George Grossmith Movies

This British anthology series allegedly extended full creative freedom to the actors, writers, and directors involved. The best known of Six's six original 30- and 60-minute dramas was "Diary of a Nobody," directed by Ken Russell and based on a novel by the Grosmith brothers. Other offerings included "The Chase," "Don't I Look Like a Lord's Son," "The Day of Ragnarok," "The Logic Game," and "Andy's Game." Six was telecast over BBC2 during the 1964-1965 TV season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

To save her country from revolutionaries, a princess decides to accept the marriage proposal of a neighboring king she has never met. The king then assigns a naval commander to escort the princess to his kingdom, but unfortunately, the escort is captured in a revolt and the only way he and the princess can escape is to get married. They go through many trials before reaching the kingdom where they are told to have their marriage annulled. But as this film is a romance, the couple, who are by now, truly in love, refuse and must then escape from the angry king. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Adapted from the Ernest Vajda novel The Head Waiter, Service for Ladies stars Leslie Howard as Max Tracey, premiere waiter of a luxurious London hotel. Falling in love with the aristocratic Sylvia Robertson (Elizabeth Allen), Max poses as a European prince, enlisting the aid of an amiable Ruritanian monarch (Lawrence Grossmith) who owes him a favor. When Sylvia finds out the truth, she is both shocked and appalled, but all is patched up when her own father (Morton Selten) reveals that he himself was once a lowly hotel dishwasher. Previously filmed in 1927 with Adolphe Menjou, Service for Ladies was released in the U.S. as Reserved for Ladies. Merle Oberon, later a star in her own right as well as the wife of director Alexander Korda, shows up in a bit role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Those Three French Girls are Charmaine (Fifi D'Orsay), Dian (Yola D'Avril) and Madelon (Sandra Ravel), each a real oo-la-la in her own right. All three get mixed up in the affairs of stuffy Englishman Larry (Reginald Denny) and the even stuffier Earl of Ippleton (George Grossmith). Meanwhile, American doughboys Owly (Cliff Edwards) and Yank (Edward S. Brophy) set their own sights on the lovely trio. The result is an uneven combination of drawing-room comedy and slapstick farce, including such standbys as the roadster caught in the rain and the idyllic (but innocent) overnight stay in the barnyard. And, of course, Those Three French Girls strip down to their skivvies when things threaten to get dull. Hard to believe that P.G. Wodehouse wrote the original story, and that one of the screenwriters was Arthur Freed, who later produced such prestigious MGM musicals as An American in Paris and Singin'in the Rain. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Are You There? is a characteristically lumpy but enjoyable early-talkie musical from Fox Studios. Broadway luminary Beatrice Lillie stars as a looney lady detective with a penchant for disguises. This plot device allows her to parade her astonishing versatility in a wide array of characterizations, including a dotty nurse in a hospital where a criminal gang is encamped. Are You There? came at the tail end of the first movie-musical cycle; Fox, fearing that musicals were on the way out, removed four of Ms. Lillie's seven musical numbers. This butchery resulted in the negative reputation Are You There? has earned among Bea Lillie's staunchest fans, though even in its truncated form the film is extremely entertaining. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi