One of the biggest gems of BFI’s Film on Film Festival was Service for Ladies. Presented on the original nitrate, one of the oldest prints ever to be screened to an UK audience, Service for Ladies promised to be a sumptuous and gorgeous screening.
What it delivered was a meal of wit and near-farcical comedy, peppered with an examination of class and a dash of Leslie Howard.
Based on a novel by Ernest Vajda called The Head Waiter, and directed by Alexander Korda, Service for Ladies sees Leslie Howard as Max Tracey – the head waiter of an exclusive and expensive London hotel, which means he is privy to all the scandals of the wealthy socialites and the patrons of his restaurant. One day, he comes across rich and beautiful heiress Sylvia. Unable to tell her the truth, he follows her to an Austrian Ski Lodge and tries to woo her. However, he inadvertently gets mistaken for a Prince! Ensue the hijinks.
Service for Ladies is an absolute delight. Thanks to a slick script from Lajos Biró, Eliot Crawshay-Williams and Ernest Vajda, the dialogue is snappy and hilarious. The situational humour is only enhanced by exquisite delivery from the likes of Howard’s charismatic Max. He is a remarkable lead – as beautiful as he is talented, and he scintillates with this swoon-worthy charisma.
Of course, he is best when he is sparring with Elizabeth Allan who plays Sylvia. She is a formidable opponent who sizes Max up quite quickly and isn’t going to be seduced by him as easily. She is rambunctious, free, and has an incredible relationship with her father. Allan and Howard are exquisite together as they fight verbally, leading to their eventual romance. It’s not without the pitfalls. Enter Benita Hulme as Countess Ricardi – a bubbly temptress who becomes a magnificent foil to the proceedings as she could ruin Max’s ruse.
One of the best scenes that encapsulates the charm and hilarity of the film is a sequence where Countess Ricardi – Max’s old flame – meets Sylvia for the first time. When Max finds them, they undercut one another with scathing platitudes. If you didn’t know the backstory, you would assume they were chums but each happy delivery is dripping with loathing. At dinner, Max has to battle between the pair, lighting two cigarettes at once. Though you can see just the back of his head, you can feel the dismay.
I speak a lot about the dialogue, but there is also a lot of funny moments from just the facial expressions alone. Director Korda stages each moment, and each person perfectly. A slow chase around the table, two old men reaching for cigars and giving one another a withering look, and a dog served it’s dinner on a silver platter.
Service for Ladies is delightful. It exquisitely executed, wonderfully written, and perfectly performed. You’ll have to check-in to the film whenever you can.
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