The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 film)

The Prisoner of Zenda
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John Cromwell W. S. Van Dyke (uncredited)
Written by	Wells Root (adaptation) Donald Ogden Stewart (additional dialogue) Ben Hecht (uncredited) Sidney Howard (uncredited)
Screenplay by	John L. Balderston from the novel (and Edward Rose's dramatization)
Based on	The Prisoner of Zenda 1894 novel by Anthony Hope
Produced by	David O. Selznick
Starring	Ronald Colman Madeleine Carroll Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Cinematography	James Wong Howe Bert Glennon (uncredited)
Edited by	James E. Newcom Hal C. Kern (supervising film editor)
Music by	Alfred Newman
Production company	Selznick International Pictures
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	September 2, 1937 (1937-09-02)
Running time	101 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1,250,000 [1]
Box office	$2.5 million (U.S. and Canada rentals) [2]

The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1937 American black-and-white adventure film based on Anthony Hope's 1894 novel and the 1896 play. A lookalike has to step in when his royal distant relative is kidnapped to prevent his coronation. This version is widely considered the best of the many film adaptations of the novel and play.

Contents

• Plot
• Cast
• Production
• Reception
• Legacy
• In popular culture
• References
• External links

The film stars Ronald Colman, Madeleine Carroll and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., with a supporting cast including C. Aubrey Smith, Raymond Massey, Mary Astor and David Niven. It was directed by John Cromwell, produced by David O. Selznick for Selznick International Pictures and distributed by United Artists. The screenplay was written by John L. Balderston, adapted by Wells Root from the novel, with dramatization by Edward Rose; Donald Ogden Stewart was responsible for additional dialogue and Ben Hecht and Sidney Howard made uncredited contributions.

Alfred Newman received the first of his 43 Academy Award nominations, for Original Music Score, while Lyle R. Wheeler was nominated for Best Art Direction. In 1991, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in its National Film Registry.

Plot

In June 1897, English gentleman Rudolf Rassendyll (Colman) takes a fishing vacation in a small country somewhere between Vienna and Bucharest (unnamed in the film; Ruritania in the novel). He is puzzled by the odd reactions of the natives to him. Rassendyll discovers why when he meets Colonel Zapt and Captain Fritz von Tarlenheim. Zapt introduces him to the soon-to-be-crowned king, Rudolph V (Colman again), a distant relative who looks just like him (except for the Englishman's beard). This was possibly due to acquaintance between the king’s great-great-great-grandfather and Rassendyll’s great-great-great-grandmother. The king, astounded and amused by the close resemblance, takes a great liking to the Englishman.

They celebrate their acquaintance by drinking late into the night. Rudolph is particularly delighted with the bottle of wine sent to him by his half-brother, Duke Michael, so much so that he drinks it all himself. The next morning brings a disastrous discovery: the wine was drugged. Rudolph cannot be awakened, and if he cannot attend his coronation that day, Michael will try to usurp the throne. Michael is bitterly jealous that he, though older than Rudolph, is not the heir to the throne because his mother was not of royal blood (which had made her unacceptable with court circles). Zapt convinces a reluctant Rassendyll to impersonate Rudolf for the ceremony.

With the coronation accomplished, Rassendyll returns to resume his real identity, only to find the king has been abducted by Rupert of Hentzau, Michael's chief henchman. Rassendyll is forced to continue the impersonation while Zapt searches for Rudolph; however, Michael cannot denounce the masquerade without incriminating himself or even allow Rudolph to be killed while Rassendyll carries on the deception.

Rassendyll meets Rudolph's betrothed, Princess Flavia, at the coronation and becomes enamored of her. She had always detested her cousin Rudolph, but now finds him greatly changed, very much for the better in her opinion. After spending time together, they fall in love.

