The Prisoner of Zenda is a
1937The year 1937 in film involved some significant events.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US.*May 7 - Shall We Dance premieres in the US.-Top grossing films:#Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs#Maytime#Saratoga...
black-and-whiteBlack-and-white is a number of monochrome forms in visual arts. Most forms of visual technology start out in black and white, then slowly evolve into color as technology progresses....
adventure filmAdventure films are a genre of film.-History:The adventure film reached its peak of popularity in 1930s and 1940s Hollywood, when films such as Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Mark of Zorro were regularly made with major stars, notably Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power, who were...
based on the
Anthony HopeSir Anthony Hope Hawkins, better known as Anthony Hope , was an English novelist and playwright. Although he was a prolific writer, especially of adventure novels, he is remembered best for only two books: The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau...
1894 novel of the same nameThe Prisoner of Zenda is an adventure novel by Anthony Hope, published in 1894. The king of the fictional country of Ruritania is abducted on the eve of his coronation, and the protagonist, an English gentleman on holiday who fortuitously resembles the monarch, is persuaded to act as his political...
and the 1896 play. Of the many film adaptations, this is considered by many to be the definitive version.
The 1937 film starred
Ronald ColmanRonald Charles Colman was an English actor.-Early years:He was born in Richmond, Surrey, England, the second son and fourth child of Charles Colman and his wife Marjory Read Fraser. His siblings included Eric, Edith, and Marjorie. He was educated at boarding school in Littlehampton, where he...
,
Madeleine CarrollMadeleine Carroll was a British actress, popular in the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:She was born as Edith Madeleine Carroll at 32 Herbert Street West Bromwich, England...
and
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.Douglas Elton Fairbanks, Jr. was an American actor and a highly decorated naval officer of World War II.-Early life:...
, with a supporting cast including C. Aubrey Smith,
Raymond MasseyRaymond Hart Massey was a Canadian-born American actor.-Early life:Massey was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Anna and Chester Daniel Massey, the wealthy owner of the Massey-Ferguson Tractor Company...
,
Mary AstorMary Astor was an American actress. Most remembered for her role as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in The Maltese Falcon with Humphrey Bogart, Astor began her long motion picture career as a teenager in the silent movies of the early 1920s.She eventually made a successful transition to talkies, but almost...
and
David NivenJames David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was an English actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Litton, a.k.a. "the Phantom," in The Pink Panther.-Early life:David Niven was born in London, England...
. It was directed by
John CromwellElwood Dager John Cromwell was an American Film director, actor and producer.-Biography:Born in Toledo, Ohio, Cromwell made his New York City stage debut in Marian De Forest's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women on Broadway. It was a hit and ran for 184 performances...
, produced by
David O. SelznickDavid O. Selznick, born David Selznick , was one of the iconic Hollywood producers of the Golden Age. He is best known for producing the epic blockbuster Gone with the Wind which earned him an Oscar for Best Picture. Not only did Gone with the Wind gross the highest amount of money in the U.S...
for
Selznick International Pictures-Origin:It was founded in 1935 by producer David O. Selznick and investor John Hay "Jock" Whitney after Selznick left Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and leased a section of the RKO Pictures lot in Culver City, California...
, and distributed by
United ArtistsUnited Artists Entertainment LLC is an American film studio. The current United Artists was formed in November 2006 under a partnership between producer/actor Tom Cruise and his production partner, Paula Wagner, and Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer Studios Inc., an MGM company...
. The
screenplayA screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. A play for television is known as a teleplay.- Format and style :...
was written by
John L. BalderstonJohn L. Balderston was an American playwright and screenwriter best known for his horror and fantasy scripts....
, adapted by Wells Root from the novel, with dramatisation by
Edward RoseEdward Rose was an English dramatist and playwright, best known for his adaptations of novels for the stage, mainly The Prisoner of Zenda. He was also the theatre critic for The Sunday Times.- Biography :...
