"The Gay Deception" is a very funny comedy romance that is set mostly in New York City. Most of the comedy takes place in the luxurious hotel that is itself a humorous play on words. It's "The Walsdorf-Plaza Hotel," (the spelling is correct, with the "s" in the name), which borrows its fictitious creation from the two prominent upscale hotels of the Big Apple (New York City) for much of the 20th century (The Waldorf Astoria and The Plaza). It's easy for the audience to miss this until one sees the hotel marquee when some of the characters arrive.
The film has three sub-plots intermingled to create a story of a somewhat familiar theme of movies during Hollywood's golden era. A working man or woman meets a wealthy person of the opposite sex, with one or the other's background not known. Many films were made about rich heiresses running away from home (most of them were quite funny). And, there were some about a commoner falling for nobility (whose nobility isn't known at the time). Well, with a few different twists, the plot here makes an original story that is loaded with comedy, and a little romance toward the end.
Frances Dee plays Mirabel Miller. She works in a secretarial pool for the Sunblest Seedless Casaba Melon Company of Greenville. She wins the grand prize in the Casaba County Sweepstakes. (Wherever the fictional Greenville and Casaba County are supposed to be located, they would be far from New York City. Casaba melons, native to the Middle East and far SW Asia, are grown commercially in the SW United States - Arizona, California and Texas.) Anyway, Mirabel just wants to spend her $5,000 prize on new clothes and living it up in New York City, as long as the money lasts.
Czech-born actor Francis Lederer is an exuberant bellhop in the luxurious Walsdorf-Plaza. Well, at the start of the film, that is; and only after some time does the audience learn that he is really Prince Alessandro di Alessandria. He has come to New York in Cognito to see how the swanky American hotel operates. He is scheduled to arrive officially one month later, but even his New York Consul doesn't know of his under cover early arrival and job. The prince, Sandro, is known in the hotel as Number 14.
His quest to learn about the hotel operation is because he plans to build such hotels to attract American tourists to his small European country. He recently became a member of the board of directors of a hotel chain that plans to contract with the Walsdorf-Plaza to build and operate their hotels. The company recommended that the hotel hire someone of its nationality as a good gesture. But, Sandro's exuberant personality and eagerness aren't quite fitting and proper for those of the service class, so he sometimes clashes with hotel management, shocks hotel patrons, and befuddles fellow workers. After being fired as a bellhop, he gets re-hired as a waiter. After being fired from that job, he gets re-hired as an elevator operator.
Now, when Maribel checks into the swanky hotel, and the management thinks she is some sort of Queen of the Casabas, everyone thinks she's loaded with dough. That is, everyone but Sandro. And, although a small-town girl who's enamored by the luxury, Maribel tries to hide her naiveté. But, even her feigned snobbishness can't fool Sandro.
Another subplot of this film has to do with two guys who come from the prince's home country and have made good in the States, perhaps with some shady deals. They are the president and secretary of the home country's brotherhood association in America. They pay the NY consul $5,000 for the privilege of being able to be in the greeting and celebrating party for the prince when he arrives. Lennox Pawle plays the consul-General, Akim Tamiroff plays Spellek, and Lionel Stander plays Gettel - the three of this subplot who add some comedy.
Among the hotel staff and wealthy clientele who provide some laughs and smiles are Richard Carle, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Robert Greig, Benita Hume and Alan Mowbray. The background music is perfect for the mix of funny lines and situations. It isn't just one deception, but three, and they work together perfectly for great humor. The film received an Oscar nomination as best original story.
Here are some favorite lines.
Mirabel, "You can't swindle me like that, Mr. Mercer. I know you bankers."
Mr. Spitzer, on the phone, "How's our stock of casaba melons? What? No casaba melons? Well, get some. Wire for some. Have them sent by mail. Air mail. Special delivery."
Sandro, "But this, madam. This is not a hat, this is a mistake." Mirabel Miller, "Why that's my very favorite."
Sandro, "Such a pretty little guest and a monstrosity of the hat."
Mr. Squires, "Young man, I'll tell you a secret - just among men, okay?" Sandro, "Yeah." Mr. Squires, "All Women's hats are monstrosities."
Consul-General, "Very well, gentlemen. All I ask is, that when his highness arrives, you will try and conduct yourselves with dignity.." Spellek, "Yeaahh." Consul-General, "...and decorum." Spellek, "Ye.... What's that, huh?"
Mr. Squires, "Young man, I'll tell you a secret - just among men, okay?" Sandro, "Yeah." Mr. Squires, "All Women's hats are monstrosities."
Consul-General, "Your highness is a bellboy?" Sandro, "I was a bellboy. That's why I came to see you. I got fired."
Consul-General, "Perhaps your highness would prefer to be the janitor?" Sandro, "Oh, janitor, or general manager, house detective, anything. I don't care."
Mirabel, "They told me you were fired." Sandro, "Oh, no, madam. I was promoted. I'm a waiter now."
Miss Channing, "Just one of the teeming millions in the Middle West." Lord Clewe, "Did you millions, darling?" Miss Channing, "People, Denny, not dollars."
Mirabel, "Oh, 14, why did you have to be a prince?" Sandro, "I'll try my whole life to live it down."
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