The Princess Comes Across (1936)

Good light entertainment
Following their success together in HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE, Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray team up again in this light entertainment about making it in Hollywood, solving a murder mystery, and falling in love. Lombard disguises herself as a Swedish princess, and while aboard an ocean liner she not only meets handsome bandleader MacMurray, but is blackmailed by an old acquaintance. When the guy ends up dead in Lombard's stateroom, she goes to MacMurray for help. He finds the killer and, of course, falls in love with Lombard. Her ruse is revealed by the end, which makes everything normal again. The story and direction just zip right along and whether "getting to know each other" or working on the murder mystery, the two principals are fun to watch. The whole picture is as light as a feather, but it's not a slipshod affair, and it works so well because everyone involved wants it to. Worth a watch.

Murder, Love, and a Few Laughs
The Princess Comes Across is a who-dunit on a boat headed toward America. A journalist, an average dame disguised as a Swedish princess, and a group of detectives sail together not knowing their paths will cross, but when blackmail and murder occur, they're all linked together.

This film is advertised as a comedy, but it is more of a romantic drama than anything else. There are times of wit, but the mystery of the murder and figuring out which characters are innocent and which are guilty is more dominant. There is also a decent love story between the reporter (Fred MacMurray) and the princess (Carole Lombard).

These two leading actors are good in this film, but not great. MacMurray outshines the accented Lombard who has always been slightly overrated as a comedienne, in my eyes. She is certainly beautiful and the two make a handsome couple and a fun film.

The Delightful Lombard
The 1930's gave birth to a hybrid type of film which mixed comedy and mystery with a certain type of glamour. Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray have fun in this splendid example of the genre fans will enjoy. Based on a story by Philip MacDonald adapted from a novel, there are many amusing moments as the irreverent and lovely Lombard spoofs Garbo. The versatile Fred MacMurray matches her as a smitten concertina player trying to protect her when things go south.

Lombard is Wanda Nash of Brooklyn, posing as a Swedish Princess, Olga, and heading for Hollywood by ocean liner to star in a film for Transcontinental Pictures. Alison Skipworth is her traveling companion, Lady Gertrude. A cabin mix-up has them meeting concertina player King Mantell (MacMurray) and his pal William Frawley, of I Love Lucy fame. There is an instant attraction between the two, but Lady Gertrude is afraid Wanda will slip up and ruin the charade if she and Mantell hook up. As she explains to Wanda: "No good ever comes from a concertina squeezer!"

An escaped murderer who is a master of disguise is on board the ship, but luckily for the captain, an international convention of police detectives, which includes Mischa Auer as a Russian cop, is along on the cruise as well. When a slimy blackmailer named Darcy ends up dead in Wanda's cabin, the vulnerable Princess turns to King Mantell and his pal to get her out of the jam. King, on the verge of big success but with a shady past also, throws caution to the wind and moves the body.

It isn't long, of course, until King is on to the Princess, but by this time he has fallen for her, and puts himself in danger by announcing he will reveal the killer after his concert. Can any good come from a concertina player? It's fun to find out in this somewhat tame but very entertaining film. The sets are delicious and so is Lombard. The camera shows off her beauty while the story gives her a chance to poke a little fun at the `nose up in the air' variety of prestiege star popular during the 1930's. A fun little film and a must for Lombard fans.