Help finding the king's whereabouts comes from an unexpected quarter. In order for Michael to secure his claim to the throne, he must marry his cousin Flavia. Antoinette de Mauban, Michael's French mistress, does not want this and promises to help rescue the king in exchange for Michael's life. She tells Rassendyll that Rudolf is being held in Michael's castle near Zenda. Since the king would be executed at the first sign of a rescue attempt, Antoinette insists that one man must swim across the moat and hold off his would-be assassins until loyal troops storm the castle. Rassendyll decides that he is that man, over Zapt's strenuous objections.

Their plans go awry when Michael discovers Rupert trying to seduce his mistress. In the ensuing struggle, Rupert stabs Michael to death. A heartbroken Antoinette blurts out enough to alert Rupert to his danger. Rassendyll kills two guards, but must fight a prolonged duel with Rupert, while at the same time attempting to cut a rope to lower the drawbridge for Zapt and his men. When he finally succeeds, Rupert flees.

With King Rudolph restored to his throne, Rassendyll tries to persuade Flavia to leave with him. Both confess their love for each other, but her devotion to duty is too great, and their parting is bittersweet. Later, Zapt and von Tarlenheim escort Rassendyll as far as the border where they exchange their farewells and congratulations. As Rassendyll was to ride off, Zapt complements him as the finest Elphberg of them all.

Cast

• Ronald Colman as Major Rassendyll and the "Prisoner of Zenda" (King Rudolf V)
• Madeleine Carroll as Princess Flavia
• Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as Rupert of Hentzau
• C. Aubrey Smith as Colonel Zapt
• Raymond Massey as Duke Michael
• Mary Astor as Antoinette de Mauban
• David Niven as Captain Fritz von Tarlenheim

Unbilled:

• Montagu Love as Detchard, one of Michael's henchmen
• William von Brincken as Kraftstein
• Florence Roberts as Duenna
• Torben Meyer as Max, the butler
• Lawrence Grant as Marshal Strakencz
• Ralph Faulkner as Bersonin
• Byron Foulger as Master Johann
• Howard Lang as Josef, a murdered servant
• Alexander D'Arcy as De Gautet
• Boyd Irwin as Master of ceremonies
• Emmett King as Lord High Chamberlain
• Al Shean as Orchestra leader
• Charles Halton as Customs official who checks Rassendyll's passport
• Spencer Charters as Porter
• Henry Roquemore as Station master
• Lillian Harmer as Station attendant

Production

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. initially wanted to play Rudolf, but when the role went to Colman, his father, Douglas Fairbanks, told him "not only is The Prisoner of Zenda one of the best romances written in a hundred years and always a success, but Rupert of Hentzau is probably one of the best villains ever written". ^[3]

When the play opened in London in January 1896, C. Aubrey Smith played the dual lead roles. Massey asked Smith for advice and was told, "My dear Ray, in my time I have played every part in The Prisoner of Zenda except Princess Flavia. And I always had trouble with Black Michael!" ^[3]

The orchestra conductor who is forced to cease and resume conducting the Künstlerleben Walzer by Strauss every time the royal couple stop and start waltzing was played by Al Shean, uncle of the Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo) as well as half the earlier comedy team Gallagher and Shean.

Former Prince of Sweden Sigvard Bernadotte was working in Hollywood at the time and was credited as a technical advisor.

This production was "one of the last great gatherings of the Hollywood English" before World War II. ^[4] Selznick was partly inspired to take on the project because of the abdication of Edward VIII, and exploited this angle in his marketing of the film. ^[4]

It was considered a difficult shoot. ^[4] Director John Cromwell was unhappy with his male leads, as he suspected that Colman did not know his lines, and was concerned about Fairbanks' and Niven's late nights on the town. George Cukor directed a few scenes of the film when Cromwell grew frustrated with his actors, especially Madeline Carroll over the scene dealing with the renunciation. Woody Van Dyke was brought in to re-shoot some of the fencing scenes. ^{[5] [6]}