;
Donald Ogden StewartDonald Ogden Stewart was an American author and screenwriter.-Life:His hometown was Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from Yale University, where he became a brother to the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity , in 1916 and was in the Naval Reserves in World War I.After the war he started to write and found...
was responsible for additional dialogue, and
Ben HechtBen Hecht , , was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, and novelist...
and
Sidney HowardSidney Coe Howard was an American playwright and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1925 and a posthumous Academy Award in 1940 for the screenplay for Gone with the Wind.-Early life:...
made uncredited contributions.
It was nominated for
Academy AwardsThe Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is...
for
Best Art DirectionThe Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...
and
Original Music ScoreThe Academy Award for Original Music Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Winners with multiple nominations:...
.
The Prisoner of Zenda is a
1937The year 1937 in film involved some significant events.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US.*May 7 - Shall We Dance premieres in the US.-Top grossing films:#Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs#Maytime#Saratoga...
black-and-whiteBlack-and-white is a number of monochrome forms in visual arts. Most forms of visual technology start out in black and white, then slowly evolve into color as technology progresses....
adventure filmAdventure films are a genre of film.-History:The adventure film reached its peak of popularity in 1930s and 1940s Hollywood, when films such as Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Mark of Zorro were regularly made with major stars, notably Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power, who were...
based on the
Anthony HopeSir Anthony Hope Hawkins, better known as Anthony Hope , was an English novelist and playwright. Although he was a prolific writer, especially of adventure novels, he is remembered best for only two books: The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau...
1894 novel of the same nameThe Prisoner of Zenda is an adventure novel by Anthony Hope, published in 1894. The king of the fictional country of Ruritania is abducted on the eve of his coronation, and the protagonist, an English gentleman on holiday who fortuitously resembles the monarch, is persuaded to act as his political...
and the 1896 play. Of the many film adaptations, this is considered by many to be the definitive version.
The 1937 film starred
Ronald ColmanRonald Charles Colman was an English actor.-Early years:He was born in Richmond, Surrey, England, the second son and fourth child of Charles Colman and his wife Marjory Read Fraser. His siblings included Eric, Edith, and Marjorie. He was educated at boarding school in Littlehampton, where he...
,
Madeleine CarrollMadeleine Carroll was a British actress, popular in the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:She was born as Edith Madeleine Carroll at 32 Herbert Street West Bromwich, England...
and
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.Douglas Elton Fairbanks, Jr. was an American actor and a highly decorated naval officer of World War II.-Early life:...
, with a supporting cast including C. Aubrey Smith,
Raymond MasseyRaymond Hart Massey was a Canadian-born American actor.-Early life:Massey was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Anna and Chester Daniel Massey, the wealthy owner of the Massey-Ferguson Tractor Company...
,
Mary AstorMary Astor was an American actress. Most remembered for her role as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in The Maltese Falcon with Humphrey Bogart, Astor began her long motion picture career as a teenager in the silent movies of the early 1920s.She eventually made a successful transition to talkies, but almost...
and
David NivenJames David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was an English actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Litton, a.k.a. "the Phantom," in The Pink Panther.-Early life:David Niven was born in London, England...
. It was directed by
John CromwellElwood Dager John Cromwell was an American Film director, actor and producer.-Biography:Born in Toledo, Ohio, Cromwell made his New York City stage debut in Marian De Forest's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women on Broadway. It was a hit and ran for 184 performances...
, produced by
David O. SelznickDavid O. Selznick, born David Selznick , was one of the iconic Hollywood producers of the Golden Age. He is best known for producing the epic blockbuster Gone with the Wind which earned him an Oscar for Best Picture. Not only did Gone with the Wind gross the highest amount of money in the U.S...
for
Selznick International Pictures-Origin:It was founded in 1935 by producer David O. Selznick and investor John Hay "Jock" Whitney after Selznick left Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and leased a section of the RKO Pictures lot in Culver City, California...
, and distributed by
United ArtistsUnited Artists Entertainment LLC is an American film studio. The current United Artists was formed in November 2006 under a partnership between producer/actor Tom Cruise and his production partner, Paula Wagner, and Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer Studios Inc., an MGM company...
