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I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS (Paramount, 1936), directed by William K. Howard, based on story by Philip MacDonald and adapted from novel by Louis Lucien Rogger, reunites Carole Lombard with Fred MacMurray in a worthy second offering following their initial screen pairing of HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE (1935). With shipboard stories quite a common course in movie theaters at that time, the narrative takes place mostly on board an ocean liner involving various characters, particularly its star attraction played by Carole Lombard. Talking like and attempting in various ways to imitate the famous Swedish born actress, Greta Garbo, Lombard doesn't do a Queen Christina but the guise of a fictional royal Swedish princess coming to America.The plot begins in on deck in England as Captain Nicholls (George Barbier) of the transatlantic ocean liner, the S.S. Mammoth, awaits the arrival of her royal Princess Olga (Carole Lombard) of Sweden, accompanied by her lady-in-waiting, Gertrude Allwyn (Alison Skipworth), and soon greeted by newspaper reporters regarding her venture to Hollywood where she's set to star in a movie, "She Done Him Plenty." Before the ship sets sail across the Atlantic to New York City, the princess is escorted to her royal suite where she finds it occupied by bandleader, King Mantell (Fred MacMurray), and his assistant, Benton (William Frawley). At first, King refuses to give up the suite he had earlier reserved, but after one look at the princess convinces him to settle for a cabin instead. As concertina player Mantell becomes better acquainted with the princess, Captain Nicholls, in a meeting with the international police consisting of Inspector Cragg (Lumsden Hare) of Scotland Yard; Inspector Paul Lorel (Douglass Dumbrille) of France; Morevitch (Mischa Auer) of the Russian Police; Kawati (Tetsu Komai) of the Japanese Secret Service; and Steindorf (Sig Rumann) from Germany, he comes to learn that Paul Merkel, a killer and escaped convict from Devil's Island Prison, is believed to have stowed away and now hiding anywhere on board his ship. As a mysterious but slightly bearded stranger (Bradley Page) in trench coat comes sneaking about the unattended cabins and hiding around secluded places by night, Robert N. Darcy (Porter Hall), a noted blackmailer and confidence man, knowing the secretive past of both Mantell and the princess (Wanda Nash of Brooklyn), he threatens to expose them unless he gets paid off. Later Darcy is found dead inside the princess's royal suite.As THE PRINCESS COME ACROSS starts off as a masquerade sort of comedy, the second half changes knots in mid ocean to murder mystery. Towards the near end of the story, MacMurray takes time singing the lyrics to the film's frequent underscoring to "My Concertina" as composed by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel, as he performs during the ship's entertainment dinner party that earlier consisted briefly of a young tap dancing sailor on stage.A brisk 76 minute production, THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS is entertaining enough through the Lombard and MacMurray exchanges, but becomes more interesting wondering the identity of the killer on the loose on board ship and the method King Mantel does to expose the guilty party. William Frawley ads some moments of humor as one who lifts personal articles so to learn more about the person's identity, especially the princess, as well as gathering enough attention from passengers and a blinking cabin boy (Bennie Bartlett) while walking about with his beret. Alison Skipworth, nearly unrecognizable in her blonde wig, in fine support of the princess's companion. Film buffs will recognize some familiar faces in brief bits, including George Chandler (The Newsman); Dick Elliott and Milburn Stone.Not as remembered as Lombard's other film roles as TWENTIETH CENTURY (1934) or MY MAN GODFREY (1936), the nearly forgotten THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS used to be one of Lombard's most televised movies, especially in the early 1970s, with four broadcasts in 1972 alone on New York City's WPIX, Channel 11, before being phased out from that station by 1973, where some years later was found to be broadcasting on other network and public television channels in the Metropolitan area. In later years, THE PRINCESS COME ACROSS became available to video cassette and later DVD, as well as cable television showings on American Movie Classics (1993-1994) and Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: August 17, 2006). A capable cast and tight-knit story should continue to keep THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS afloat. (***)

