ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

MartinHafer During the 19th century, Empress Sisi of the Austria-Hungarian Empire was the darling of Europe. She was pretty and the newspapers turned her into a sensation. In many ways, the hubbub around her was like that of the late Princess Diana Windsor...with people adoring her though not exactly sure why. In real life, Sisi was a strange, vain lady who couldn't live up to this public image...after all, who could?! Well, because of her huge popularity in her time, it's not at all surprising that she was the subject of quite a few films...such as the lavish Sisi series starring Romy Schneider. Like this series, "The King Steps Out" is pretty much fiction...showing a strong romance with her eventual husband, Emperor Franz Josef...though in real life they could barely stand each other and spent much of their married life apart! So, if you see this film, remember that it is NOT really a biography...just an excuse to see the opera star Grace Moore sing!The story purports to be the love story of Franz Josef and Sisi. Originally, the Emperor was going to marry Sisi's sister, but the sister already had a boyfriend. As for Sisi, she and the Emperor meet and fall in love...not knowing who the other was. All in all, both appear to be swell, down to Earth people. Apart from the names, pretty much all the story is fiction.So is it any good? Well, the history teacher within me says no because the film is a historical nightmare. But, on the positive side, while it's a Grace Moore film, she doesn't sing all that much...a major plus for most viewers since most viewers don't want to hear opera music. Overall, pleasant fluff that bears almost no semblance to Sisi or Franz Josef.

TheLittleSongbird Notable for starring Grace Moore, being directed by Josef Von Sternberg and having tunes by none other than violin virtuoso and composer Fritz Kreisler, 'The King Steps Out' is still an enchanting and very entertaining film in its own right.Its weak point is the story, which is very slight and occasionally veers on the wrong side of absurd. Herman Bing's role is also a little over-exposed, and while Fritz Kreisler's songs are lovely, lushly orchestrated and full of energy and pathos the only ones that really have unforgettable staying power are "Stars in My Eyes" and "What Shall Remain" (there's absolutely nothing wrong with them, they just don't have the wow factor).'The King Steps Out' is a gorgeous-looking film though, with sumptuous period detail and photography that really shimmers. The script is heart-warming, light-footed and smart, with Walter Connolly and especially Herman Bing (did mention about him being over-exposed but still loved the performance) providing some scene-stealing moments, Bing especially delighting by facial expressions, use of voice and body language.Sternberg directs more than competently, personally didn't think any lack of trust in the material came through, and the energy and enchanting charm 'The King Steps Out' exudes in every frame makes it such an easy film to like. Moore proves to be a graceful leading lady, beautiful in voice and a deft comedienne, while Franchet Tone is elegantly charming. Their chemistry is sweet and wholly natural.All in all, slight but enchanting. Moore may be the main attraction, but she is certainly not the only reason to see this. 7/10 Bethany Cox

bkoganbing One of the truisms of Hollywood was that Josef Von Sternberg lost his muse when he and Marlene Dietrich parted creative company after The Devil Is A Woman. With Crime and Punishment between them, this next film is considered to be the biggest flop in his career. Mainly because Von Sternberg took on a light and airy Viennese operetta, the kind he probably grew up on in Europe.I don't think the film flopped because it was so bad, it's dated, but other operettas and more well known ones date even more. However The King Steps Out made a mistake because too many people remembered Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary for good and for ill him dying exactly 20 years earlier. And about 20 years earlier his wife Empress Elizabeth also died and she was also remembered by a few.What people remembered that beneath all this Viennese schmaltz, this was a story that did not have a happy ending. What we see in the film concerning Franz Josef and Elizabeth of Bavaria is true as far as it goes. It was a whirlwind courtship of sorts and the young Emperor did wind up marrying the younger sister after the Dowager Empress his mother arranged for the older sister. In real life though after the honeymoon and Elizabeth presenting the Hapsburg Emperor with a son and seemingly settling the succession, the woman would not settle down. When you see the vivacious Elizabeth that Grace Moore gives us on the screen, that was the real Sissi. She would not settle down though and eventually the couple split and lived apart for the rest of their lives with Elizabeth leading a gay and carefree life at the various resorts and spas of 19th century Europe. She was assassinated by an anarchist. The reaction to her death was very much like that for Princess Diana, in fact there are a lot of parallels between Lady Diana Spencer and Elizabeth of Bavaria.The image we have of Franz Joseph is that solemn man with the muttonchop whiskers and a stern countenance, the father of his people. Franz Joseph was always in fact a serious minded man. The character that Franchot Tone gives us just isn't the case, he was hardly that charming in real life. The Emperor certainly did get his battery plenty charged when Sissi was around and they were young and in love.Grace Moore of course is in fine voice in the third of her films for Columbia and the first that didn't quite measure up to Harry Cohn's expectations. The score was written by violin virtuoso Fritz Kreisler and Dorothy Fields and two of the songs Stars In My Eyes and The Old Refrain became concert standards for Grace Moore. Harry Cohn gave Von Sternberg a wonderful cast of known supporting players to work with. Out of the group I liked Herman Bing, the only authentic German in the bunch. He gets a lot of laughs out of playing the flustered innkeeper whom everyone, royalty included, takes advantage of.No happily ever after endings for Franz Joseph and Sissi and sad to say the audience knew it.

Eleanor Knowles Dugan Every serious director seems to have one frivolous gem of a comedy in him. Bergman had Smiles of a Summer Night. Hitchcock had Mr. and Mrs. Smith. This is von Sternberg's. The sometimes starchy "Miss Grace Moore" is relaxed and charming. Kriesler's tunes are as buoyant and sleek as the decor. Rich and sweet as a Viennese pastry and total escapism -- if one can forget the sad fate of the real-life Cissy who was mistreated by husband and mother-in-law and eventually assassinated. Another Hollywood deviation: Cissy was noted for her gorgeous hip-length black hair. Moore has short blonde curls. Oh, well, forget such petty details and let's have another delicious, delirious waltz.