Prince of Foxes (1949)

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

Milton Krims (screenplay)
Samuel Shellabarger (novel)

Release Date:

23 December 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | History

Plot:

An unscrupulous agent for the Borgias suffers a change of heart when asked to betray a noble count and his much younger, very beautiful wife.

Plot Keywords:

Borgia | Nobility | Assassination | Renaissance | Swashbuckler

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Andrea Orsini
Orson Welles	...	Cesare Borgia
Wanda Hendrix	...	Camilla Verano
Marina Berti	...	Angela Borgia
Everett Sloane	...	Mario Belli
Katina Paxinou	...	Mona Constanza Zoppo
Felix Aylmer	...	Count Marc Antonio Verano
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Adriano Ambrogi	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Alan Asherman	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Leslie Bradley	...	Don Esteban (uncredited)
Eva Brauer	...	Fabio (uncredited)
James Carney	...	Alphonso D'Este (uncredited)
Eduardo Ciannelli	...	Art Dealer (uncredited)
Franco Corsaro	...	Mattia (uncredited)
Eugene Deckers	...	Borgia Henchman (uncredited)
Ludmilla Dudarova	...	Vittoria (uncredited)
Giuseppe Faeti	...	Priest (uncredited)
Kenneth Lang	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Albert Latasha	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Rena Lennart	...	Lady in Waiting (uncredited)
Antonella Lualdi	...	(uncredited)
Njntsky	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Alex Serberoli	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Clinton Sundeen	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Joop van Hulzen	...	Duke Ercole D'Este (uncredited)
Ves Vanghielova	...	Tonia (uncredited)
Ariadna Welter	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Henry King

Writing credits
Milton Krims		(screenplay)
Samuel Shellabarger		(novel)

Produced by
Sol C. Siegel	....	producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Leon Shamroy		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Barbara McLean

Art Direction by
Mark-Lee Kirk
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Elso Valentini		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Vittorio Nino Novarese

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert D. Webb	....	second unit director
Joseph C. Behm	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Italo Tomassi	....	construction (uncredited)

Sound Department
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)
Charles Hisserich	....	sound (as Charles Hesserick)

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Lyman Hallowell	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestral arranger (as Edward Powell)

Other crew
Teresa Brachetto	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Enzo Musumeci Greco	....	master of arms (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Netherlands Fox Film Corporation (1950) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Samuel Shellabarger's Prince of Foxes" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

107 min | West Germany:114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:Approved (certificate #13728) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Netherlands:18 (slightly cut) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Chapel of Palazzo Pubblico, Siena, Tuscany, Italy

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the battle sequence the exact same ground level shot of hot oil being poured on soldiers scaling a siege ladder is repeated only seconds later.

Quotes:

Cesare Borgia:It is my belief that everything, even death, can be turned into profit.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dancing in the Dark (1949)

The King of Fox as the Prince of Foxes

Despite a comment that Darryl F. Zanuck refused Tyrone Power's pleas to make "Prince of Foxes" in color because he was angry with his star, this is not true. The film was probably made with Italian funds that the studio couldn't get out of the country, and there just wasn't enough money to do this richly-produced film in color. Zanuck was too much of a businessman to let anger ruin a good opportunity. And why would he have been angry? Power was doing another swashbuckler like the big man ordered, wasn't he?

Despite not being in color, "Prince of Foxes" is a glorious-looking film, made on location in Italy. It's based on the Shellabarger novel about Andrea Orsini, a peasant with a fake royal name, who is sent by Cesare Borgia to infiltrate the court of Count Verrano, seduce his wife, and get rid of him so that Borgia's troops can take over his province. Orsini, however, double-crosses his boss.

The acting is marvelous - Tyrone Power is wonderful as the turncoat Orsini, and manages to hold his own against the flashier roles of Cesare Borgia (Orson Welles) and Belli (Everett Sloane). Though I doubt that Welles was terribly into his part, as usual he's excellent. When doing a role strictly for money, he had the habit of arching his eyebrow and intoning that glorious voice to make the audience believe he was doing something. It's only when one sees him as Citizen Kane or in a film like "Tomorrow is Forever" that one realizes these later supporting roles are phoned in. But who better to make the call than master technician Welles. Sloane does a fantastic job as a man who just can't stay loyal to one side and pulls one of the film's big surprises. The part is cut down from the book, which is a pity.

The music, the scenery - amazing. The great halls are like nothing you've ever seen. For once, Tyrone Power has competition for beauty! By the time of Prince of Foxes, he was totally sick of these roles, but he had a few years left before Zanuck turned him loose. It's said that he was too old to be a swashbuckler by 1949 - he was 35, which today is nothing, though he often had to play parts that were intended for someone 10 or even 15 years younger. As a result, he sometimes looked tired out. But not here. Perhaps this film was more tolerable for him because of his impending marriage to Linda Christian, his second wife. In any event, he comes off very well.

One thing I never understood is why Zanuck insisted on casting the post-war Power opposite these vapid starlets - Wanda Hendrix in this, Cecile Aubry in "The Black Rose," Jean Peters in "Captain from Castile" etc. - of these, the only "find" was the wonderful Peters. Hendrix is okay in "Prince of Foxes" but that's about it. The role called for a little more depth than she was able to give.

All in all, beautiful to watch, an intriguing story, excellent acting. Recommended, and, by the way, soon to be released in DVD as part of the Tyrone Power Collection.