Priscilla, Queen of the Deserters… The Runaway Princess (1929) with Phil Carli, Le Giornate del Cinema Muto Streaming, Day Six

Marry! How does a princess marry? Someone she’s never seen, who’s picked for her? I wouldn’t marry a prince for anybody!

Even before the royal escapees became hot news, there were others who dreamt of live without the constrictions of “duty”. It’s not for everyone, clearly, especially given the huge social spotlight of these days and the lack of freedom of choice earlier sensibilities brought. Australian-born novelist, Countess Elizabeth Russell certainly felt the pressure of expectation, living a life of suffocating duty only enlivened by lengthy country walks with her many dogs and her writing of “The Princess Priscilla’s Fortnight” (1905) on which this film was based.  

This was an Anglo-German co-production between British Instructional Films and the German company Laender Film, with direction from Anthony Asquith for this English version and shotting split between Berlin and Hertfordshire Hollywood (Welwyn Studios). It’s an endearing fairy tale, entertaining without being that dramatically compelling or funny - not quite up there with Asquith’s Shooting Stars, Underground or A Cottage on Dartmoor – but a decent British film.

Mady and Paul Cavanagh

It does feature a winning performance from Austrian actress Mady Christians who’s Wilhelmina Marie Alexandra Victoria, Princess of Lothen-Kunitz, Grand Duchess of Gerstein… call her Princess Priscilla for short, is a bundle of innocence, energy and “Ruritanian” pluck! Natural charm combined with an ease of expression that covers the comedy and the drama with an earnestness that overcomes a rather predictable situation. She’s just turned 21 and decides to make a break for it when she is told she is to marry the Prince of Savonia, no doubt some old fuddy-duddy!

Accompanied only by her Professor (Fred Rains, father of Claude!), the two head off to London via Amsterdam for adventure and a normal life. Cycling on her estate Priscilla meets a Charming Man (Paul Cavanagh) who is immediately taken with this strange, pretty woman. He follows her as she makes her way on the train away from responsibility and towards the freedoms of London. She also has her first encounter with a group of forgers led by Norah Baring, who’s screen intensity instantly creates a new dynamic with knowing looks that could ignite celluloid with one glance from a hundred paces.

Norah Baring

The action picks up as Princess and the Prof change trains and the CM follows them along with a detective tasked with catching the forgers. The two only just make it into the baggage car and then exchange notes, with This Charming Man pretending to also be a detective, so that the two of them, Hand in Glove, can prevent the future Queen from being dead… (that’s enough Smith’s references, ed.).

The remainder of the film is a mixture of proto romcom and caper movie with some great shots of London especially when 'Cilla rides down Fleet Street up top on a double decker only to be kicked off with no ticket just yards from Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and Devereux Arms public houses… The steam train crossing the old bridge with St Paul’s in the background is an iconic shot of the vestiges of steam punked London.

Claude H. Beerbohm and Paul Cavanagh

Goaded by the Handsome Man, ‘Cilla determines to get a job to show she’s independence and, after failing as a roller-skating mannequin/model, she gets a job as a delivery worker using the fake fiver given to her by Norah’s Forger, before her handsome fella sabotages her delivery of millinery to, guess who, the forgers. Head forger decides that she’s the perfect person to deliver their manufactured money as she’s so dopey and innocent. Besides… she just keeps turning up!

 

Now then, will Priscilla get caught up with the criminals and will she ever find out who the handsome man is? I suspect you can have a good guess but it’s fun finding out even if the forgery storyline is a little undercooked and you feel like an opportunity has been missed about the whole Runaway Princess situation.

Up top with St Paul's in the background

That said, Mady Christians is excellent as the innocent but resilient royal and there’s some great support from Norah and Paul Cavanagh, not to mention Claude H. Beerbohm as the detective. Generally, Asquith favours the humour and this is a satisfying romantic comedy, with almost zero dramatic tension, that would soon be christened screwball. All is never as it seems, but we know that!

I wonder if there was anything deeper about the royal desire for escape. Turns out you can’t really escape your responsibilities or your destiny as the sone of a man who was Prime Minister for eight years, perhaps Anthony knew this better than most.