A prologue and an epilogue were shot, but never used. The prologue has an elderly Rassendyll recounting his adventures in his club. In the epilogue, he receives a letter from von Tarlenheim and a rose, informing him that Flavia has died. ^[7]

Reception

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Leslie Halliwell ranks it at #590 on his list of best films, saying that the "splendid schoolboy adventure story" of the late Victorian novel is "perfectly transferred to the screen", ^[8] and quotes a 1971 comment by John Cutts that the film becomes more "fascinating and beguiling" as time goes by. Halliwell's Film Guide 2008 calls it "one of the most entertaining films to come out of Hollywood". ^[9] Twelve residents of Zenda, Ontario, were flown to New York for the premiere.

The film earned a profit of $182,000. ^[1]

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 100%, with an average rating of 8.5/10, based on 10 reviews. ^[10]

Legacy

In 1947, Selznick announced he would make a sequel based on a play adaptation of Rupert of Hentzau , starring Joseph Cotten as King Rudolph/Rudolph, Louis Jourdan and Alida Valli. ^[11] The film was never made.

Colman, Smith and Fairbanks reprised their roles for a 1939 episode of Lux Radio Theatre , with Colman's wife Benita Hume playing Princess Flavia. Hume and Colman reprised their roles as Rudolph and Flavia again in the 1949 episode of Screen Director's Playhouse .

The 1952 film of the same name is virtually a shot-by-shot remake, reusing the same shooting script, dialogue, and film score, but in Technicolor. A comparison of the two films reveals that settings and camera angles, in most cases, are the same. ^[12] Halliwell judged it "no match for the happy inspiration of the original". ^[9]

Related Research Articles

The Prisoner of Zenda is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in order for the king to retain the crown, his coronation must proceed. Fortuitously, an English gentleman on holiday in Ruritania who resembles the monarch is persuaded to act as his political decoy in an effort to save the unstable political situation of the interregnum.

A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, daring, and idealistic: he rescues damsels in distress, protects the downtrodden, and uses duels to defend his honor or that of a lady or to avenge a comrade.

Rupert of Hentzau is a sequel by Anthony Hope to The Prisoner of Zenda, written in 1895 but not published in book form until 1898.

The Heart of Princess Osra is an 1896 novel and is part of Anthony Hope's trilogy of books which spawned the genre of Ruritanian romance. This collection of linked short stories is a prequel: it was written immediately after the success of The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) and was published in 1896, but is set in the 1730s, well over a century before the events of the first novel and its sequel, Rupert of Hentzau(1898). The stories are set in the fictional country of Ruritania, a Germanic kingdom, and deal with the love life of Princess Osra of the House of Elphberg. Osra is the younger sister of Rudolf III, the shared ancestor of Rudolf Rassendyll, the English gentleman who acts as political decoy in The Prisoner of Zenda, and Rudolph V, the absolute monarch of Ruritania.

James Keteltas Hackett was an American actor and manager.

Puss in the Corner, also called Puss in Corner is a patience or solitaire card game that is played with a single pack of 52 playing cards. It is of the half-open, planner type and is a "thinly disguised variant of Sir Tommy," but with modifications and with the waste piles placed at the corners of the foundations, hence the name. It has the rare feature that the suits are built up in colour, not in suit.

The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Richard Quine that stars Peter Sellers, Lynne Frederick, Lionel Jeffries, Elke Sommer, Gregory Sierra, Jeremy Kemp, and Catherine Schell. It is adapted from the 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope. The novel tells the story of a man who has to impersonate a king, whom he closely resembles, when the king is abducted by enemies on the eve of his coronation.

The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1952 American Technicolor adventure film version of the 1894 novel of the same name by Anthony Hope and a remake of the 1937 sound version and the 1922 silent. This first color version, made by Loew's and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman. The film stars Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr, and James Mason, with Louis Calhern, Robert Douglas, Jane Greer, and Robert Coote in supporting roles.