. The
screenplayA screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. A play for television is known as a teleplay.- Format and style :...
was written by
John L. BalderstonJohn L. Balderston was an American playwright and screenwriter best known for his horror and fantasy scripts....
, adapted by Wells Root from the novel, with dramatisation by
Edward RoseEdward Rose was an English dramatist and playwright, best known for his adaptations of novels for the stage, mainly The Prisoner of Zenda. He was also the theatre critic for The Sunday Times.- Biography :...
;
Donald Ogden StewartDonald Ogden Stewart was an American author and screenwriter.-Life:His hometown was Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from Yale University, where he became a brother to the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity , in 1916 and was in the Naval Reserves in World War I.After the war he started to write and found...
was responsible for additional dialogue, and
Ben HechtBen Hecht , , was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, and novelist...
and
Sidney HowardSidney Coe Howard was an American playwright and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1925 and a posthumous Academy Award in 1940 for the screenplay for Gone with the Wind.-Early life:...
made uncredited contributions.
It was nominated for
Academy AwardsThe Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is...
for
Best Art DirectionThe Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...
and
Original Music ScoreThe Academy Award for Original Music Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Winners with multiple nominations:...
. In 1991, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States
Library of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress and is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books. The head...
and selected for preservation in its
National Film RegistryThe National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
.
Plot
English gentleman Rudolf Rassendyll (Ronald Colman) takes a fishing vacation in a small, middle European country (never named in the film, but identified as
RuritaniaRuritania is a fictional country in central Europe which forms the setting for three books by Anthony Hope: The Prisoner of Zenda , The Heart of Princess Osra , and Rupert of Hentzau . The kingdom is also the setting for sequels and variations by other writers...
in the novel). While there, he is annoyed by the odd way he is treated by the natives. He eventually finds out why: he
looks exactly likeA look-alike is a living person who closely resembles another living person. In popular Western culture, a look-alike is a person who bears a close physical resemblance to a celebrity, politician or member of royalty. Many look-alikes earn a living by making guest appearances at public events or...
the soon-to-be-crowned king, Rudolf V (Colman again), who happens to be his distant relative.
Rassendyll soon meets the irresponsible Rudolf and his loyal underlings, Colonel Zapt (C. Aubrey Smith) and Captain Fritz von Tarlenheim (David Niven) while fishing. The royal is astounded by the resemblance and takes a great liking to the Englishman. They celebrate their acquaintance by drinking late into the night. The next morning brings dire news. Rudolf has been drugged into unconsciousness at the order of his half-brother, Duke Michael (Raymond Massey). If Rudolf cannot appear at his coronation, Michael can try to claim the throne for himself.
Zapt convinces Rassendyll to
impersonate RudolfA political decoy is a person employed to impersonate a politician, in order to draw attention away from the real person or to take risks on their behalf...
and go through with the ceremony. There he meets Rudolf's betrothed, Princess Flavia (Madeleine Carroll). She had always detested Rudolf, but now finds him greatly changed, for the better in her opinion. As they spend time together, they begin to fall in love.
With the coronation successfully accomplished, Rassendyll, Zapt and von Tarlenheim return to where they had left Rudolf, only to find he has been kidnapped by Rupert of Hentzau (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.), Michael's charmingly amoral henchman. The Englishman is forced to continue the impersonation while Zapt tries to locate Rudolf.
Help arrives from an unexpected source. Antoinette de Mauban (Mary Astor), Michael's jealous French mistress, does not want him to become king, because to do so, he would have to
marry his cousinA cousin couple is a pair of cousins who are involved in a romantic or sexual relationship. In some jurisdictions and cultures, such marriages are legal, accepted, or even actively encouraged, while in others cousin-cousin relationships are regarded as incest and marriages are prohibited...
