The Royal Bed

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Mary Astor, Anthony Bushell, and Lowell Sherman in The Royal Bed (1931)

More interested in playing checkers with the servants than in governing his people, King Eric VIII is dominated by Martha, his queen, a humorless woman who believes in doing her royal duty a... Read allMore interested in playing checkers with the servants than in governing his people, King Eric VIII is dominated by Martha, his queen, a humorless woman who believes in doing her royal duty above all else. Her daughter, Princess Anne, however, loves commoner Freddie Granton, the k... Read allMore interested in playing checkers with the servants than in governing his people, King Eric VIII is dominated by Martha, his queen, a humorless woman who believes in doing her royal duty above all else. Her daughter, Princess Anne, however, loves commoner Freddie Granton, the king's secretary, and refuses to marry her mother's political choice, the foppish Prince Wi... Read all

Director
- Lowell Sherman
Writers
- Robert E. Sherwood
- J. Walter Ruben
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

269

YOUR RATING

Director
- Lowell Sherman
Writers
- Robert E. Sherwood
- J. Walter Ruben
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos8

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Nancy Lee Blaine's only film.

Quotes
Princess Anne: She's furious now because father is going out. Mother tries to boss everything - well, she not going to boss me! I'm not her husband. I'm going to lead my own life!
Granton: And may I ask when do you intend to start?
Princess Anne: As soon as she's safely on her trip to America. One of these days, Mother will pick up a New York paper and discover her daughter has eloped. You *are* going to elope with me, aren't you, Freddy?
Granton: Oh yes, Anne. I wouldn't let you elope alone.

Crazy credits
Opening card: Truly, there is no reason why all kings and queens should not be human beings, even though there is every reason why all human beings should not be kings and queens. ...... Louis XI

Connections
Version of The Queen's Husband (1946)

User reviews12

Review

Featured review

5/10

Comical Nature Sorta Saved It

Only the comical nature of this movie saved it from being completely insufferable. On the one hand we had the oppressed princess and on the other hand we had a down to earth and comical king.

As for the princess, Princess Anne (Mary Astor), she was the typical oppressed princess. You know the one--she can't do anything she wants to do and she's being forced to marry someone she doesn't want to marry. Only if she were a common peasant then she'd be free.

Gag.

Oppression is oppression no matter who is being oppressed, but I still find it difficult to watch a princess complain about how terrible her life is, or how she'd prefer being a beggar over being a princess. It's language like that that makes rich and royalty so unrelatable.

As for the king, King Eric VIII (Lowell Sherman), he was a solid dude. He loved his daughter, liked playing checkers with his palace guard, and was in favor of a republic. He was also in favor of his daughter running off and eloping with her secret lover, Freddie Granton (Anthony Bushell), the king's secretary. The king was in an untenable position that required some deft moves to navigate. He would have to use all of his wits to keep the peace, give his daughter what she wanted, and remain king at the same time. He did what he could and kept it funny all the while.

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