The Countess of Monte Cristo (1948 film)
| The Countess of Monte Cristo | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Fred de Cordova |
| Produced by | John Beck |
| Written by |
William Bowers writer Walter Reisch (story) |
| Cinematography | Edward Cronjager |
| Edited by | Edward Curtiss |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
|
Release date
|
November 1948 |
|
Running time
|
77 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Countess of Monte Cristo is a 1948 American comedy film directed by Fred de Cordova and starring Sonja Henie, Olga San Juan and Dorothy Hart.
Right before closing time Karen Kirsten and Jenny Johnsen, who work as waitresses at an Oslo night club, get an offer from the National Studios assistant director Jensen. He promises to make them both famous, and wants to give them screen test auditions. They accept the offer, and the very next day the girls show up at the film studio to try out for roles in the company's new production "Countess of Monte Cristo". There are two roles available: the countess herself and her maid.
However, the director, Mr. Hansen, manages to insult the young women gravely, and they leave the studios in anger, taking one of the studio's fancy cars as their ride while still wearing the costumes from the production. They drive to the luxurious Hotel Trollheimen, and use the costumes to lure the management into thinking they really are a countess and her maid. On the outside they encounter army Lt. Paul Von Cram, who is so captivated by their appearance - especially Karen's - that he offers to carry their suitcases up to their hotel suite. Because of this the two women mistake Paul for a bellboy.
Paul decides to cancel his imminent date with socialite woman Peg Manning, since he now has his eyes set on Karen. He then sends Karen a note at the hotel, asking her to meet "a lieutenant" at the hotel bar. Karen is intrigued by this and has no idea that it is Paul she is meeting. She makes a makeshift dress out of the curtains in the suite and goes down to meet the lieutenant. Arriving at the bar she instantly realises her earlier mistake.
Jenny discovers that they have been listed as thieves and wanted refugees from the law in a newspaper article. In a desperate attempt to hide this from the people at the hotel she buys every available newspaper she can find.
When the police enters the suite the next morning, the two women are surprised, since instead of arresting them, the police informs them that a known thief has stolen from other guests at the same hotel during the night. The hotel manager also wants them to make a list of their belongings, to see if something is missing and possibly replace it. Karen and Jenny discuss what they are to put on their "shopping list", when the thief, Count Holgar, reveals himself to them. Holgar has been hiding in their room while the police searched the hotel.
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