The Prisoner Of Zenda

Directed by John Cromwell

W.S. Van Dyke (uncredited)

Produced by David O. Selznick

Written by Anthony Hope (novel)
Edward Rose
Wells Root
John L. Balderston (screenplay)
Donald Ogden Stewart (additional dialogue)
Ben Hecht (uncredited)
Sidney Howard (uncredited)

Starring Ronald Colman
Madeleine Carroll
C. Aubrey Smith
Raymond Massey
Mary Astor
David Niven
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

Music by Alfred Newman

Cinematography James Wong Howe
Bert Glennon

Editing by James E. Newcom

Distributed by United Artists

Release date September 2, 1937

Running time 101 minutes

Country United States

Language English

This is a really great adventure film to watch. Probably almost as good as The Adventures Of Robin Hood which came out a year or so layer, although it’s action scenes don’t really come until the climax of the film.

Ronald Coleman stars in the dual role of Rudolf Rassendyll and King Rudolf. His performance from this film was memorably parodied by Don Adams in a couple of Get Smart episodes in the 60s, and I must say that Don was very accurate with his interpretation.

I think that the real stand out performance is that by Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as the villainous Duke Rupert of Hentzau. He is very charming and likable but evil at the same time. David Niven is also in this film in an early role, but he really doesn’t do very much.

All in all this is a great film which they don’t make any more.

Related Articles

• Daily Dialogue — August 27, 2010 (gointothestory.com)
• The twin king defense (ken-jennings.com)
• Selznick school leads preservation effort (variety.com)
• From the archive, 28 May 1940: Gone with the wind at the Gaiety (guardian.co.uk)
• TV Junkie: Betty on ‘Community’; TCM’s War and Westerns Collections (laist.com)
• Daily Dialogue — August 12, 2010 (gointothestory.com)