Product Details

• Actors: Grace Kelly, Alec Guinness, Louis Jourdan, Agnes Moorehead, Jessie Royce Landis
• Directors: Charles Vidor
• Writers: Ferenc Molnár, John Dighton
• Producers: Dore Schary
• Format: NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Warner)
• VHS Release Date: August 13, 1994
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 630197879X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #158,559 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To glide like a Swan or To waddle like a Goose, December 6, 2001

By 

d'Banana (Floating like an Eagle over California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Swan [VHS] (VHS Tape)

When I bought the video by accident, I was expecting a cliche-type of movie. The kind of sugary set-ups Hollywood dishes to its innocent 1950's audience. But as the movie progressed, this assumption was immediately put in doubt. Halfway through it, I was so engrossed by the characters and the story, that I had no idea how it would all end and who would get the girl. That's how well-written this movie is. It makes you sympathetic to all the characters. Here, there is no one person who is the designated evil one. The only villain here is the social situation. A situation that has the characters caged by their social positions and what is expected of them.

Grace Kelly plays Princess Alexandra, a member of a royal family without its own throne or crown. Predictably, Alexandra's mother hopes her beautiful daughter will marry the Crown Prince Albert (the excellent Alec Guinness) so they may regain the family's prestige and financial security. Alexandra knows this is her duty and the rest of the royal family , including the tutor, Professor Agi (Louis Jourdan), who happens to be secretly in love with the remote Princess, understands this. But when the Prince visits the family, he is indiffirent to Alexandra, finding her cold and icy. Beatrice, Alexandra's mother, desperate to snag the Prince, orders her daughter to flirt with the unsuspecting Professor in order to make the Prince jealous. But things get complicated when real feelings are finally revealed.

Much of the success of this movie cna be credited to the witty script and the excellent performance of the cast. Grace Kelly was perfect as the elegant Princess who seemed unattainable. She is an excellent actress. Her gradual transformation from remote icicle to a woman deeply in love is a marvel to watch. It is a finely shaded performance wherein she slowly peels away each layer of her icy veneer to reveal a very human and romantic heroine. Louis Jourdan as the Professor is at par with Kelly. His was a very open performance, perfectly in tune with the Professor's innocent character. He is dashing and handsome, yet so vulnerable at the same time. You can't help but root for him 'til the end. His chemistry with Kelly is also electric. You can feel every romantic yearning the two characters have for each other, even without any words being said. In fact, one of the most romantic scenes in this movie is one that has zero dialogue. This is the scene where the Princess and the Professor dance the waltz. Here, we gradually see the Princess returning the Professor's feelings as he gazes at her with all his romantic hopes. Alec Guinness is every inch a prince. He is witty and gracious, but very aware of his rank and self-importance. Guiness pull off the role with so much dignity and humor that you can't help but like the guy.

The supporting characters are also fun to watch. Uncle Karl is wise and understanding, even if he does kinda help in maneuvering the Princess to take a hold of her feelings. Beatrice is also interesting as a more subdued Mrs.Bennet type of character. Aunt Synforosa and the two young princes provide much of the comic relief in the movie.

It's amazing how a film so grounded in reality could inspire so much romance. Despite its bittersweet flavor, you can't help but sigh when you see how beautiful Alexandra and the Professor look together. They just seem so right for each other. But then, hearing Uncle Karl's advice and Prince Albert's pragmatic statement, you find yourself sadly nodding in agreement. It reminds you once again that love and romance are luxuries royals cannot afford.

Nevertheless, the movie still makes the viewer root and cheer for love, being the underdog that it is. For that achievement alone, this movie ought to be rendered one of the best classics in Hollywood. In fact, this viewer wouldn't mind a remake or a sequel to be produced in the near future. Thanks for reading.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The princess and the commoner, July 26, 2004

By 

Joseph H Pierre "Joe Pierre" (Salem, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Swan [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Director: Charles Vidor
Studio: Warner Home Video
Video Release Date: December 5, 1990

Cast:

GraceKelly ... Princess Alexandra
Alec Guinness ... Prince Albert
Louis Jourdan ... Dr. Nicholas Agi
Agnes Moorehead ... Queen Maria Dominika
Jessie Royce Landis ... Princess Beatrix
Brian Aherne ... Father Hyacinth
Leo G. Carroll ... Caesar
Estelle Winwood ... Symphorosa
Van Dyke Parks ... George
Christopher Cook ... Arsene
Robert Coote ... Captain Wunderlich
Doris Lloyd ... Countess Sibenstoyn
Edith Barrett ... Elsa
Bess Flowers ... Guest at the Ball

This is a wonderful story. It is said that Grace Kelly was responsible for the movie being made in the first place. She liked the story and persuaded the studio to make it. Princess Beatrix (Jessie Royce Landis) is a domineering mother of an erstwhile royal family, ousted from the throne in the past by Napoleon, whose name she forbids the use of in her house.

Prince Albert (Alec Guinness), her cousin, and the current crown prince, is coming to visit the household for a few days. The queen, his mother, Queen Maria Dominika (Agnes Moorehead), will join him shortly. Princess Beatrix has designs on Albert marrying her daughter, Princess Alexandra (Grace Kelly), in order to restore the family to the throne when Albert gets the crown.

But there is a thorn in Beatrix's plan. The tutor to her two small sons and Alexandra, in fencing, Dr. Nicholas Agi (Louis Jourdan), although considered to be low class and below consideration by Beatrix (and therefor also by Alexandra) is in love with Alexandra. Albert is cool to Alexandra, and Beatrix tries to get him interested by engineering a triangle, using Nicholas. It backfires, and therein lies the story.

It sound, in the telling, like a soap opera, but as played--because of the skill of the actors and the direction--it is a compelling drama. Grace Kelly, Alec Guinnsss, Louis Jourdan, Agnes Moorehead--how could it fail to captivate the audience.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre
author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This review will not give away the ending, February 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Swan [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This movie has an above average script and is not a typical MGM film. The acting is excellent, the set beautiful, and the costumes divine. It is an altogether charming film. I found the ending very satisfactory and pleasantly surprising. I also think it is extremely remiss of the other reviewers to give away the ending of this movie before potential buyers have watched it.