The Prince and the Pauper (1937)

A poor boy named Tom Canty and the Prince of Wales exchange identities but events force the pair to experience each other's lives as well.

Directors:

William Keighley, William Dieterle (uncredited)

Writers:

Mark Twain (novel), Laird Doyle (screenplay)

Stars:

Errol Flynn, Claude Rains, Henry Stephenson

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Errol Flynn	...	Miles Hendon
Claude Rains	...	Earl of Hertford
Henry Stephenson	...	Duke of Norfolk
Barton MacLane	...	John Canty
Billy Mauch	...	Tom Canty (as The Mauch Twins)
Robert J. Mauch	...	Prince Edward (as The Mauch Twins)
Alan Hale	...	Captain of the Guard
Eric Portman	...	First Lord
Lionel Pape	...	Second Lord
Leonard Willey	...	Third Lord
Murray Kinnell	...	Hugo
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Archbishop
Phyllis Barry	...	Barmaid
Ivan F. Simpson	...	Clemens (as Ivan Simpson)
Montagu Love	...	Henry VIII

Storyline

On the same day two boys are born: the pauper Tom and prince Edward. As a kid, Tom sneaks into the palace garden and meets the prince. They change clothes with each other but the guards discover them and throw out the prince, since they are almost identical. Nobody believe them when they try to tell the truth. Soon after, the old king dies and the prince will inherit the throne. The evil earl of Hertford attempts to murder the prince to gain power for himself.

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Plot Keywords:

king henry viii | identity swap | based on novel | biscuit | murder of a priest | 

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Taglines:

Mark Twain's Immortal Classic !

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

William Dieterle filled in as director when William Keighley got the flu. Similarly, cinematographer George Barnes took over as director of photography when Sol Polito fell ill.

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Goofs

The coat of arms that appears at the title sequence shows two dragons holding the shield. It should instead be the lion of England at the dexter side (at the right side of the person carrying it) and the Dragon of Wales at the sinister (the left side of the person carrying it), the coat of arms used by Henry VIII (who reigned from 1509 to 1547) in the latter part of his reign.

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Quotes

Prince Edward Tudor: Who are you, fellow?
Miles Hendon: Miles Hendon, Your Majesty.
Prince Edward Tudor: Your name is not familiar. What is your trade?
Miles Hendon: Soldiering, sire.
Prince Edward Tudor: In my service?
Miles Hendon: In the service of anyone who can afford enemies.
Prince Edward Tudor: Soldier of fortune. Strange profession.
Miles Hendon: Well, of the three of them for a gentleman without means I think it's the most amusing. Cheating at cards means associating with dull people. Preaching the gospel means wearing one of those funny hats.

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Crazy Credits

This is not a history, but a tale of once upon a time. It may have happened. It may not have happened. But it could have happened.

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Alternate Versions

An advanced search on the British Board of Film Classification site www.bbfc.co.uk for 'The Prince and the Pauper' lists three times that the 1937 movie was submitted. On 29 Apr 1937 a version on film with 121m 44s run-time submitted for classification by Warner Bros Pictures Ltd was classified U with no cuts. On 17 Apr 2009 a video version (probably on DVD) with 117m 30s run-time submitted for classification by Orbit Media Ltd was classified U with no cuts.

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Connections

Version of The Prince and the Pauper (1915)

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Soundtracks

The Roost Song
(uncredited)
Written by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and M.K. Jerome

User Reviews

Great Fun

Excellent adaptation of Mark Twain's story about a young prince and a lookalike beggar boy who trade places. The duo are played by real-life twins Billy and Bobby Mauch. They're both very good. Despite receiving top billing, it's nearly an hour in before Errol Flynn shows up. He's lots of fun as you might expect. Claude Rains is great as the villainous Earl of Hertford. He doesn't really get to have scenes with Flynn, however. Fine WB supporting cast includes Alan Hale, Barton MacLane, Henry Stephenson, and Halliwell Hobbes. Spirited, fun adventure story. Despite the length, it never drags. Nice music score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Definitely worth checking out.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 May 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Prince and the Pauper

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$858,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

First National Pictures, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1