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The Swan (1956 film)
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{{Short description|1956 film by Charles Vidor}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox film | name = The Swan | image = The Swan (1956 film).jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = [[Charles Vidor]] | screenplay = [[John Dighton]] | based_on = {{based on|''The Swan'' (''A Hattyú'')<br>1914 play|[[Ferenc Molnár]]}} | producer = [[Dore Schary]] | starring = {{ubl|[[Grace Kelly]]|[[Alec Guinness]]|[[Louis Jourdan]]|[[Agnes Moorehead]]|[[Jessie Royce Landis]]|[[Brian Aherne]]|[[Leo G. Carroll]]|[[Estelle Winwood]]|[[Van Dyke Parks]]}} | cinematography = {{ubl|[[Joseph Ruttenberg]]|[[Robert Surtees (cinematographer)|Robert Surtees]]}} | editing = [[John Dunning (film editor)|John Dunning]] | music = [[Bronisław Kaper]] | studio = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] | distributor = [[Loews Cineplex Entertainment|Loew's Inc.]] | released = {{Film date|1956|04|18|United States}} | runtime = 104 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $3 million<!-- $3,094,000 --><ref name="Mannix">{{Citation | title = The Eddie Mannix Ledger | publisher = Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study | place = Los Angeles}}.</ref> | gross = $3.7 million<!-- $3,749,000 --><ref name="Mannix"/> }} '''''The Swan''''' is a 1956 American [[Romance film|romantic]] [[comedy-drama]] film directed by [[Charles Vidor]] from a screenplay by [[John Dighton]]. It is a remake of the 1925 [[The Swan (1925 film)|silent film of the same name]], itself based on the play of the same name by [[Ferenc Molnár]]. The film stars [[Grace Kelly]], [[Alec Guinness]], and [[Louis Jourdan]], with [[Agnes Moorehead]], [[Jessie Royce Landis]], [[Brian Aherne]], [[Leo G. Carroll]], [[Estelle Winwood]], and [[Van Dyke Parks]] in supporting roles. The film was released the day Kelly became [[princess consort of Monaco]]. ==Plot== In 1910, Princess Alexandra, the daughter of a minor branch of a European royal house, is urged by her mother to accept her cousin, Crown Prince Albert, as husband so that their family may regain a throne that was taken from them by [[Napoleon]]. Princess Alexandra tries to gain Albert's attention; he is otherwise taken with sleeping late, shooting ducks and playing football with Alexandra's two younger brothers. Alexandra's mother urges her to show interest in the tutor, Dr. Nicholas Agi, to make Albert jealous and stimulate a proposal from him. Agi is already taken with Alexandra and when she invites him to the farewell ball for the crown prince, he eagerly accepts. Later, when they are dancing at the ball, it appears that Albert is getting jealous, but instead he is more interested in playing the [[bass viol]] in the orchestra. Later, Agi tells Alexandra how he feels about her. She tells him that it was all a ploy to get Albert to propose to her and she suspected he felt this way. She realizes that she has some feelings for him, but he refuses her. Albert comes to discover about this situation and is a little taken aback. Albert and Agi trade insults. Agi then storms out and tries to leave the next morning. Alexandra, distraught over what happened, tries to leave with him, but he refuses her again. Albert's mother, The Queen, shows up and is aghast upon hearing the entire story. Albert gives his blessing to the pair and says that when he becomes king, he will allow them back into the country. However, Agi ends up leaving the mansion without Alexandra. Albert tries to console Alexandra by telling her she is like a swan: on the water she looks serene, but on land she is more like a goose. Albert then offers Alexandra his arm and they walk back into the mansion together. ==Cast== {{Cast listing| * [[Grace Kelly]] as Princess Alexandra * [[Alec Guinness]] as Prince Albert * [[Louis Jourdan]] as Dr. Nicholas Agi * [[Agnes Moorehead]] as Queen Maria Dominika * [[Jessie Royce Landis]] as Princess Beatrix * [[Brian Aherne]] as Father Carl Hyacinth * [[Leo G. Carroll]] as Caesar * [[Estelle Winwood]] as Symphorosa * [[Van Dyke Parks]] as George * Christopher Cook as Arsene * [[Robert Coote]] as Capt. Wunderlich * [[Doris Lloyd]] as Countess Sibenstoyn * [[Edith Barrett]] as Elsa, Beatrix's maid }} ==Background== The 1925, 1930, and 1956 films are all based on the 1914 Hungarian play ''A Hattyú, Vígjáték Három Felvonásban'' (''The Swan, A Comedy in Three Acts'') by [[Ferenc Molnár]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://translate.google.com/#auto%7cen%7cA%20Hatty%C3%BA%2C%20V%C3%ADgj%C3%A1t%C3%A9k%20H%C3%A1rom%20Felvon%C3%A1sban%20|title=Google Translate|work=google.com|access-date=28 September 2015}}</ref> Grace Kelly had previously appeared in the [[CBS Television]] production of ''The Swan'' on June 9, 1950.<ref>{{cite news|title=ON TELEVISION|date=June 4, 1950|work=The New York Times|page=X10}}</ref> MGM bought the screenrights in May 1955 as a vehicle for Kelly. Head of production [[Dore Schary]] also announced he intended to remake ''The Barretts of Wimpole Street'' with Kelly.