The delightful Carole Lombard was at her comic height in 1936, whether playing the dizzy heiress of "My Man Godfrey", the frazzled socialite of "Love Before Breakfast", or the phony Swedish princess in this, a delightful screwball comedy set on an ocean liner that literally is murder. She spoofs the legendary Garbo here, giving a delightful Swedish accent that is comical yet not ridiculing. The fun starts on her trip when she finds concertina player Fred MacMurray inside her state room, and from there comes blackmail, a few murders, romance and the comedy of several people pretending to be who they are not. Lombard and MacMurray are surrounded by a top-notch supporting cast including the imperious Allison Skipworth as Lombard's dowager like companion (reminding me of the late Marie Dressler), William Frawley as MacMurray's crotchety pal (hysterical in a scene wearing a beret which looks like a bad toupee), Mischa Auer, Lumsden Hare, Sig Ruman and Douglas Dumbrille as a group of European detectives conveniently aboard to get involved in the murder investigation, Bradley Page as a mystery man stalking the detectives, and Porter Hall as the blackmailer.This fun-filled voyage has a delightfully witty screenplay and everybody involved seems to be having a joyous time. After being rather obnoxious in their previous pairing ("Hands Across the Table"), MacMurray gets to downplay a bit here, and Lombard proves again as to why she was one of the most beloved actresses of the 1930's-she was simply divine, a rare actress under the age of 30 whom everybody could identify with. Her down to earth demeanor is visible through her high-falluting impersonation of the Swedish countess from Brooklyn and it becomes obvious as to why her tragic death in 1942 was mourned by the world.Two of the screen's great 1930's movie villains (Dumbrille and Page) seem to be playing against type here, but the cleverness of the screenplay is such that not everything is as it seems. It's great to see MacMurray and Frawley together 25 years before they were paired together on "My Three Sons", ironic considering that Frawley's "MTS" replacement William Demarest had appeared with him in "Hands Across the Table". Don't be drinking when Lombard, in Swedish dialect, reveals to the American press the name of her favorite movie star.

Carole Lombard reunites with Fred McMurray. Here she plays Swedish Princess Olga from Europe to America with her lady in waiting Gertrude Alwyn (played by the marvelous Alison Skipworth). Aboard the ship, she is reunited with Fred McMurray's character King Mantell who runs a band and plays a concertina. His sidekick is played by William Frawley. It's interesting to note that McMurray and Frawley would work together years later on "My Three Sons." Anyway, everybody has their secrets especially the Princess. Aboard the ship, there is an unsolved murder to be solved before they land in New York City. Anyway, it's an entertaining comedy and drama. I loved the chemistry between McMurray and Lombard. I also adore Alison Skipworth, a character actress, who is wonderful as the Princess's Lady in Waiting.

Somehow, when thinking of movie couples in the golden age of film, Carole Lombard's partnership with Fred MacMurray gets overlooked. Not as glamorous as Tracy and Hepburn, Hepburn and Grant, Grant and Dunne, Eddy and MacDonald, MacDonald and Chevalier, Bogart and Bacall, it still got tremendous mileage in comedies (HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE, TRUE CONFESSIONS), comic thrillers (THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS), and straight drama (SWING HIGH, SWING LOW). Lombard had the ability to make the film's activities soar by her zaniness. MacMurray managed to anchor the film down by his normality (and in TRUE CONFESSIONS uses this normality against itself - by taking himself too seriously). THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS made fun of thrillers (although the dangers involved are not made funny), and of the culture of publicity that the public thrives on. Lombard has the looks and talents to make it in movies, but nobody cares. With the help of Alison Skipworth she pretends she is Princess Olga of Sweden and she wants to act in movies. Besides the spoofing of Garbo, Lombard is counting on the vast publicity from the media to get her the million dollar contract she wants. Oddly enough, the Swedish royal family does not seem to care that a fraud is being perpetrated by Lombard and Skipworth at their expense. But we have to make some concession to the plot.MacMurray is a well known musician (a concertina player of all things) and orchestra leader. He and his manager pal, William Frawley, are on the boat as well, and MacMurray is very interested in the beautiful, but snobbish Princess. However, he has another problem. MacMurray is an honest fellow, but he did one bad thing, and he is being pursued by an obnoxious little weasel (played superbly by Porter Hall) who is waiting for a big payoff from the musician. He also seems to know the truth about the Princess. MacMurray refuses to pay, and Hall promises him some problems. The ship has several internationally known detectives on board (among them are Mischa Auer, Sig Ruman, and Douglas Dumbrille), and Hall sees one of the detectives and we see him approach to talk to him. Shortly afterward Hall is found murdered. On top of this, there is word (sent to the ship) that an escaped murderer is thought to be aboard (shades of Dr. Crippen), and we do see a strange little stowaway from time to time. The film goes on to a second murder, a set of different rival detectives trying to solve the case, and MacMurray deciding to step in to clear himself and the Princess. The conclusion is quiet satisfactory.With it's cast of expert character actors supporting MacMurray and Lombard's performances, and the clever script, THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS is a first rate comic thriller. I rate it 9 out of 10.