Princess O'Rourke (1943)

Star of the month... Olivia de Havilland

'Princess O'Rourke' is a 1943 romantic comedy starring Olivia de Havilland, Robert Cummings, Jane Wyman, Jack Carson, Charles Coburn, Gladys Cooper and Harry Davenport.

Written and directed by Norman Krasna, the film won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Olivia De Havilland and Robert Cummings
enjoying a cherry cola in one of the
film's scenes

Princess Maria (played by De Havilland) and her uncle Holman (played by Coburn) travel to America during the nazi invasion of their native country. Maria is pushed into an arranged marriage with Count Peter de Candome (played by Curt Bois), whom she is not interested in.

On an aeroplane flight, Maria travels under the name Mary Williams, and with the help of the flight attendants and pilot, takes too many sleeping pills. When the plane is suddenly forced to return to New York, the cabin crew are unable to wake Maria due to the quantity of sleeping tablets she has taken. The plane's captain Eddie O'Rourke (played by Cummings), agrees to take care of Mary until she wakes  up. To cut a long story short, the two fall in love,  unbeknownst to Eddie that Mary is really a Princess.

A different kind of 'Cinderella' story

A question which always baffled me as a child was why are Cinderella stories always about peasant girls meeting and marrying a Prince. Are woman really that helpless and need of rescuing? Why are there never any stories about young peasant men marrying their Princess. 

Anyone else sharing these thoughts can rejoice as Princess O'Rourke is exactly about that. An aeroplane pilot meeting and marrying a Princess.

Closing remarks

Princess O'Rourke is an enjoyable feel good romantic tale which gives a new meaning to the Cinderella story. Olivia de Havilland is perfectly cast at Princess Maria. The film does get a little slow towards the end, but overall a good film.

Princess O'Rourke (1943)

Spotlight on... Royalty on Film

'Princess O'Rourke' is a 1943 romantic comedy starring Olivia de Havilland, Robert Cummings, Jane Wyman, Jack Carson, Charles Coburn, Gladys Cooper and Harry Davenport.

Written and directed by Norman Krasna, the film won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Olivia De Havilland and Robert Cummings
enjoying a cherry cola in one of the
film's scenes

Princess Maria (played by De Havilland) and her uncle Holman (played by Coburn) travel to America during the nazi invasion of their native country. Maria is pushed into an arranged marriage with Count Peter de Candome (played by Curt Bois), whom she is not interested in.

On an aeroplane flight, Maria travels under the name Mary Williams, and with the help of the flight attendants and pilot, takes too many sleeping pills. When the plane is suddenly forced to return to New York, the cabin crew are unable to wake Maria due to the quantity of sleeping tablets she has taken. The plane's captain Eddie O'Rourke (played by Cummings), agrees to take care of Mary until she wakes  up. To cut a long story short, the two fall in love,  unbeknownst to Eddie that Mary is really a Princess.

A different kind of 'Cinderella' story

A question which always baffled me as a child was why are Cinderella stories always about peasant girls meeting and marrying a Prince. Are woman really that helpless and need of rescuing? Why are there never any stories about young peasant men marrying their Princess. 

Anyone else sharing these thoughts can rejoice as Princess O'Rourke is exactly about that. An aeroplane pilot meeting and marrying a Princess.

Closing remarks

Princess O'Rourke is an enjoyable feel good romantic tale which gives a new meaning to the Cinderella story. Olivia de Havilland is perfectly cast at Princess Maria. The film does get a little slow towards the end, but overall a good film.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Star of the Month - Marilyn Monroe

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a 1952 musical comedy starring Marilyn Monroe as a blonde fortune hunter and Jane Russell as her flirty sidekick.

Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell write their names
in cement...

The film is directed by Howard Hawks, and co-stars Charles Coburn, Elliott Reid, Tommy Noonan, Taylor Holmes and Norma Varden. Keep your eyes open during the song "Bye Bye Baby" to see George Chakiris in the chorus.

...The finished product

Diamond-obssessed gold digging showgirl Lorelei Lee takes to the sea with her friend Dorothy Shaw. On the voyage she meets Sir Frances Beekman, wealthy diamond mogul whose wife happens to own a diamond tiara. To cut a long story short, the tiara is stolen with Lorelei becoming prime suspect.