<ref>{{cite news|title=MGM Buys 'Swan' to Star Grace Kelly|work=Los Angeles Times|date=May 2, 1955|page=B9}}</ref> Kelly visited the [[1955 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes Film Festival]] later that month. It was there she met Prince Rainier.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Film Festival at Cannes Thrilling to Grace Kelly|author=Hopper, Hedda|date=May 21, 1955|work=Chicago Daily Tribune|page=17}}</ref> By August 1955, the lead roles had been given to Louis Jourdan – who had done a screen test in Paris – and Rex Harrison.<ref>{{cite news|title=ODETS THE WRITER MAY BE DIRECTOR: Author Discusses Possibility of Guiding His Film Script of 'Joseph' to the End|author=THOMAS M. PRYOR|work=The New York Times.|date=Aug 3, 1955|page=28}}</ref> However, Harrison was unable to come to terms with the studio. By the end of the month, [[Alec Guinness]] signed to play the role – it would be his first Hollywood movie.<ref>{{cite news|title=GUINNESS SIGNED FOR M-G-M MOVIE|work=The New York Times|date=Sep 1, 1955|page=20}}</ref> Director Charles Vidor said the filmmakers paid close attention to the [[Princess Margaret]]–Peter Townsend romance. "If they had wed we would have thought very seriously about changing our ending", he said. "However, by not marrying a commoner made our ''Swan'' a new, modern story. Now they can't say it's old-fashioned."<ref>{{Cite news|title='Tattoo' Husband Played by 3, Though Scarcely in the Film|author=Scheuer, Philip K.|date=Jan 15, 1956|work=Los Angeles Times|page=D2}}</ref> ==Production== The film was shot on location in [[North Carolina]], at the 1895 [[Biltmore Estate]] of [[George W. Vanderbilt]] in [[Asheville]] and at [[Lake Junaluska]].<ref>{{cite news|title=APPALACHIAN MOLNAR: Alec Guinness, Grace Kelly and 'Swan' On Camera at Noted Carolina Site|author=HOWARD THOMPSON|work=The New York Times|date=Oct 9, 1955|page=X5}}</ref> MGM held the release of ''The Swan'' to correspond with the civil wedding ceremony of Grace Kelly and [[Rainier III, Prince of Monaco|Prince Rainier of Monaco]], on April 18, 1956. ==Music== The score was composed by [[Bronislau Kaper]] and conducted by [[Johnny Green]], with orchestrations by [[Robert Franklyn]]. One piece of source music, "Rakoczy March", an 1809 piece by John Bihari, was conducted by [[Miklós Rózsa]].<ref> {{cite journal | title = The Swan | others = Bronislau Kaper | date = 2004 | last = Bond | first = Jeff | author2 = Lukas Kendall | page = 4 | type = CD insert notes | journal = [[Film Score Monthly]] | volume =7 |issue=5 | location = Culver City, California }}</ref> MGM Records released two suites of portions of the music from the film on long-playing record after the release of the film. The complete score was released in 2004, on CD, on the [[Film Score Monthly]] label. ==Box office== According to MGM records, the film earned $1,763,000 in the US and Canada and $1,986,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $798,000.<ref name="Mannix"/> ==Earlier film versions== * The 1925 [[silent film]] with [[The Swan (1925 film)|the same title]] was directed by [[Dimitri Buchowetzki]] and starred [[Frances Howard (actress)|Frances Howard]] as Princess Alexandra, [[Adolphe Menjou]] as Crown Prince Albert and [[Ricardo Cortez]] as the tutor. That version ends with Alexandra and the tutor kissing, and the expectation they will marry. * ''[[One Romantic Night]]'' (1930) starred [[Lillian Gish]] as Princess Alexandra and [[Rod La Rocque]] as Prince Albert, with [[Conrad Nagel]] as the tutor. It was directed by Paul Stein. ==Original Broadway production== The original Broadway production of ''The Swan'' opened on Broadway in 1923, with [[Eva Le Gallienne]] as Princess Alexandra, [[Philip Merivale]] as Prince Albert, and [[Basil Rathbone]] as the tutor. ==See also== * [[List of American films of 1956]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{IMDb title}} * {{AFI film}} * {{TCMDb title}} * [http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/catalog/soundtrackdetail.php?movieid=17410 Various releases on LP and CD of music from the film] {{Charles Vidor}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Swan, The}} [[Category:1956 films]] [[Category:1956 comedy-drama films]] [[Category:1956 romantic comedy films]] [[Category:1956 romantic drama films]] [[Category:1950s American films]] [[Category:1950s English-language films]] [[Category:1950s romantic comedy-drama films]] [[Category:American films based on plays]] [[Category:American romantic comedy-drama films]] [[Category:CinemaScope films]] [[Category:Comedy-drama film remakes]] [[Category:Films about princesses]] [[Category:Films based on works by Ferenc Molnár]] [[Category:Films directed by Charles Vidor]] [[Category:Films scored by Bronisław Kaper]] [[Category:Films set in 1910]] [[Category:Films set in Europe]] [[Category:Films shot in North Carolina]] [[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]] [[Category:Remakes of American films]] [[Category:Romance film remakes]] [[Category:Sound film remakes of silent films]] [[Category:English-language romantic comedy-drama films]]
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