Grace Kelly, later HSH Princess Grace of Monaco was as lovely as she was talented. She totally restructured Hollywood, giving it an old world elegance. This is the same charming appeal she brought to the film, "The Swan." She plays Princess Alexandra who finds herself torn between obeying her overpowering mother and marrying her cousin, Prince Albert, or following the dictates of her own heart. The battle for her heart is waged by two dashing gentlemen, the prince, Alec Guinness, and the poor but respectable tutor, Louis Jourdan. It is a movie that is entertaining and for those with a romantic disposition!

Alec Guinness and Grace Kelly and Louis Jourdan make a beautiful trio.

A very beautiful of Princess Alexandra who's to be married with the Crown Prince Albert, and instead falls inlove with the charming,handsome Tutor/Professor Nicholas Agi(Louis Jourdan). There's one choice she has to make: either let down the throne to marry the Professor or to restore the lost throne with the Prince. A good, funny beautiful movie, Two thumbs up!

Excellent romantic interlude film, with shining performances of a wonderful, witty, and intelligent story and script. Sad and funny.

Guinness is perfection as the gentlemanly "fish" prince, and Jourdan and Kelly convince as lovers separated by circumstances of birth. Realistic, somwhat perplexing conclusion with a lovely soliloquy delivered with style by Guinness. A delight!

Absolutely completely well done film by the future Princess Grace of Monaco, Grace Kelly and supporting staff including dreamy Louis Jordan, staunch Alec Guiness, and a surprise entry as Queen, Agnes Moorehead.

Each actor worked so well together and yet in each one's style. Complete delight to watch the story unfold, ebb & flow, and then glide just like a swan to a restful ending. A fantastic use of comedy for interjections into a plot line that could easily been bogged down in monarchical dribble.

What an orchestra of a movie. I was put off a bit by the overly flowery love declarations from Jourdan to Kelly, but outside of that, everything was a delight to watch.

What clinched this movie for me is Guiness's description of a swan: gliding and graceful in water, but cumbersome and put off as a goose on land. The need for them to shine forever on the water in order for their beauty to be appreciated. Ahhhh.... wonderful.