Although Thirty Day Princess is part of a recently released early Cary Grant collection on DVD, it is actually a film in which Sylvia Sidney stars and gets her turn at a dual role. In both parts Sylvia acquits herself well indeed.
King Henry Stephenson of the Balkan country of Taronia and international banker Edward Arnold meet in a mud-bath at a European resort spa. The king negotiates a loan with Arnold to be paid with bonds, but who to sell the bonds? It is agreed that the princess and heir to the throne Sylvia Sidney will undertake a goodwill tour of the USA to sell those bonds.
But right at the beginning of the tour, the princess develops the mumps and is quarantined for thirty days. A dead ringer actress also played by Sidney is hired by Arnold to step in.
Newspaper publisher Cary Grant doesn't like Arnold or bankers in general on principle. Remember this is the Depression and the New Deal was taking shape. He investigates the situation personally, but starts falling for the princess who he knows is out of his class. But Sidney who is a down and out actress who will be giving up her role like Cinderella shortly knows that the wealthy Grant is out of her's.
How all this gets resolved is what you see Thirty Day Princess for. It is primarily a show for Sylvia Sidney though a young Cary Grant has some good scenes for himself there. He was not yet a movie legend, but gave every indication of becoming one.
King Henry Stephenson of the Balkan country of Taronia and international banker Edward Arnold meet in a mud-bath at a European resort spa. The king negotiates a loan with Arnold to be paid with bonds, but who to sell the bonds? It is agreed that the princess and heir to the throne Sylvia Sidney will undertake a goodwill tour of the USA to sell those bonds.
But right at the beginning of the tour, the princess develops the mumps and is quarantined for thirty days. A dead ringer actress also played by Sidney is hired by Arnold to step in.
Newspaper publisher Cary Grant doesn't like Arnold or bankers in general on principle. Remember this is the Depression and the New Deal was taking shape. He investigates the situation personally, but starts falling for the princess who he knows is out of his class. But Sidney who is a down and out actress who will be giving up her role like Cinderella shortly knows that the wealthy Grant is out of her's.
How all this gets resolved is what you see Thirty Day Princess for. It is primarily a show for Sylvia Sidney though a young Cary Grant has some good scenes for himself there. He was not yet a movie legend, but gave every indication of becoming one.