The Student Prince

( 6 )

Overview

Edmund Purdom plays Prince Karl, but Mario Lanza sings the bold tunes coming out of Purdom's mouth, in this MGM remake of the 1927 Ernst Lubitsch silent picture based on the renowned 1924 operetta by Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy Donnelly, which itself was based on the novel and play by Wilhelm Meyer-Foerster. Lanza was signed to play the German Prince of Heidelberg, but weight and temperament problems caused the director Richard Thorpe to use Purdom instead. Lanza's pre-recorded tenor tones come out of Purdom's ...
See more details below
DVD
$14.99
BN.com price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up In Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Other sellers (DVD)
  • All (6) from $9.88   
  • New (5) from $9.88   
  • Used (1) from $10.00   

More About This Product

Overview

Edmund Purdom plays Prince Karl, but Mario Lanza sings the bold tunes coming out of Purdom's mouth, in this MGM remake of the 1927 Ernst Lubitsch silent picture based on the renowned 1924 operetta by Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy Donnelly, which itself was based on the novel and play by Wilhelm Meyer-Foerster. Lanza was signed to play the German Prince of Heidelberg, but weight and temperament problems caused the director Richard Thorpe to use Purdom instead. Lanza's pre-recorded tenor tones come out of Purdom's lip-synching mouth in the many lusty tunes such as "Drink, Drink, Drink" and "Golden Days." Prince Karl's grandfather, the king Louis Calhern, wants his sheltered grandson to see the world and sow a few wild oats before he returns to the marriage that has been pre-arranged with Princess Johanna Betta St. John. The prince ends up in a tavern in Heidelberg and meets and falls in love with Kathie Ann Blyth, the niece of the local innkeeper. But the King gets sick and dies, and Prince Karl must return to assume the throne. He can't have a peasant girl as his queen, so he must part with his secret lover. ~ Michael Betzold
Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler
Operetta is never as satisfying an experience on film as it can be onstage, but The Student Prince is one of the better treatments of this genre. Clearly its biggest asset is its Sigmund Romberg songs (and, to a lesser extent, the enjoyable if not as distinguished additions by Nicholas Brodzky and Paul Francis Webster.) While the purple-tinged lyrics and the unashamedly open emotionalism of "Serenade," " Deep in My Heart" and "Golden Days" make the score seem far removed from contemporary tastes, most music lovers will find it hard to resist the beauty of Romberg's soaring melodies. The screenplay is serviceable, but it unfortunately does not dig deeper into characters and situations that by 1954 were rather well worn and in need of specificity, invention and surprise. The cast does relatively well, especially the always charming Edmund Gwenn and the appropriately supercilious John Williams. In the lead roles, Ann Blyth puts her operatic chops to good use and sounds quite nice, making one wish she had been given more to sing. Her dramatic talents are not greatly challenged, but she makes a more than decent barmaid/love interest. The male lead is more problematic. Edmund Purdom is rather too bland and predictable; there's nothing wrong with what he does, but aside from his looks, there is not a lot to command attention. As a result, when he opens his mouth and Mario Lanza's vigorous tones pour out, it seems rather unnatural. Matters are not helped by the fact that the role really requires a baritone rather than Lanza's tenor, nor by the fact that several of his high notes come off too pinched. Still, most of the score is well served, and there's lots of color, lusty and rousing choristers and attractive sets to cover over the rougher spots.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • Release Date: 4/25/2007
  • EAN: 4897007030811
  • Original Release: 1954

    • Rating:

  • Source: Castaway Pictures
  • Region Code: 0
  • Language: English
  • Format: DVD
  • Sales rank: 372

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Ann Blyth Kathie
Edmund Purdom Prince Karl
John Ericson Count Von Asterburg
Louis Calhern King of Karlsburg
Edmund Gwenn Prof. Juttner
John Williams Lutz
Evelyn Varden Queen
John Hoyt Prime Minister
Richard Anderson Lucas
Steve Rowland Feuerwald
Chris Warfield Richter
Archer MacDonald Head Corps Servant
Charles Davis Hubert
John Qualen Willie Klauber
Mario Lanza Voice Only, Voice Only
S.Z. Sakall Joseph Ruder
Betta St. John Princess Johanna
Technical Credits
Richard Thorpe Director
Randall Duell Art Director
Cedric Gibbons Art Director
Arthur Krams Set Decoration/Design
Sonya Levien Screenwriter
William Ludwig Screenwriter
Warren Newcombe Special Effects
Hermes Pan Choreography
Joe Pasternak Producer
Walter Plunkett Costumes/Costume Designer
Sigmund Romberg Score Composer
Helen Rose Costumes/Costume Designer
Gene Ruggiero Editor
George Stoll Musical Direction/Supervision
William J. Tuttle Makeup
Nicolas Vogel Cinematographer
Paul Vogel Cinematographer
Edwin B. Willis Set Decoration/Design
Read More Show Less

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Student Prince
1. To Radiate Warmth and Charm [15:52]
2. To Heidelberg [17:33]
3. The Prince as a Student [21:00]
4. To Groswaltz for Kathie [18:01]
5. Conspiracy to Get Away [14:39]
6. It's a Wonderful Dream [19:33]
Read More Show Less

Menu

Disc #1 -- Student Prince
   Play Movie
   Scene Selections
   Subtitles
      English
      Traditional Chinese
      Simplified Chinese
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 2
( 6 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(2)

1 Star

(2)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    Very disappointing

    There was solmething wrong with the digitizing platform used. When the screen had a lot of movement, the pixels were clearly visable. There was a lot of bluring and streaking in the screen.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 23, 2011

    Less than one star - very poor

    Very poor DVD - extremely blurred - Do not purchase - Should be withdrawn

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 12, 2004

    Romantic but BAD Ending!!!

    This movie was fun and I laughed in some parts. The romance made me smile as the prince pursued the reluctent Kathy, who wanted nothing to do with him. But of course they fall in love. And then they dropped the bomb with a very maddening ending which I won't give away. For a better ending, go see the 'remake' of this movie; The Prince and Me, with Julia Stiles. It has a better ending.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 26, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 2, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 22, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews