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5.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Queen Was in the Parlor remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have exactly seven minutes to spare and love dusty, crackly 1930s musical oddities, then yes, The Queen Was in the Parlor is absolutely worth a quick look. But if old-timey singing groups and zero-budget sets make you itch, you should probably run away fast. 👑
The whole thing is basically a glorified showcase for The King's Men, a vocal group your grandparents might of heard on a static-filled radio. They sing, they harmonize, and they look slightly uncomfortable doing it.
The plot is incredibly thin, even for 1932. The King comes home, and the Queen is just... sitting in the parlor, refusing to see anyone.
It has the energy of a very public, very awkward marital dispute. Except everyone is dressed in medieval costume.
I couldn't stop staring at the background. There is a shield hanging on the stone wall that is visibly crooked, and I kept waiting for someone to straighten it.
They clearly didn't have the budget for a second take, which gives the whole thing a sloppy, live-theater charm. It reminded me a bit of the rushed, cheap energy you get in Throbs and Thrills, where nobody cared about continuity as long as the film was running.
The Queen herself is the best part. She is just so incredibly done with the King.
She sits there eating bread and honey, completely ignoring the absolute chaos outside her door. Honestly, mood. 🍯
The King, meanwhile, looks terrified. He is supposed to be the ruler of the land, but he is pacing around like a nervous dog waiting for its owner to come home. 🐕
There is this one moment where Johnny Murray's voice goes so high it almost distorted my speakers. It was loud, unexpected, and made my cat look at the TV with deep suspicion.
And then, it just ends. No real resolution, no big climax, just the final notes of the song fading into silence.
It is definitely not a masterpiece. But as a weird little time capsule? It is kind of perfect.