Flavia. She reveals that the king is being held captive in Michael's castle near Zenda and promises to help rescue him. Since Rudolf would be killed at the first sign of an attack, she proposes that one man swim the moat, find the king and hold off his would-be assassins while loyal troops storm the castle. Rassendyll decides that he must be that man, over the strenuous objections of Zapt.
Their carefully-laid plans go awry however. Michael finds Rupert trying to seduce de Mauban that very night and is killed for his trouble. His heartbroken mistress blurts out enough to alert Rupert to the danger. He and Rassendyll engage in a prolonged duel, until Zapt and his men break in. Rupert then decides that discretion is indeed the better part of valor and flees.
Rudolf is restored to his throne. Rassendyll tries to persuade Flavia to leave with him, but her devotion to duty is too great and their parting is bittersweet.
Cast
- Ronald Colman
Ronald Charles Colman was an English actor.-Early years:He was born in Richmond, Surrey, England, the second son and fourth child of Charles Colman and his wife Marjory Read Fraser. His siblings included Eric, Edith, and Marjorie. He was educated at boarding school in Littlehampton, where he...
as Major Rudolf Rassendyll and King Rudolf V
- Madeleine Carroll
Madeleine Carroll was a British actress, popular in the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:She was born as Edith Madeleine Carroll at 32 Herbert Street West Bromwich, England...
as Princess Flavia
- Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
Douglas Elton Fairbanks, Jr. was an American actor and a highly decorated naval officer of World War II.-Early life:...
as Rupert of Hentzau. Fairbanks Jr. initially wanted to play Rudolf, but when the role went to Colman, his father, Douglas FairbanksDouglas Elton Thomas Ullman Fairbanks, Sr., was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer, best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro. An astute businessman, Fairbanks was a founding member of United Artists...
persuaded him that it would be more challenging to play the villain. Aubrey Smith also encouraged him by declaring, "I have played every part in this drama except Lady Flavia, and I can tell you that nobody ever damaged their career by playing Rupert of Hentzau."
- Raymond Massey
Raymond Hart Massey was a Canadian-born American actor.-Early life:Massey was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Anna and Chester Daniel Massey, the wealthy owner of the Massey-Ferguson Tractor Company...
as Duke Michael. When Massey approached Aubrey Smith for advice, he confessed that he had never found a satisfactory way of playing the character.
- C. Aubrey Smith as Colonel Zapt. When the play opened in London
[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
in January, 1896, Smith played the dual lead roles.
- David Niven
James David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was an English actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Litton, a.k.a. "the Phantom," in The Pink Panther.-Early life:David Niven was born in London, England...
as Captain Fritz von Tarlenheim. Massey and Niven died on the same day: July 29,1983.
- Mary Astor
Mary Astor was an American actress. Most remembered for her role as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in The Maltese Falcon with Humphrey Bogart, Astor began her long motion picture career as a teenager in the silent movies of the early 1920s.She eventually made a successful transition to talkies, but almost...
as Antoinette de Mauban
Production
This production was "one of the last great gatherings of the Hollywood English" before
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Selznick was partly inspired to take on the project because of the
abdication of Edward VIIIIn 1936, the desire of King-Emperor Edward VIII to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American socialite, caused a constitutional crisis in the British Empire....
, and exploited this angle in his marketing of the film.
It was considered a difficult shoot. Director John Cromwell was unhappy with his male leads, as he suspected that Colman did not know his lines, and was concerned with Fairbanks' and Niven's late nights on the town.
George CukorGeorge Cukor was an American film director who mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO and later MGM, where he directed a string of impressive films including What Price Hollywood? , A Bill of Divorcement , Dinner at Eight , Little Women , David...
directed a few scenes of the film when Cromwell grew frustrated with his actors. Woody Van Dyke was brought in to re-shoot some of the fencing scenes, which are one of the highlights of the film, along with the
costume designCostume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...
.
