The joy of this film comes from listening. Ronald Colman’s voice is nearly an institution; add in the voices of Douglas Fairbanks Jr., C. Aubrey Smith, Raymond Massey, and David Niven and the picture becomes almost unnecessary.
Directed by: John Cromwell
Written by: John L. Balderston (from the novel by Anthony Hope)
Produced by: David O. Selznick
Music by: Alfred Newman
Selznick International Pictures, 1937
Runtime: 101 Min
Cast: Ronald Colman (Rudolph Rassendyll/King Rudolf), Madeleine Carroll (Princess Flavia), C. Aubrey Smith (Col. Zapt), Raymond Massey (Black Michael), Mary Astor (Antoinette de Mauban), David Niven (Capt. Fritz von Tarlenheim), Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (Rupert of Hentzau)
A Few Thoughts
I’ve always thought of the The Prisoner of Zenda as a “smart” Swashbuckler, and it is, in dialog, character, and structure, if not in story. The action is first rate, but secondary to the film, for in this case, it is all about words—superbly crafted words—and the voices that pronounce them. While fun to watch, the true joy of this film comes from listening. Ronald Colman’s voice is nearly an institution and he never sounded better. Add in the voices of Douglas Fairbanks Jr., C. Aubrey Smith, Raymond Massey, and David Niven, and the images become almost unnecessary.
The story has been redone many times (has there been a sitcom that didn’t have an episode where a character found he was the double of a noble?), but there is no feeling of cliché here. Englishman Rassendyll (Colman) arrives in a small English-speaking, Germanic country the day before the coronation of his look-a-like cousin (also played by Colman). When the king is drugged, Rassendyll is persuaded by loyal Col. Zapt (played with gruff lovability by Smith) and valiant Capt. von Tarlenheim (Niven, in a supporting role that moved him from bit player to star) to take the place of the king for a day. When the “play-actor” king appears, Rupert of Hentzau (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) kidnaps the real, unconscious king for Black Michael, the king’s illegitimate half brother (Raymond Massey). It’s up to Rassendyll to rescue the king and keep it a secret that he was ever captured.
Massey was, for many years, remembered for his portrayal of Lincoln, but it is his sinners that will leave a permanent mark on the history of film. He had already portrayed the zealot, Citizen Chauvelin, in The Scarlet Pimpernel, infusing him with such righteous malevolence that I found myself hating this fictitious character. Seven years later, he would bring humor to the murderer, Jonathan Brewster, in Arsenic and Old Lace. But Michael was his best creation. With relatively little screen time, Massey makes a multilayered, sympathetic, monster. Michael is flawed, but I understand him, particularly as it is likely he would have made a better king than his drunken brother.
Even with Massy and Colman putting in the best performances of their carriers, it is Fairbanks that 
steals the film. Hentzau is suave, witty, and playful. He jokes as he kills. He’s more than happy to run from a fight, but not because he is a coward; he simply sees no reason to stick around. Fairbanks has the charm and sex appeal to pull off the role, and in their climatic battle, it is sometimes hard to root against him.
Both the scenes with the heroes planning their intrigues and those with the villains plotting their treacheries are well paced, crisp, and fun, but The Prisoner of Zenda becomes one of the finest Swashbucklers when Rassendyll and Hentzau confront each other. It is a contrivance of the genre that swordfights contain breaks for banter, and here The Prisoner of Zenda is only rivaled by The Princess Bride.
There is also a romance, between the false king and the soon to be queen, Princess Flavia. It is perfectly done, though not what makes the film memorable.
A few things don’t play out so smartly
With so much clever going on, it is best not to think about the story. Rassendyll just happens to show up in the country at the needed moment for a fishing trip? The king just happens to run across him in the woods (I know it’s a small country, but not that small). That’s a bit too coincidental. Even better to ignore that this is a dictatorial little country where a few feudal lords have the power of life and death over a repressed populous. Is it a country worth saving? Would it be any worse if our heroes lost? Ah, but this is a fairytale land, where having a princess in a really nice dress is all the politics that is necessary. Besides, all that is just window dressing to a tale of heroism and loyalty. A different kind of flaw comes from the ages of the main characters. Madeleine Carroll is about ten years too old to have been transformed from a young girl into a beautiful woman in the last three years as the dialog suggests. And Coleman is about the same amount too old to be a young king just being crowned. Apparently, ages where taken from the book, and not altered to fit the actors. It’s a little thing, but they really should have known better.
The few flaws take little away from this engaging work.
Availability
It is only available on VHS, but in this case, it’s a good looking VHS. Nothing fancy, and no extras, but until a DVD is made, the tape is sufficient.
UPDATE 3/07: Finally, this classic film has been brought to DVD, and as an extra, it includes the inferior 1952 remake. I wouldn’t normally suggest picking up the later version, but it is a great extra, allowing you to compare the two versions.