John Gavin wasn't the best actor in the world but he's the least miscast out of the three leads - he plays an American engineer travelling through Europe who falls for a beautiful woman (Sophia Loren) who turns out to be Octavia, princess of the Austrian Empire - daughter of Emperor Josef (Maurice Chevalier!)
Adding to the Italian and French nationalities of the stars are the fact that Loren is not at home playing a princess (something pointed out by Gavin at the time), nor is Chevalier as a head of state. So lump Gavin actually comes off best.
The film never recovers from those issues and it's a silly story - Loren torn between love and duty - with a sexist element - Loren offers Gavin the chance to be her "mistress" but he turns it down and she gives up royalty for him. But it does have gorgeous Paramount colour and art design, location work, and a support cast that includes Angela Lansbury and Isabel Jeans.
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