The script's roots in the 1896 stage version are readily apparent; there is little attempt to open up the story. The emphasis is very much on
romanceRomance is a general term that refers to the attempt to express love with words or deeds. It also refers to a feeling of excitement associated with love....
and adventure, rather than on the
political thrillerA political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of political power struggle. They usually involve various plots, rarely legal, designed to give political power to someone, while his opponents try to stop him from getting it. They can involve national or international political...
aspects of the novel.
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.
Reception
Leslie HalliwellLeslie Robert James Halliwell was a British motion picture historian and encyclopedist who shaped domestic tastes through his career as a buyer for commercial television in the UK.-Life:...
ranks it at #590 on his list of best films, saying that the "splendid schoolboy adventure story" of the late
Victorian novelVictorian literature is the literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria and corresponds to the Victorian era. It forms a link and transition between the writers of the romantic period and the very different literature of the 20th century.The 19th century saw the novel become the...
is "perfectly transferred to the screen", 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". Twelve residents of Zenda, Ontario, were flown to New York for the premiere.
Reinterpretations
Many other adaptations of the novel have been produced on stage and (especially) screen. This 1937 version is the most highly regarded, and has influenced other works, including
science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction. It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically-established or scientifically-postulated laws of nature...
and television. What follows is a short list of those
homageHomage is pronounced variously as , , or . The last reflects the modern French pronunciation, although the word entered Middle English many centuries ago. In traditional usage it is analogous to praise; one properly speaks of homage or the homage, rather than a homage or an homage...
s with a clear debt to this film, which sits within a long tradition of using political decoys in fiction.
The Prisoner of Zenda was adapted as a radio play on the July 17, 1946 episode of
Academy Award TheaterAcademy Award Theater was a CBS radio anthology series which presented 30-minute adaptations of plays, novels or films....
, with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and
Virginia BruceVirginia Bruce was an American actress and singer.-Career:Born Helen Virginia Briggs in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Bruce began her acting career in minor roles in Hollywood in 1929...
.
Colman, Smith and Fairbanks reprised their roles for a 1949 episode of
Screen Director's PlayhouseScreen Director's Playhouse is a popular radio anthology series which brought leading Hollywood actors to the NBC microphones beginning in 1949...
, with Colman's wife
Benita HumeBenita Hume , was an English film actress.She appeared in 44 films between 1925 and 1955.She was married to actor Ronald Colman from 1938 to his death in 1958; they were the parents of a daughter, Juliet...
playing Princess Flavia.
The
1952 filmThe Prisoner of Zenda is a 1952 film version of the classic novel of the same name by Anthony Hope and a remake of the famous 1937 film version. This version was made by Loew's and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman. The screenplay by Noel Langley, was...
is virtually a shot-by-shot remake, reusing the same shooting script, dialogue, and film score. A comparison of the two films reveals that settings and camera angles, in most cases, are the same.
HalliwellLeslie Robert James Halliwell was a British motion picture historian and encyclopedist who shaped domestic tastes through his career as a buyer for commercial television in the UK.-Life:...
judges it "no match for the happy inspiration of the original".
The book was
filmed again in the 1970sThe Prisoner of Zenda is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Richard Quine and adapted from the adventure novel by Anthony Hope, first published in 1894...
, starring
Peter SellersRichard Henry Sellers, CBE, commonly known as Peter Sellers was a British comedian and actor best known for his roles in Dr...
in three roles - as Syd (or Sid) Frewin, his possible half brother the king, and also his father.
Two episodes of the spoof spy television series
Get SmartGet Smart is an American television comedy series that satirized the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams as Maxwell Smart, Agent 86, Barbara Feldon as Agent 99, and Edward Platt as Thaddeus, the chief of CONTROL, a secret American government...
, "The King Lives?" and "To Sire With Love, Parts 1 and 2", parodied the 1937 movie version, with
Don AdamsDon Adams was an American actor, comedian, game show panelist and occasional director, who in his five decades of television was best known for his role as Maxwell Smart in the TV situation comedy Get Smart , for which he also directed and wrote...
imitating Colman's distinctive voice.