The King and the Chorus Girl: Charming or just a bit dusty?

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for pre-war rom-coms and dialogue that actually has some bite, you’ll probably find The King and the Chorus Girl to be a decent way to kill an hour and a half. If you hate movies where the plot is thinner than a piece of deli ham, stay far away. It’s light, breezy, and entirely aware of what it is.

Honestly, the writing credit is the main reason I even clicked play. Seeing Groucho Marx on a script for a romantic comedy is a bit like finding a spicy pepper in a bowl of oatmeal. You expect a little more kick than you actually get, but you appreciate the flavor regardless. It doesn't quite reach the frantic heights of Merry Mutineers, but it has its moments.

The pacing is… well, it’s a bit of a marathon in high heels. Some scenes feel like they’re stuck in quicksand, especially when the royal stuff gets a little too heavy-handed. There’s a specific sequence in the middle where the dialogue just drags on until you start looking at the furniture in the background.

Oddly specific observations:

• The way they handle the "exiled king" trope is so dramatic it’s almost funny.
• Some of the extras in the chorus line look like they’d rather be literally anywhere else.
• There’s a vase on a mantelpiece in the third act that I am 90% sure is just painted cardboard.

Fernand Gravey carries the whole thing on his back, bless him. He’s got that weary, "I'm tired of being fancy" look down to a science. Joan Blondell, on the other hand, is just fantastic. She brings a grounded energy that makes you wonder why the movie spends so much time on the stuffy palace decor.

It’s a bit like watching A Tailor-Made Man—you know exactly how it ends before the first reel is over. But that isn't really the point, is it? It’s about the banter. It’s about the weird, slightly mismatched chemistry that somehow works for about 80 minutes.

There's a scene near the end that feels like it was written in five minutes because they ran out of film. It’s abrupt. It’s silly. It’s kind of charming in a "don't look too closely" sort of way. 🍿

Would I watch it again? Maybe on a rainy Sunday. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s definitely not boring. Just don't go in expecting to change your life.