Penny Princess (1952) User Reviews (9)

Sounds good in theory, but in practice...

[calvertfan · 5/10 · 26 March 2002]

The country is named Lampidorra, and it's a tiny municipality in Europe, the smallest country in fact, kind of squished in next to Switzerland. It's so small, it makes Switzerland look the size of Mongolia. The citizens there have a thriving industry that has kept them going for years - the industry of smuggling.

A rich American buys half the country, and then dies. A grand search is on to find his nearest heir, who ends up being something like an Aunt's sister-in-law's nephew's second-cousin, twice removed. She travels to the country to sort out what's going on, and is shocked to see that they hold smuggling highly as their main source of income!

Sounds like a wonderful movie, eh? Good idea for a story line and somecomedy, and Dirk Bogarde in pyjamas. But the whole thing just isn't executed well, and it gets very trying after the first half-hour or so. The start is amusing, where it's narrated - telling you Lampidorra's history and also thanking the citizens for speaking English rather than Lampidorran during filming, thus wiping out the need for English subtitles! Overall though, only 5/10.

fun little UK farce from the 1950s

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 10 August 2009]

Cute idea... salesgirl Linda Smith (Yolande Donlan) inherits a teeny tiny little county of Lampidorra. That country, which wasn't even in North America, was made the 49th state... (of course, there were only 48 states at the time, since this was made in 1952...) Linda travels to the country she has inherited, and we follow her along as she tries to figure out what to do with this strange country and its even quirkier people. At one point, she sings a song that she claims is from her people the Navajo, and it gets ever-more sillier from there.... although Yolande Donlan's heavy lipstick and omni-present smile never get ruffled or shmeared. There are other songs scattered through-out as the citizens sing to welcome their new princess. Filmed in a glorious British version of technicolor, or some such equivalent, about the only big name here is Dirk Bogarde as British subject Tony Craig, cheese vendor. Bogarde made a big splash in the UK film industry after serving in the war, and was even knighted by QE II. Craig and "the new princess" keep bumping into each other, and their adventures become more intertwined as Lampidorra's financial problems worsen... Fun little farce....along the lines of Marx Brothers film. Also note that Donlan later married Val Guest, the writer and director of our little project, and stayed married for 50 years! Guest was better known for writing and directing his sci-fi flicks, in both the UK & the US.

The wonders of Schneese

[david-frieze · 5/10 · 9 June 2012]

In this haphazard Technicolor fantasy, a ditzy but dauntless young American woman becomes the heir to the throne of a tiny, insolvent European country named Lampidorra. The bumbling representative of a British cheese company convinces her that the answer to Lampidorra's problem lies in its principal product: schneese, which is cheese crossbred with schnapps. "Penny Princess" is essentially an operetta without the singing. It's all very silly, the satire is heavy-handed, and the leading lady is a bit of a pill, but it's a harmless way to spend an hour and a half. Val Guest, who wrote and directed the film, would go on to better things, particularly in the field of science fiction. He also married the leading lady.

Cute....but unfortunately way overshadowed by "The Mouse That Roared".

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 8 November 2010]

"Penny Princess" is a pleasant little film--and a movie that might be more famous today had there not been a significantly better film with a similar plot that appeared on the scene just a few years later. Both "Penny Princess" and "The Mouse That Roared" have very, very similar plots--so similar that you can't help but compare them. Both are about the supposedly smallest country in Europe (both fictitious) and both are about schemes that are concocted to rescue the country's economic problems and both are comedies. My recommendation is that you see them both, though "Penny Princess" is definitely the lesser of the two films.

The film begins by learning that the tiny country of Lampidorra is bankrupt. They have no exports and are heavily in debt to various creditors who are threatening to foreclose. However, an American promises to bail them out...if his family can become the rulers of the country. The Lampidorrans quickly agree but the man dies soon after...and a relative of his now has just become queen! However, sweet Yolande Donlan has no background in finance and she cannot locate the money her uncle promised to the Lampidorrans. So, once there in her new land, she feels a strong responsibility to help them out of their crisis. At the same time, a nice but previously ineffectual man (Dirk Bogarde) is sent to a cheese convention that is around Lampidorra. Together, these two work to save Lampidorra using a secret weapon in the war on financial ruin...'schneese'.

While "The Mouse That Roared" is clearly a silly comedy, "Penny Princess" can best be described as cute...and Yolande Donlan made this even more so, as she played one of the most adorable female leads I have ever seen. You can't help but love her--and her sweet and kooky character did a lot to carry this film. As for the plot, it's quite good...though the resolution of the problem and her subsequent actions all seemed a bit rushed. Still, the film is fun and well worth a look.

silly British musical

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 5 September 2009]

Yolande Donlan is a "Penny Princess" in this 1952 British musical also starring Dirk Bogarde. It's a cute premise - an American shopgirl, Lindy Smith, ends up inheriting a tiny country, Lampidorra, which has kept itself going by smuggling. Facing bankruptcy, part of the country is purchased by the Lindy's distant relative, who dies before forking over any cash. Lindy is brought over and given the royal welcome. She forbids smuggling, and the country begins to import schneese, a special kind of cheese they have taken for granted.

