In Italy in 1939, Mr. Imperium employs a ruse to meet attractive American woman Frederica Brown. He is revealed to be Prince Alexis, an heir to the throne and a widower with a five-year-old son. Mr. Imperium nicknames her Fredda and she calls him Al.
When his father becomes gravely ill, Mr. Imperium must rush to be with him but asks prime minister Bernand to deliver a note of explanation to Fredda. Bernand instead informs her that the prince has left permanently, as he would often do after seducing women.
Twelve years later, Fredda is now a film star known as Fredda Barlo. Mr. Imperium travels to California, where film producer Paul Hunter is in love with Fredda and proposing marriage. Fredda drives to Palm Springs to consider the proposal and decide which actor should costar in her next film, which will tell the story about a girl who falls in love with a king. Mr. Imperium takes a room next to hers, and soon they meet and embrace. He explains the crisis that took place at home during the war and that had prevented him from finding her. He wants a new life, and Fredda believes that he could portray the king in her film.
Bernand appears, announcing that his son is preparing to ascend to the throne. Mr. Imperium realizes that he is needed there, so he must say goodbye to Fredda once more.
MGM announced the casting of Ezio Pinza, for his first starring role, in July 1949.[2]Greer Garson had been cast in the lead female role, but MGM replaced her with Lana Turner in Feburary 1950.[3]
During production on August 8, 1950, Pinza was thrown from a horse while filming a scene. He suffered minor injuries and returned the next day.[4]
Soundtrack
"Andiamo", lyric by Dorothy Fields, music by Harold Arlen[5]
Release
Mr. Imperium was the first of two musicals that MGM attempted with South Pacific stage star and former Metropolitan Opera singer Ezio Pinza. When previews with test audiences proved disastrous, the second film, Strictly Dishonorable, was released first, but with the same unfavorable results.[citation needed]
The film was exhibited mostly as a second feature despite its lavish MGM production in Technicolor and with Lana Turner in a starring role. MGM canceled Pinza's contract after the film's box-office failure.[citation needed]
Reception
In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic A. H. Weiler called the film "third-rate" and wrote: "Edwin H. Knopf, the producer, and Don Hartman, the director, who collaborated on the script, have supplied their stars with a story that is as pat, obvious and dated as Prince Charming and Cinderella."[6]
According to MGM, the film earned $460,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $295,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $1,399,000.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
