the Countess on either side

[Vik-Nik-Sor]

Hello.

As she [Princess Ann] sits back into the chair with the Ambassador and the Countess on either side her dress pulls back, revealing the shoe.

from the script to 'Roman Holiday'

There are two Countesses there, as you would see in the movie, and from this quote ("on either side") and both Countesses sit down into the chairs simultaneously.
Why is the singular of 'Countess' used?

 

[MikeNewYork]

There was only one Countess on each side. My problem is with the word "the". It seems to me that it should be "a".

 

[Vik-Nik-Sor]

There was only one Countess on each side. My problem is with the word "the". It seems to me that it should be "a".

So, to say "with the Ambassador and the Countesses on either side" would be wrong?

It talks about specific countesses, those who are on either side of Ann... Why should it be "a"?

 

[MikeNewYork]

I think it would work in the plural, but I think the singular is better. In the singular it needs to be "a" because a specific Countess can only be on one side. "A Countess" would be one of the two.

 

[JMurray]

not a teacher

As she [Princess Ann] sits back into the chair with the Ambassador and the Countess on either side, her dress pulls back, revealing the shoe.

This is a little confusing. When I first read this sentence I assumed there was an Ambassador and a single Countess, and that they sat on either side of the Princess. Indeed, the script for Roman Holiday at this website only mentions the Ambassador, a single Countess (Countess Vereberg), a General and "others".

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~xz26/pages/personalworld/movieline/romanholidays.htm

Yet you say that there are two Countesses in the scene. Perhaps the film was not shot strictly according to the script in this case.

 

[MikeNewYork]

If that is the case, the Ambassador was on one side and the Countess was on the other side. That is what the original sentence seemed to be saying.

 

[Vik-Nik-Sor]

not a teacher

As she [Princess Ann] sits back into the chair with the Ambassador and the Countess on either side, her dress pulls back, revealing the shoe.

This is a little confusing. When I first read this sentence I assumed there was an Ambassador and a single Countess, and that they sat on either side of the Princess. Indeed, the script for Roman Holiday at this website only mentions the Ambassador, a single Countess (Countess Vereberg), a General and "others".

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~xz26/pages/personalworld/movieline/romanholidays.htm

Yet you say that there are two Countesses in the scene. Perhaps the film was not shot strictly according to the script in this case.

On one side of Ann is the Ambassador and a woman, on the other side - another woman. All three are sitting down simultaneously. I thought both women are Countesses.:-?

 

[Tdol]

If that is the case, the Ambassador was on one side and the Countess was on the other side. That is what the original sentence seemed to be saying.

I think the original sentence is badly phrased. I took it to mean one countess, but would not have used either side.