It has often been reported that Howard Hawks tried and failed to create an "art" film with Paid to Love, only to return to his traditional no-nonsense cinematic approach when the film failed at the box-office. While it is true that Hawks adopted a "Germanic" approach, replete with languid tracking shots and offbeat camera angles, Paid to Love was in fact a very conventional-looking film, especially for a Fox production of 1927. Written and rewritten numerous times before production began, the story concerns the misadventures of Crown Prince Michael (George O'Brien), the shy and introverted regent of a mythical European country. Even Michael's own subjects consider him a stick in the mud, preferring the roguish escapades of his playboy cousin Prince Eric (William Powell). While on a visit to America, Michael loses his inhibitions thanks to the tender ministrations of down-to-earth showgirl Dolores (Virginia Valli), who has been hired to arouse the Crown Prince's libido and thereby transform him into a more popular ruler. Inevitably, Dolores and Michael fall in love, leading to the equally inevitable complications -- and a surprising conclusion. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
