The Prisoner of Zenda (1979)

Director:

Richard Quine

Writers:

Anthony Hope (novel)
Dick Clement (writer) ...

Release Date:

17 August 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy

Plot:

Anthony Hope's classic tale gets a decidedly 'un-classic' treatment at the hands of Peter Sellers. Following the story somewhat...

Plot Keywords:

Impersonation | Impostor | Substitution | Based On Novel

Cast

Peter Sellers	...	Rudolf IV / Rudolf V / Syd Frewin
Lynne Frederick	...	Princess Flavia
Lionel Jeffries	...	General Sapt
Elke Sommer	...	The Countess
Gregory Sierra	...	The Count
Jeremy Kemp	...	Duke Michael
Catherine Schell	...	Antoinette
Simon Williams	...	Fritz
Stuart Wilson	...	Rupert of Hentzau
Norman Rossington	...	Bruno
John Laurie	...	Archbishop
Graham Stark	...	Erik
Michael Balfour	...	Luger
Arthur Howard	...	Deacon
Ian Abercrombie	...	Johann

Runtime:

108 min | Canada:93 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-12 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios Theme Park, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

John Cleese signed on after EMI pulled out of Life of Brian (1979) and it looked like the film would be canceled.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

Not as bad as some people say - but should have been tons better!

This is a very lavish looking, picturesque romp that should have been a sure fire hit. "Porridge" scriptwriters Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais were the men responsible for turning the classic Anthony Hope into a comedy, which shouldn't have been too difficult bearing in mind the ridiculous scenario linked to the main story. However, this scenario is all they went for, and any characterisation or satirical touches are abandoned and a lot of cartoonish setups such as Gregory Sierra's role and also other segments such as the explosive bowls game and the early scene in the restaurant replace any serious comedy. Therefore, in his dwindling health and sorrowful state, Sellers looks a bit out of place amongst the diving into the water routines and the jumping of a tall castle stints. It is very similar to his Fu Manchu experience two years later (when he also played two roles) in that he's still putting the work in but to little effect. The film is a reminder of his earlier years and really backfires as a poor man's Pink Panther. However, he still proves that he can act (which is a lot more than most actors these days) despite the poor material and backed by a host of regular artists such as Catherine Schell, Elke Sommer (both stars of Pink Pantherfs), Graham Stark, John Laurie, Jeremy Kemp (who had starred in Sellers' The Blockhouse in 1972) - it should have been better considering the quality of Sellers' other films at the time, but it does fall very flat.