One necessarily attends with some misgivings a musical comedy whose scenes are located in imaginary realms of the nether Balkans. One needs only a short time at "The Duchess of Chicago" at the Shubert to realize that those misgivings were justified. The inevitable unrecognized prince is there; so are the dulcet-voiced prime minister and the financial adviser with a foreign accent. The plot (devised in Europe), evidently an outgrowth of the violent anti-Shylock days, is based on the poverty of the prince and the exuitant power of American money in buying his palace and its traditions. Into this not over-inspired fabric are worked comedy dialogue that is not funny and serious scenes that reek with sentimentality. Not that this last is inappropriate or even undesirable in a musical comedy, but the constant harping upon the theme of European tradition versus American vulgarity arouses one's latent chauvinism. The humorous possibilities of Solly Ward's malapropian speeches are done to death on his first appearance.

There are some bright spots that might have contrived, with a passable book, to make a good show. Emmerich Kalman's music, alternating suave romantic themes with reputedly Chicagoan jazz, is generally of high quality, though it lacks any real hits. "Look in my Eyes" and "Hands across the Sea" come closest to that category.