In 1937, Selznick Pictures scored a big hit with "The Prisoner of Zenda" (with Ronald Colman) and the film is still a delight to watch. Apparently, Warner Brothers thought parodying the picture in this musical short would be a good idea.
The film begins with a guy (Hal Le Roy) arriving in the kingdom to play at the King's ball. It just so happens that the King and the musician look identical...and soon the musician is drafted to pose as the King after he's abducted. Soon, however, some realize this guy CANNOT be the real King because he's not a jerk!
Hal Le Roy was never a big star but appeared in quite a few pleasant shorts. He often sang and danced in them. I think he never went further because, sadly, he was a gangly looking guy who just didn't have the Hollywood look. On hand for support was a complete unknown at the time...a young June Allyson in one of her earliest roles.
So is this any good? Well, the singing and dancing are nice, though I thought they should have infused more comedy into the film...though there are a few funny moments. Overall, a pleasant films...but by all means DON'T skip the 1937 movie...it's amazing.