'The Prince and the Showgirl': 7 Secrets from the Underrated Marilyn Monroe Movie

When it comes to Marilyn Monroe movies, we often think of classics like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), The Seven Year Itch (1955) and Some Like It Hot (1959). But did you know there is another film that's just as good? It's called The Prince and the Showgirl, released in 1957 and costarring Monroe and Sir Laurence Olivier. 

The film takes place in 1911 England and follows a group of people who travel there to celebrate the coronation of the new king. While there, the visiting Regent Charles (Olivier) attends a show and finds himself instantly in love with an American showgirl named Elsie Marina (Monroe). But when Elise learns of a potential threat against the Regent, she must use her certain skillset to stop it from happening.

The film earned $4.3 million at the box office, was directed by Olivier and is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. And to celebrate The Prince and the Showgirl, we've rounded up the seven best behind-the-scenes facts about the film. 

1. The Prince and the Showgirl was a special film for Marilyn Monroe

The Prince and the Showgirl was the only film Monroe worked on outside of the United States. All of her other efforts, before and after, were made around the US — even if they were set elsewhere. 

It was also the first film that Marilyn Monroe Productions served as a producer on, earning the actress 75% of the project's total revenue.

2. Monroe's behavior drove Sir Laurence Olivier insane

Monroe was often known for being a handful to work with on set due to her diva like attitude and mental health problems. Olivier got so fed up with it while making this film, that it caused him to quit directing for 13 years.

The two also tried to get each other fired multiple times, but since they were both under contract it wasn't possible.

3. It was based on an English play

The Prince and the Showgirl might seem original, but it was actually taken from the 1953 play entitled The Sleeping Prince: An Occasional Fairy Tale. It was written to coincide with Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.

Both the movie and the play were directed by Sir Laurence Olivier.

4. The Prince and the Showgirl was originally scripted as a musical 

A common theme for 1950s' movies was to have a musical element attached to them, and that was original plan for The Prince and the Showgirl. However, Monroe's husband at the time — Arthur Miller — convinced her that the film would be better without any songs. 

5. Monroe's white dress had to be changed multiple times

During filming for The Prince and the Showgirl, Monroe was dealing with a lot of health problems. Her weight would fluctuate, she had edema — severe amounts of water retention — as well as suffering from a miscarriage. All of this led to the actresses' white dress to be made four times over to accommodate. 

6. A mess-up of Monroe's can spotted

About 40 minutes into the film, Monroe accidentally called Olivier by his real name, instead of his character's, saying, "Laurence, my darling, good night." It is unknown why the studio left the mistake in the film, but it makes for a fun easter egg.

7. The movie inspired this 2011 film 

Movie fans were super excited to hear that Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh and Emma Watson were starring in the film My Week with Marilyn. Well, the The Prince and the Showgirl served as the backdrop for that film.

My Week with Marilyn followed Olivier (Branagh) and Monroe (Williams) as they filmed The Prince and the Showgirl, and showcased just how tense things got between them. It is a blend of fact and fiction. 

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