What to expect
W. C. Fields builds comedy from injured pride, class anxiety, and the dangerous confidence of a man who explains everything. The film gives his later screen character a silent form without depending on the voice that made him famous.
How to ease in
The invention and royal visit drive the plot. The princess is genuine; Sam thinks she is pretending. Watch whose manners change when she enters his town.
Heads-up
An encounter can repair a reputation without repairing a mistaken impression.
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I buy the unequal distribution of knowledge: Sam’s neighbours recognise a princess while he takes her for an impostor. The same visitor repairs his standing with the town and makes him trust his own bad deduction. That double result gives the misunderstanding a useful sting; he gains social credit without becoming any better informed.
— Momo
- Lescaboura is genuinely a princess; Bisbee believes she is an impostor while her visit improves his social standing. San Francisco Silent Film Festival — Nora Fiore, Joyce Unconfined (2024)
Credits & versions
Version map
Where to go next
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