Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Admirable film.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Tallulah Bankhead wasn't in many movies, and having only seen her in Lifeboat, I thought I should see her in something else, so I tracked down this. I'm quite pleased I did.Filmed very much as the stage play it originally was, this movie is quite funny, as quick-witted and slow-witted characters face off. Bankhead makes a wonderfully larger-than-life queen and Coburn is excellent as a sly chancellor. There's not a lot to the story, and at times I would feel a little distracted (the great difficulty of watching movies at home amidst one's other toys), but it was funny - sometimes very funny - and even though Preminger took over the direction due to Lubitch's illness, it has that Lubitch quality to it. There are better Lubitch films, but there are also worse ones, so I'd say Preminger did a good job.

Caught this on TV last evening. Wonderful, amusing and funny. Tells the "story" of Catherine the Great, or as Mae West said, "Catherine WAS Great." A clone of Tyrone Power plays one of her lovers, and too bad this actor, William Eythe, did not appear in more movies. Who can say why? In any case, Tallulah shines, looks great, there's that word again, and you can tell she is having fun with the part. I really recommend this movie. It is very seldom on TV, but do catch it. A side note, Eythe was gay, but so was Tyrone, a coincidence, isn't it, and then, Tallulah also fooled around with both sexes, fitting for Catherine the Great.

It took A ROYAL SCANDAL for me to realize that Tallulah Bankhead must have been wonderful on Broadway in THE LITTLE FOXES. Here, under Otto Preminger's direction, she gives a wonderfully restrained (for her) performance as Russia's Catherine the Great, shamelessly flaunting her loneliness in front of a man betrothed to another (ANNE BAXTER) but deciding that he looks fabulous in a white uniform (WILLIAM EYTHE).Bankhead and Eythe are reason enough to watch this one. For once, he had a role that showed he had talent that should have been nurtured into full fledged stardom, but never was. He bears a strong resemblance to Tyrone Power and handles his role with authority and ease.Bankhead seems on the verge of doing her Diva act at any given moment, but restricts herself to a few "Shut up!" remarks or slyly commenting on the fact that she'd like to do a lot for the peasants. She never misses an opportunity to give any slightly risqué line a clearer meaning, just from the way she glances or moves. It's a wonderfully entertaining performance.CHARLES COBURN, ANNE BAXTER, SIG RUMAN and others do their parts in fine form, but VINCENT PRICE is wasted in the role of the French ambassador who ends up becoming the new apple of Bankhead's eye. Baxter is particularly good at demonstrating that she could show flashes of temperament beneath the sweetness and charm.Best of all, the dialog is full of innocently delivered one-liners that make it one of the most enjoyable farces I've seen in years. And WILLIAM EYTHE shows that he had a talent for farce that should have landed him more such roles.Well worth watching for the performances alone.

The history of this film has been documented well,and its failure, at the time, has taken its toll on its reputation. Perhaps, it was made at the wrong time; perhaps Tallulah Bankhead was not the 'darling' of the film critics as she had been by theater critics; perhaps it was an easy target because Lubitsch had been ill and Peminger substituted - a simple target to call a film 'not of a piece'. I do have a copy of it, though, and, today, it stands as a comedy of wit, charm, and delicious mischief. Bankhead is 'mahvelous' playing it to the hilt and offering superb takes on all of her lines. Her reaction shots are among the funniest yet capture on film. No, it is not Catherine -- it is Tallulah--but this is a satirical romp and not meant to be faithful to Russian history. William Eythe, forever underrated, is perfection.A stellar comedic force (he was equally fine in more serious roles e.g. TheHouse on 92nd Street). Coburn is in the right frame of mind and action; Anne Baxter does not quite capture the spirit of the madness, but she is not bad. It is probably insane to think that 'A Royal Scandal' finally can get the credit it deserved. But it is a tasty and wonderful cinematic morsel to enjoy again and again.