The film is based on the Broadway musical of the same name, and includes three songs from the show: "Just Two Little Girls From Little Rock", "Bye, Bye Baby" and the immortal "Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend". Two new songs were written for the film: "Ain't There Anyone Here For Love?" and "When Love Goes Wrong, Nothing Goes Right".


At the premiere of 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' Marilyn and Jane pressed their hands and footprints into cement outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre.




The film received great reviews and grossed more than double its production costs. It was followed by a sequel in 1955, "Gentlemen Marry Brunettes", again starring Jane Russell - but sadly no Marilyn.

Diamonds are a girls best friend

Marilyn as Lorelei sings "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend"

The film is memorable for Marilyn's sequence in a pink dress singing "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend". The sequence has been recreated by many, most notably Madonna in her music video for "Material Girl" and Kylie Minogue's live performance at the Fox Studios Opening in Sydney.




YouTube videos for each of these performances are available below:


Marilyn Monroe - "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"

Madonna - "Material Girl"

Kylie Minogue - Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend

Other inspiration

Jane Russell's sequence "Ain't There Anyone Here For Love" inspired Kylie Minogue's 'Whatever Kylie Wants Kylie Gets' sequence in her 2005 Showgirl Tour.


Jane Russell - "Ain't There Anyone Here For Love?"

Kylie Minogue - "Red Blooded Woman/Where The Wild Roses Grow" (live from Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour, 2005)

Other musical highlights

Song: "Bye Bye Baby" - Jane Russell & Marilyn Monroe

Song: "When Love Goes Wrong, Nothing Goes Right" - Jane Russell & Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn and Jane in a deleted scene from the film

Did you know...

• Marilyn Monroe replaced Betty Gable, who was originally meant to star as Lorelei
• Marilyn Monroe was payed a salary of only $18,000, while Jane Russell was paid more than $100,000

Closing remarks

Of all of Marilyn's films, this is my favourite! I have seen the film at least 20 times, and every time I watch it, I enjoy it more and more. I strongly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys musicals, or just a good laugh.

Monkey Business (1952)

Star Birthday - Charles Coburn & Star of the Month... Marilyn Monroe

Star Birthday - Charles Coburn

Born on 19 June 1877, Charles Coburn began his acting career on Broadway, before transitioning to film. He was often cast in wealthy artiocratic roles, playing the rich snob like no other. Coburn died on 30 August 1961 from a heart attack.

Recommended viewing

• The Devil and Miss Jones (1941)
• The Lady Eve (1941)
• The More The Merrier (1943)
• Heaven Can Wait (1943)
• The Green Years (1946)
• Monkey Business (1952)
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Monkey Business (1952)

'Monkey Business' (1952) is a screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks.

Marilyn Monroe holding one of her primate co-stars

starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn and Marilyn Monroe.


Cary Grant stars as Dr. Barnaby Fulton, a chemist determined to formulate the secret to eternal youth for his boss Oliver Oxley (played by Coburn). In a bizarre twist of fate, it is Esther, one of the chimpanzees he is experimenting on who develops the formula. Esther pours the formula into the water cooler in Barnaby's laboratory with hilarious results.

Opening credit sequence

The opening credits feature Cary Grant playing himself attempting to walk out his front door, with director Howard Hawks' voice saying "Not yet Cary". Grant transitions to his character immediately after the opening credits.

Principal Cast

Edwina (Ginger Rogers) under the influence of the formula
 attempts to attack Miss Laurel (Marilyn Monroe), with
husband Barnaby (Cary Grant) forced to intervene

Cary Grant is hilarious in this film - I would consider this to be one of his funniest, along with Arsenic and Old Lace.


Ginger Rogers as Cary's wife Edwina steals the film with her vivacious performance. We are even treated with seeing Ginger kick up her heels on the dance floor, reminiscent of her earlier films with Fred Astaire.   


Marilyn Monroe is charming as Oxley's secretary Miss Lois Laurel. One of her first major roles in a film.


Charles Coburn is typecast as the wealthy Oxley, delivering one of the funniest lines to Monroe: "Find someone to type this".


This is reminiscent to Lucille Ball's incompetence as a secretary in Here's Lucy.

Did you know...

• 'Monkey Business' was the first time Marilyn appeared on-screen with platinum blonde hair

Closing remarks

This is yet another film I have seen a number of times, and it still remains fresh and hilarious regardless of how many times it has been seen.


I recently showed this to my 80 year Italian grandmother, Nonna Flora, and I can't remember seeing her laugh so much.