Americans Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell get the royal treatment in Trouble For Two (1936). They each play an heir to the throne of a fictitious European country and are scheduled to wed in an arranged marriage. But neither Prince Florizel (Robert Montgomery) nor Princess Brenda (Rosalind Russell) are excited about the union.

Trouble For Two was the second of five successful Montgomery and Russell pairings. The other films they made together are: Forsaking All Others (1934), Night Must Fall (1937), Live, Love And Learn (1937) and Fast and Loose (1939).

Most of Trouble For Two takes place around London, where both Florizel and Brenda escape, unbeknownst to each other, for a pre-wedding vacation. Naturally, the would-be lovers' paths intersect. But fifteen years have passed since their last meeting, and they don't recognize one another.

What begins as a comedy then takes a darker turn for the film is actually based on three short stories by Robert Louis Stevenson called The Suicide Club. Prince Florizel and Princess Brenda both join the club, thinking it's all an elaborate joke. But after a club member is murdered, they soon learn that the rules of membership are deadly.

The Suicide Club had first been filmed in 1909 by director D.W. Griffith. A British version followed in 1914. But the 1936 Montgomery-Russell version was the first feature length, sound treatment of the story. Originally, it was Universal who announced plans to make a film of the Stevenson work. But apparently the studio lost interest, and MGM took on the picture. Another interesting note on the film: in the reviews written at the time of release, Virginia Weilder was credited as playing Miss Vanderleur (Princess Brenda) as a child, with David Holt portraying Florizel as a boy. But apparently this opening sequence was cut before wide release. Neither Weilder nor Holt appear in the credits or on the print submitted for copyright.

Aside from an ABC television movie in the 70's, Stevenson's tale would not be brought to the screen again until 1988 when Mariel Hemingway and Lenny Henry starred in a version. Reportedly, there is a new version of the film in the works starring Jonathan Pryce.

Producer: Louis D. Leighton
Director: J. Walter Ruben
Screenplay: Manuel Seff
Production Design: Edwin B. Willis
Cinematography: Charles Clarke
Film Editing: Robert J. Kern
Original Music: Franz Waxman
Cast: Rosaline Russell (Miss Vandeleur/Princess Brenda), Robert Montgomery (Mr. Godall/Prince Florize), Frank Morgan (Colonel "Gerry" Geraldine), Reginald Owen (Dr Franz Noel), Louis Hayward (Cecil Barnley), E.E. Clive (The King), Pedro de Cordoba (Sergei).
BW-75m.

by Stephanie Thames