The Prince and the Pauper (1990)

A poor boy and a prince exchange identities and lives while the villainous Captain of the Guard plots to take advantage of this.

Director:

George Scribner

Writers:

Gerrit Graham (animation screenplay), Sam Graham (animation screenplay),

Stars:

Wayne Allwine, Bill Farmer, Arthur Burghardt

Cast

Cast overview:
Wayne Allwine	...	Mickey Mouse / Prince (voice)
Bill Farmer	...	Goofy / Horace Horsecollar / Weasel #1 / Pluto (voice)
Arthur Burghardt	...	Captain Pete (voice)
Tony Anselmo	...	Donald Duck (voice)
Charles Adler	...	Weasel #2 / Weasel #3 / Pig Driver / Peasant / Man in Street (voice) (as Charlie Adler)
Frank Welker	...	Archbishop / Dying King (voice)
Elvia Allman	...	Clarabelle Cow (voice)
Trevor Eyster	...	Kid #1 (voice) (as Tim Eyster)
Rocky Krakoff	...	Kid #2 (voice)
Roy Dotrice	...	Narrator (voice)

Storyline

Long ago in a land with an ailing king, there was a pair of boys who looked exactly alike, a pauper called Mickey and the other, the Crown Prince. Mickey dreamed of plenty and an easy life as Royalty and the Prince dreamed of the freedom as a subject. Happenstance throws them together and their mutual resemblence inspires the pair to switch identities to see how the other lives. To their surprise, Mickey learns of the duties and responsibilties of royalty while the Prince learns to his horror that the Royal Captain of the Guard has taken advantage of the existing power vacuum to inflict brutal tyranny on the subjects. Now the Prince must react to this evil, unaware that the Captain knows about the identity swap and is using it to his own advantage while dominating Mickey who play the Heir to the Throne.

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Plot Keywords:

identity swap | cartoon bird | cartoon mouse | sword fight | swashbuckler | 

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Genres:

Animation | Family | Comedy | Short

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mickey's the Prince and the Pauper

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Goofy's polka-dotted underpants are impaled upon the guard's spear, you can see that they have the word "MOM" printed on the backside. Now that this film is on DVD (The Walt Disney Treasures Collection: Mickey Mouse in Living Color Volume 2), it can easily be slowed down and seen.

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Goofs

The writing on the board in the first scenes with the prince changes between long shots and close-ups.

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Connections

Version of Novela: El príncipe y el mendigo (1966)

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Soundtracks

"I'm Henry VIII, I Am"
Written by Fred Murray and R.P. Weston

User Reviews

A wonderfully condensed adoption of a classic.

Maybe this film is not the best that Disney's has produced, but it has many merits of its own. For one thing, the artists have managed to have at least have an element of the satire of the Twain book as with the Prince's lesson about the only two lines you need to learn as a king.

Furthermore, while the humour is excellent, the film allows for at least a few moments of legitimate drama. Nowhere is this more evident than when the Prince learns that his father has died. You see Mickey in mourning and then soulfully rise to his new responsibility as the true heir to the throne who must end the tyranny he has seen among his people. It's an inspiring moment to see the boy realize the weight of his duties and face them with a new maturity.

This film is a stellar effort from Disney's second golden age.