King Ralph (1991)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

David S. Ward

Writers (WGA):

Emlyn Williams (novel)
David S. Ward (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 February 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

A comedy of majestic proportions

Plot:

As the only relative to take over the Royal throne, a down on his luck American slob must learn the ways of the English.

Plot Keywords:

King | British Parliament | Photograph | Tea Ceremony | Punk

Cast

John Goodman	...	Ralph Hampton Gainesworth Jones
Peter O'Toole	...	Sir Cedric Charles Willingham
John Hurt	...	Lord Percival Graves
Camille Coduri	...	Miranda Green
Richard Griffiths	...	Duncan Phipps
Leslie Phillips	...	Gordon Halliwell
James Villiers	...	Prime Minister Jeffrey Hale
Joely Richardson	...	Princess Anna
Niall O'Brien	...	Tommy McGuire
Julian Glover	...	King Gustav
Judy Parfitt	...	Queen Katherine
Ed Stobart	...	Dysentery
Gedren Heller	...	Punk Girl
Rudolph Walker	...	King Mulambon
Michael Johnson	...	Hamilton

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:6 | Finland:S | Germany:6 | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG | Ireland:PG

Filming Locations:

Apsley House, Hyde Park Corner, Hyde Park, London, England, UK

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The real royal family name, Windsor, was changed to the fictional name Windham for the movie. Un-synched lip movements in a few parts (most notably the abdication scene) seem to suggest the change was made after the film was shot.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Under English law, any child born to a Royal family member out of wedlock is automatically ineligible to succeed to the throne. This status can never be reversed even if the child is adopted by the Royal family or if the parents did marry. Therefore, despite being the "only" surviving member of the royal family, Ralph would never legally be able to take the throne since his father was born out of wedlock.

Quotes:

Sir Cedric Willingham: Your majesty, may I present the Sovereign King Mulamboa of Zambezi.
Ralph Jones: [seeing that the king is black, using a Eubonics dialect] Hey, homes! Whas happenin'! Gimme quintet, brother!
King Mulamboa: I do not comprehend, Your Majesty!
Ralph Jones: Uh, welcome, Your Majesty. On behalf of the people of the United Kingdom...
[uncomfortable silence]
Ralph Jones: Uh, do you wanna go get a beer?

Movie Connections:

References "The Honeymooners" (1955)

Soundtrack:

Tiny Bubbles

Royally Amusing

Though this film got trashed in a lot of circles, I rather like it if for no other reasons than it gives Americans some notion of the function of the monarchy in Great Britain.

Sometimes having the head of state and the head of government does have its bad points. Watergate for instance might have not been the gut wrenching experience if in America we were a parliamentary democracy with a royal head of state. Richard Nixon would have been put up for a "no confidence" vote and out he would have been without all the drama.

Drama on the other side of the Atlantic is saved for the Royals. This film might give an American some idea of what the abdication crisis was all about. John Goodman as the American born King has his own Mrs. Simpson.

In fact how he got to the throne is quite the tale. On some grand occasion the extended royal family got together for what looks like a team picture like they take in spring training of the various baseball rosters. Someone left a loose electrical cable dangling on the metal bleachers and the whole lot of them were electrocuted.

Genealogists poured through the Windham family tree and found some member had renounced it all and gone to America. The heir of that forgotten branch is John Goodman, Ralph Jones who does a lounge act in Las Vegas and not in classier joints in Las Vegas.

Of course the free and easy and thoroughly American Goodman doesn't take readily to his new found job. He can't quite comprehend that he has to serve as well as be served. And he has the same problem the Duke of Windsor had when he was briefly Edward VIII. With a lot more excuse since Windsor was brought up in the tradition.

Peter O'Toole as the lord who tries to give him some on the job training and John Hurt who has his own reasons for wanting Goodman to flop both give stand out performances. Best scene the palace ball for Goodman's prospective bride when Goodman does his lounge act.

It's a funny film and in its own way educational. The Duke of Windsor should have seen it. His duty would have been clear.