by Hal Erickson
synopsis
The future King Edward VIII was still two years away from his brief ascension to the British throne when this 60-minute documentary appeared. Produced with full cooperation of Buckingham Palace (on the proviso that all profits would go to Charity), The Prince of Wales shows the title character at work and at play -- with emphasis on the former. Screenwriter Ian Dalrymple traces Edward's life from his birth onward, de-emphasizing the romantic interludes which had brought the young Prince a worldwide reputation as a devil-may-care playboy. The film ends as Edward makes a public plea to help the unfortunate and unemployed of the world. Raggedly edited, The Prince of Wales is not an example of the British documentary film at its very best.