The movie is just okay, but quite good in the beginning, dragging a bit thereafter. "It's a Fine, Fine Night," one of the songs, apparently was released as a single, though the music throughout is just serviceable.

The American Donlan is attractive and likable, a cross between Judy Holliday and Janet Leigh. In fact, she was a big hit on the British stage in Holliday's Broadway role of Billie Dawn in "Born Yesterday." After that, she stayed on in England, and two years after this film, she married its writer/director, Val Guest, to whom she was married until his death in 2006. She's now 89 years old. She appears in Guest's 1963 film "80,000 Suspects" and is not recognizable in looks or acting as the same woman. She obviously had a lot of talent and a wide range.

It's hard to imagine anyone less suited to comedy than Dirk Bogarde, even young Dirk Bogarde, unless it's Montgomery Clift, but this role went to Bogarde after both Clift and Cary Grant refused it! He plays a cheese vendor who becomes involved with both the princess and the product schneese. And he's very cute.

The film was done on location in Spain. It's not very good, but Clift looks great in pajamas. And it's in color.

A much better film than some reviews suggest.

[ianyvonne · 10/10 · 30 September 2006]

I am very sorry that this charming and whimsical film (which I first saw soon after it was first released in the early fifties) has had such a poor reception more recently. In my opinion it has been greatly underrated - but perhaps it appeals more to the European sense of humour than to (for example) the American: maybe we in Europe can understand and appreciate its subtleties and situations more, since we are closer to some of them in real life! Particular mention should be made of the limited but good music - especially the catchy and memorable song "It's a fine, fine night", which was issued separately on an HMV 78rpm record (10 inch plum label, I think!) in the fifties. I would urge anyone interested to give it a try if you get the chance: you may have a pleasant surprise.

The Secret Of Schmeeze

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 6 November 2009]

Penny Princess finds American working girl Yolande Donlon the inheritor of a small kingdom that lies in that triangle where France, Italy, and Switzerland meet called Lampidorra. It seems as though the Lampidorrans owe bills all over Europe and the main occupation of the country is smuggling due to its geography. An American multi-millionaire buys the place, but dies before he can take title. His nearest heir is Donlan.

But of course the estate has to go through probate in America and what are the Lampidorrans to do? Especially since Donlan who has now become a princess has forbade smuggling.

Enter Dirk Bogarde who is on a trip to Switzerland to learn about the cheese industry. It seems as though the Lampidorrans have a kind of cheese that they playfully refer to as Schmeeze. With a few bumps in the road, Schmeeze solves all the problems both financial, geopolitical, and romantic between Donlan and Bogarde.

How does Schmeeze work, well that's the gimmick to the whole film. But here's a hint. In Lover Come Back Jack Kruschen might just have gotten a hold of the secret of Schmeeze when he was busy inventing VIP for Rock Hudson and his advertising agency.

Anyway Penny Princess is a delightful blend of British farce and romantic comedy. Yolande Donlon once again plays a role that Marilyn Monroe would have been cast in if the film had been made this side of the pond. Dirk Bogarde was well cast in the part which was at the beginning of his career as a romantic heart throb, way before anyone but him suspected he had the acting chops he had.

This film was sadly shown at three o'clock in the morning on TCM. But at least I found a reason to be grateful for insomnia.

poor working class girl inherits a small country meets guy.

[ktorg · 10/10 · 15 December 2009]

This movie needs to be put on DVD. It was so funny and I loved it. Really, really cute and funny. Not realistic, but not suppose to be. The only thing I did not like about it was the girl relying on the guy too much. It represents the time period way of thinking though. I have been trying to get this movie for so long and it has been unavailable for US format only in the UK and will not play on US DVD players. It is sadly an over looked Classic film! Believe it or not, but this film could easily become a cult favorite, for all ages. Too bad, we do not legalize certain things that could really save small countries or our own. Lindy is unsinkable, a positive character that makes lemonade out of lemons. She is funny and charming. She stole the show!

A lovely old film, with great characters and a chance to escape.........

[goodplansyou · 8/10 · 31 October 2018]

Okay, this isn't Gone With The Wind or Citizen Kane. This is a lovely fluffy old film that has some charming characters and lovely scenes. Giving some of the theme away here, by the time you get to the part where Yolande Donlan's character has settled into her role as temporary ruler of Lampidorra, you've already been shown some fun scenes as Dirk's character interacts with an English store after his return from military duty, and you get to enjoy Lindy (Yolande) attempt to sell a potato peeler and interact with estate lawyers, actors Alexander Gauge and Macdonald Parke. This is just a really cute film with great character actors supporting it. It's fun! And I love fun old movies. To me they're a great escape. If that's your thing, you'll find this movie worth your time. Dirk manages to portray an attentive love interest and Yolande is an old fashioned, beautiful and caring person here, who ultimately helps these quirky (and not so legal) residents out of a jam. Enjoy!