The Prince and the Pauper (1937)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

William Keighley
(more)

Writers:

Mark Twain (novel)
Laird Doyle (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

8 May 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

Mark Twain's Immortal Classic !

Plot:

Two lookalike boys, one a poor street kid and the other a prince, exchange places to see what the other's life is like.

Plot Keywords:

Guard | Ward | Slum | Attempted Murder | Thief

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Miles Hendon
Claude Rains	...	Earl of Hertford
Henry Stephenson	...	Duke of Norfolk
Barton MacLane	...	John Canty
Billy Mauch	...	Tom Canty (as The Mauch Twins)
Robert J. Mauch	...	Prince Edward (as The Mauch Twins)
Alan Hale	...	Captain of the Guard
Eric Portman	...	First Lord
Lionel Pape	...	Second Lord
Leonard Willey	...	Third Lord
Murray Kinnell	...	Hugo
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Archbishop
Phyllis Barry	...	Barmaid
Ivan F. Simpson	...	Clemens (as Ivan Simpson)
Montagu Love	...	Henry VIII
Fritz Leiber	...	Father Andrew
Elspeth Dudgeon	...	Grandmother Canty
Mary Field	...	Mrs. Canty
Forrester Harvey	...	Meaty Man
Joan Valerie	...	Lady Jane Seymour (as Helen Valkis)
Lester Matthews	...	St. John
Robert Adair	...	First Guard
Harry Cording	...	Second Guard
Robert Warwick	...	Lord Warwick
Rex Evans	...	Rich Man
Holmes Herbert	...	First Doctor
Ian Maclaren	...	Second Doctor (as Ian MacLaren)
Anne Howard	...	Lady Jane Grey (as Ann Howard)
Gwendolyn Jones	...	Lady Elizabeth
Lionel Braham	...	Ruffler
Harry Beresford	...	The Watch
Lionel Belmore	...	Innkeeper
Ian Wolfe	...	Proprietor (as Ian Wolf)
St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choristers	...	Choir (as St. Luke's Choristers)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jimmy Aubrey	...	Tramp (uncredited)
Frank Baker	...	Man at inn (uncredited)
Daisy Belmore	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Wilson Benge	...	Man at inn (uncredited)
Frank Benson	...	Beggar (uncredited)
Jack Best	...	(uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Tinker (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey	...	Man in window (uncredited)
Peter Bronte	...	Man at inn (uncredited)
George Broughton	...	Man at inn (uncredited)
George Bunny	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Rita Carlyle	...	(uncredited)
Charles Coleman	...	Watchman (uncredited)
Edward Cooper	...	Presbyter (uncredited)
Robert Cory	...	(uncredited)
Kay Deslys	...	(uncredited)
Larry Dods	...	Horseman (uncredited)
Harry Duff	...	Urchin (uncredited)
Fred Ellis	...	Urchin (uncredited)
Peter Ellis	...	Urchin (uncredited)
Harold Entwistle	...	Old man (uncredited)
Leslie Francis	...	Man at inn (uncredited)
Douglas Gordon	...	(uncredited)
Hubert F. Greenwood	...	Archbishop (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Beggar (uncredited)
Edward Harvey	...	Lord (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	Watchman #1 (uncredited)
Noel Kennedy	...	Urchin #1 (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Watchman #2 (uncredited)
George Kirby	...	Proprietor of inn (uncredited)
Raymond Lawrence	...	Lord (uncredited)
Connie Leon	...	(uncredited)
Billy Maguire	...	Urchin #2 (uncredited)
Charles McNaughton	...	Ugly man (uncredited)
Doreen Munroe	...	(uncredited)
Ottola Nesmith	...	Lady in Waiting (uncredited)
Mrs. Wilfrid North	...	Lady in Waiting (uncredited)
Elsie Prescott	...	Woman in window (uncredited)
Jack Richardson	...	Beggar (uncredited)
Tom Ricketts	...	Sexton ringing bell (uncredited)
Clifford Severn	...	Urchin #3 (uncredited)
Yorke Sherwood	...	Innkeeper (uncredited)
Charlie Simpson	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Eric Snowden	...	Cockney (uncredited)
John Graham Spacey	...	Petty Officer (uncredited)
Ernie Stanton	...	Guard (uncredited)
Will Stanton	...	Man in crowd (uncredited)
Spencer Teakle	...	Man at inn (uncredited)
Lotus Thompson	...	Lady in Waiting (uncredited)
Cyril Thornton	...	Man at inn (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Jester (uncredited)
Tom Wilson	...	One-eyed beggar (uncredited)
Claude Wisberg	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
William Keighley
William Dieterle		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Mark Twain		(novel "The Prince and the Pauper")
Laird Doyle		(screenplay)
Catherine Chisholm Cushing		(dramatic version)

Produced by
Robert Lord	....	associate producer (uncredited)
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Erich Wolfgang Korngold

Cinematography by
Sol Polito		(photography by)
George Barnes		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Ralph Dawson

Art Direction by
Robert M. Haas		(as Robert Haas)

Costume Design by
Milo Anderson		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chuck Hansen	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Oliver S. Garretson	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
James Gibbons	....	special effects (uncredited)
Willard Van Enger	....	special effects (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Milan Roder	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• First National Pictures
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1937) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)
• Warner Bros. First National Films (1938) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (193?) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Turner Home Video (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Western Costume Company  costumes (uncredited)

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Vitaphone

Certification:

West Germany:12 | Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #2932) | Australia:G

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

MGM bought the rights to Mark Twain's novel in 1935 for $100,000, but never filmed the story. Eventually, Warner Bros. secured the rights.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the boys exchange roles, as the Prince (as Tom) goes out to get his dog at the stable he picks up a large candle, but when he comes out the door he no longer has it.

Quotes:

[Miles sits down to share the supper]
Prince Edward Tudor: Would you sit in the presence of your king?
Miles Hendon: Now, see here, my lad!
Prince Edward Tudor: I will no longer tolerate your manner.
Miles Hendon: [humoring him] I ask your pardon, your majesty, but after that chase we led them it would be good to sit down.
Prince Edward Tudor: Perhaps.
[Miles sits]
Prince Edward Tudor: No! Custom must be preserved - you will stand.
[Miles stands and then leans against the wall, getting annoyed as the prince finishes the supper]
Prince Edward Tudor: I was very hungry. Feel better now.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Monkees: The Prince and the Paupers (#1.21)" (1967)

Good wholesome, adventurous fun for all ages!

Mark Twain's classic tale of a pair of look-alike boys in 16th century England is given the glossy Hollywood treatment in this very entertaining effort. Billy and Bobby Mauch, 12 year old twin brothers, star, one as the heir to the throne of England and the other as a street urchin. By accident, each is mistaken for the other and when the king dies, the pauper may be crowned instead of the rightful prince. Claude Rains is his usual steady self as the traitorous wretch who realizes his chance to seize power with the pauper in charge. Errol Flynn may be billed as the star, but he does not appear until halfway through the film. He becomes the prince's protector. Of course, he does not know that the young beggar is the prince. Flynn is good as always in this fun filled film.