Movie review – “His Royal Highness” (1932) **

Historically interesting as a record of the performance style of George Wallace and the piece is typical of that threatre goers might be treated to in the early 1930s. It’s not much of a film (basically it’s filmed theatre) and the story is really dumb – Wallace is a stage hand who is knocked on the head and imagines he is the heir to a foreign kingdom. He is threatened by a usurper, roller skates around the place, plays poker with footmen, and helps a romance. Then he finds out he’s not the real heir (who is actually some bland well speaking type with tight pants who says “I’ve had that birth mark all my life, sire” - the sort of ponce who could drive Tony Abbott to republicanism) and goes back to Australia. Then he wakes up and sees the girl he’s got a crush on go off with her boyfriend. Why have it as a dream? Why not have Wallace genuinely be an heir? Why have him find out he’s not? Why end on a downer? These are all the sort of things that would not appear in Cinesound’s films with Wallace. Wallace is quite engaging, doing his tap dancing, singing songs, pratfalling, etc. It’s just a weak vehicle.