Rupert of Hee Haw is a 1924 American silent film starring Stan Laurel and drawing on the Ruritanian romance of Rupert of Hentzau, Anthony Hope's sequel to The Prisoner of Zenda.

The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1922 American silent adventure film directed by Rex Ingram, one of the many adaptations of Anthony Hope's popular 1894 novel The Prisoner of Zenda and the subsequent 1896 play by Hope and Edward Rose.

Prisoner of Zenda is a 1988 Australian animated adventure film from Burbank Films Australia. It was originally released in 1988. The film is based on Anthony Hope's classic 1894 English novel, The Prisoner of Zenda, and was adapted by Leonard Lee. It was produced by Roz Phillips and featured original music by John Stuart. The copyright in this film is now owned by Pulse Distribution and Entertainment and administered by digital rights management firm NuTech Digital. In the UK, the distributor was Waterfall Home Entertainment.

Princess Flavia is a 1925 operetta in three acts based on Anthony Hope's novel The Prisoner of Zenda, with book and lyrics by Harry B. Smith and music by Sigmund Romberg. It is set in the fictional European country of Zenda.

Rupert of Hentzau is a 1964 British television series based on the 1898 novel Rupert of Hentzau, which ran for six half-hour episodes. It starred George Baker, Barbara Shelley, Peter Wyngarde, John Phillips, Tristram Jellinek, Sally Home and Derek Blomfield. It was recorded at the BBC Television Centre in Wood Lane, west London. All six episodes are listed as being lost.

Rupert of Hentzau is a 1915 British adventure film of the silent era. It was directed by George Loane Tucker and starred Henry Ainley, Jane Gail and Gerald Ames. It was based on the 1898 novel Rupert of Hentzau by Anthony Hope, the sequel to The Prisoner of Zenda (1894). It tells the story of the journey of an Englishmen to Ruritania in Eastern Europe where he is forced to impersonate a King to thwart the plans of a villainous aristocrat Rupert of Hentzau.

The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1913 silent film adaptation of a play by Edward E. Rice, which was in turn based on the 1894 Anthony Hope novel of the same name. It was directed by Edwin S. Porter and Hugh Ford, and starred stage actor James K. Hackett, Beatrice Beckley and David Torrence.

The London Film Company was a British film production company active during the silent era. Founded in 1913, the company emerged as one of the dominant forces in production during the First World War. With strong financial backing the company constructed the Twickenham Studios, then the largest in Britain, and began production of features, which were then displacing short films as the dominant form. Two of the company's key early directors were Americans: Harold Shaw and George Loane Tucker. Later, British director Maurice Elvey made a number of films for the studio.

The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1915 British silent adventure film directed by George Loane Tucker and starring Henry Ainley, Jane Gail and Gerald Ames. Shot at Twickenham Studios, it is an adaptation of 1894 novel The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope. A film based on the 1898 sequel Rupert of Hentzau was released shortly afterwards with the same director and cast.

Rupert of Hentzau is a 1923 American silent adventure film directed by Victor Heerman and starring Bert Lytell, Elaine Hammerstein, and Lew Cody. It is an adaptation of Anthony Hope's 1898 novel Rupert of Hentzau, the sequel to The Prisoner of Zenda.

Rupert of Hentzau is a 1957 British television film version of the novel Rupert of Hentzau. It starred Robert Shaw and aired on Boxing Day.

The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1961 American television play based on the novel The Prisoner of Zenda starring Christopher Plummer. Plummer said "We hope to bring more energy and style to our TV adaptation" than the 1937 film version.

References

External links

• The Prisoner of Zenda at the TCM Movie Database
• The Prisoner of Zenda at IMDb
• The Prisoner of Zenda at AllMovie
• The Prisoner of Zenda at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
• The Prisoner of Zenda on Lux Radio Theater: June 5, 1939
• The Prisoner of Zenda on Academy Award Theater: July 17, 1946
• The Prisoner of Zenda on Screen Directors Playhouse: February 20, 1949