The Mouse That Roared (1959), Call Me Madam (1953), Ninotchka (1939), The Illusionist (2006), Impromptu (1991), All This and Heaven Too (1940), Lady Windermere's Fan (1925), A Tale of Two Cities (1958) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Duchess movies.
Storyline: The French Surete and private eye Higgins are after a killer who uses innocent young Americans in a crooked gambling racket, and who sets sail on an ocean liner that also carries inept scoutmaster Freddie Hunter and his troop of boys. Freddie, who's been a "boy scout" too long, has designs on gorgeous Duchess Alexandria. The boys, far better organized than Freddie, are determined to save him from himself. But who will save Freddie from being the killer's next victim?—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: murderer, private investigator, con artist, scout, duchess, love interest, campy ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: The best-laid plans of jewel thief Gable and lady crook Russell fall apart when the thief unintentionally becomes a hero while posing as a British officer.—Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords: thief, duchess, con artist, captain, police detective, aristocrat, charming ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Captain Harry Flashman (Malcolm McDowell) of the British Army is a cad, a coward, and a lecher who always seems to come off inadvertently heroic. While romancing renowned courtesan Lola Montez (Florinda Bolkan), Harry is recruited against his will by Otto Von Bismarck (Oliver Reed) to substitute for a look-a-like Prussian Prince ostensibly in order to help Bismarck enlarge his hold over German duchies. But Bismarck has something more sinister in mind for Harry and the Prince.—Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>
Plot Keywords: captain, count, courtesan, duchess, politician, amusing, unrestrained ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: The sequel to The Mouse That Roared (1959), the tiny country of Grand Fenwick has a hot water problem in the castle. To get the money necessary to put in new plumbing, they request foreign aid from the U.S. for Space Research. The Russians then send aid, as well, to show that they too are for the internationalization of space. While the Grand Duke is dreaming of hot baths, their one scientist is slapping together a rocket. The U.S. and Soviets get wind of the impending launch and try to beat them to the moon.—John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>
Plot Keywords: prime minister, scientist, russian, american, duchess, astronaut, playful ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Casanova is in love with Francesca, who thinks he is a friend of himself even though he is engaged to Victoria, who is the love of Giovanni, Francesca's brother. Francesca is betrothed to Paprizzio who thinks Casanova is the feminist writer Guardi, who is really Francessca's nomme de plume. Amidst all these secret identities and misunderstandings, the Catholic Church sends Pucci to bring Casanova and Guardi to trial for heresy.
Plot Keywords: ladies' man, prince, writer, dancer, prisoner, duchess, passionate ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Mrs. Fay Cheyney, a rich American widow, insinuates herself into London society. Two men in particular -- middle-aged Lord Kelton and Lord Arthur Dilling, a young playboy -- pursue her. All are present at a large weekend house party, and though both men press their suit, Fay seems to favor Kelton. Then Dilling sees Fay's butler lurking in the gardens, recognizes him as a jewel thief who was apprehended in Monte Carlo, and realizes that Fay is probably after the hostess's pearls. Fay does get hold of the pearls -- but before she can pass them to her accomplice, Dilling gets hold of her.—Tony Fontana <tony.fontana@spacebbs.com> and Determined Copy Editor
Plot Keywords: socialite, butler, wealthy man, lord, duchess, detective, witty ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Ex-King Alfred VII is a young, handsome, and charming erstwhile monarch who once ruled a nation of two million people. Now all he has left are his Count Humbert and Duchess Anna, along with enough money to live an idle life in Paris with dozens of servants. He hasn't seen daylight in years; he prefers instead to drink himself into a stupor regularly. He's phenomenally bored, and a routine trip to a tedious cabaret finds a chorus girl flirting with him. He calls her to his apartment, apparently to seduce her as he's done many times before, but when she comes, he's passed out. Her outrage gives Humbert and Anna the idea that might bring Alfred out of his unhappy ennui - tell him she didn't come, and have her act as though he weren't so important after all. He of course pursues her with vigor and is snapped out of his apathy. But what happens if she falls in love with him?—Gary Dickerson <slug@mail.utexas.edu>
Plot Keywords: showgirl, king, doctor, count, duchess, lighthearted, charming ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Awaiting London's Heathrow Airport for a flight to New York City, Frances Andros (Dame Elizabeth Taylor), seen off by her tycoon husband, Paul Andros (Richard Burton), plans to leave her spouse for the arms of an aging international playboy, Marc Champselle (Louis Jourdan). Les Mangrum (Rod Taylor), a self-made Australian businessman travelling with his loyal secretary, Miss Mead (Dame Maggie Smith), must be in New York City the following day to arrange the loan that will help him repel a hostile takeover of his tractor company. Max Buda (Orson Welles), a movie mogul travelling with starlet Gloria Gritti (Elsa Martinelli), must get out of England immediately or face ruinous British income tax. The Duchess of Brighton (Dame Margaret Rutherford) has taken a job as a hostess at an American holiday resort, thinking she will be able to keep her family estate on her new income. Fog descends and blurs the future for them all, forced now to wait in the airport hotel for morning and fair weather.—alfiehitchie
Plot Keywords: wife, husband, millionaire, producer, actress, duchess, engaging ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Dan comes to England to learn more sedate business practices. While there he becomes involved in a scheme to exploit mangalite mines in Rhodesia. He and Manningdale become rivals for Patricia.—Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords: lady, duke, duchess, singer, love interest, witty, amusing ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: The 16th-century sculptor woos the Duchess of Florence despite the duke.
Plot Keywords: artist, duchess, duke, artist's model, steward, emigrant, witty ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: In 1620s France, dreaded swordsman Gil de Berault returns from carrying out a mission for Cardinal Richelieu, and finds the Cardinal worried about growing opposition from the Huguenots in the south. The Cardinal also warns de Berault that dueling has been outlawed, and will henceforth be punishable by death. Gil, however, promptly disobeys the law and is indeed sentenced to death. The Cardinal offers to cancel the sentence if de Berault is able to capture the duke who is organizing plans for an uprising. Gil travels to the duke's castle and is allowed to stay as a guest, but the duke's wife and sister immediately suspect that he is a spy. He and his servant still make good progress, until he falls in love with the duke's sister, which complicates everything.—Snow Leopard
Plot Keywords: cardinal, swordsman, duke, duchess, pickpocket, rebel, wild ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: The romantic story of Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt (Sir Dirk Bogarde), whose scandalous love affair forced him to abandon his adoring audiences.
Plot Keywords: pianist, wife, princess, prince, manager, duchess, emotional ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Taken to Russia to marry Grand Duke Peter (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.), German Princess Catherine (Elisabeth Bergner) kicks him out and becomes empress.
Plot Keywords: empress, duke, duchess, princess, emotional, melodramatic, russia ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Warren Trent (Melvyn Douglas) may own a hotel that's the epitome of luxury, but the accounting books tell a different story. The St. Gregory Hotel is pretty much flat broke. To prevent a corporate takeover, Trent pins his hopes on the ingenuity of hotel manager Peter McDermott (Rod Taylor). But a revolving door of zany guests -- including a drunk-driving Duke of Lanbourne (Michael Rennie) and an intrepid thief named Keycase (Karl Malden) -- makes that a challenging task.
Plot Keywords: hotel owner, hotel manager, thief, duke, duchess, guest, frenetic ...
Movie Details Click Here!