The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

An Englishman on a Ruritarian holiday must impersonate the king when the rightful monarch, a distant cousin, is drugged and kidnapped.

Director:

John Cromwell

Writers:

Anthony Hope (celebrated novel), John L. Balderston (screen play),

Stars:

Ronald Colman, Madeleine Carroll, C. Aubrey Smith

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ronald Colman	...	Major Rudolf Rassendyll / The Prisoner of Zenda
Madeleine Carroll	...	Princess Flavia
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Colonel Zapt
Raymond Massey	...	Black Michael
Mary Astor	...	Antoinette de Mauban
David Niven	...	Fritz von Tarlenheim
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.	...	Rupert of Hentzau
Montagu Love	...	Detchard
Philip Sleeman	...	Albert von Lauengram
Eleanor Wesselhoeft	...	Frau Holf - Cook
Florence Roberts	...	Duenna (scenes deleted)
Torben Meyer	...	Max - Butler
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arthur Byron	...	(scenes deleted)
Sally Conlin
Francis Ford	...	(scenes deleted)

Storyline

This is a classic swashbuckler. Rudolph Rassendyll, Rudolf V's identical distant cousin, is asked to risk his life and impersonate the would-be king when his relative is kidnapped before his impending coronation. If Rudolf V isn't present at the ceremony, he will forfeit the crown to his younger brother. Complications ensue when Princess Flavia, the cousin's betrothed, begins to notice a "personality change" in her fiancé.

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Plot Keywords:

king | princess | swashbuckler | coronation | dungeon | 

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Taglines:

Romance and adventure to thrill you!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 September 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Gefangene von Zenda

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Selznick International Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Fay Wray screen-tested for the role of Princess Flavia. Color footage of this - apparently Douglas Fairbanks Jr.'s home movies - survives in the Motion Picture Academy's archive.

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Goofs

Princess Flavia gives Rassendyll a red rose in the garden. As it lies on a book a little while later, it is white.

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Quotes

King: Well, what are you doing here, cousin?
Rudolph Rassendyll: I must admit, Sire, that I may have been guilty of somewhat the same offense as our mutual ancestor.
King: Such as what?
Rudolph Rassendyll: Fishing in forbidden waters.

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Connections

Version of The DuPont Show of the Month: The Prisoner of Zenda (1961)

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Soundtracks

"Artist's Life, Op.316"
(1867) (uncredited)
Written by Johann Strauß
Played at the ball
Danced to by Ronald Colman and Madeleine Carroll

User Reviews

A classic with class

If anyone wants to see an excellent movie made before the banner cinematic year of 1939, this would be a film to watch. It could hardly have gone wrong, with David O. Selznick as producer and John Cromwell as director. And a superlative cast of popular stalwarts, mostly from Hollywood's British colony. Ronald Colman is his usual smooth and accomplished self in a dual role, King Rupert (of some fictitious country) and look-alike Englishman Rudolph Rassendyll, very distant cousins. The scenes in which he faces himself onscreen – called `trick photography' then – are remarkable for the period. Lovely Madeleine Carroll plays a princess, betrothed to the king. Her equal in elegance and beauty wasn't seen on the screen again until Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews. Many critics have praised Douglas Fairbanks, jr, as a likeable rogue. He's very good, in an easy role. My applause goes to the two stars. The film is a glamorous combination of romance, spectacle and adventure. Don't even dream of realism; there was too much realism in ordinary life during most of the Thirties. This is a grand escape to a time and place that never were. If I had to pick a favorite scene in the film, it would be the famous entrance of Colman and Carroll into the coronation ball. The shot opens on the couple, walking fast, arm in arm, directly toward us. The camera pulls back and back and BACK until the grand staircase of the palace and the entire ballroom, filled with people, are revealed. Visually and technically, this single fluid shot is a stunning achievement. It shows us the creative work that could be done at the time, by hugely talented artists, long before the advent of zoom lenses and computer graphics. Elegance and class are not hallmarks of most current movies. `The Prisoner of Zenda' (1937) is a stylish and very satisfying example – a symbol, perhaps – of what escapist entertainment can be. And of what it could and should be, now and then, even today.