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| The Prisoner Of Zenda - 1937 |
Coming up next is 1937's "The Prisoner Of Zenda", the story of a man who travels to the European continent on vacation. Coincidentally, the ruler of the country he visits is a distant cousin and his exact lookalike. When the king is kidnapped, the lookalike must stand in for him at his coronation to prevent a coup.
The film's cast includes Ronald Colman, Madeleine Carroll, C. Aubrey Smith, Raymond Massey, Mary Astor, David Niven, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Montagu Love, and Ian Maclaren.
Rudolf Rassendyll has traveled from England to a European country (via Orient Express) for a little fishing holiday. However, he is an exact lookalike of the country's king, who is due to be crowned the next day. Everyone can hardly believe there eyes at the amazing resemblance.
We find out that King Rudolf V and Rudolf Rassendyll are distant cousins. And the two of them have the chance to meet up by coincidence.
King Rudolf finds he likes his Rassendyll cousin very much, and he invites him to dine. King Rudolf thinks about his coronation that is scheduled for the next day, and a bunch of celebratory toasts are made.
However, the king's glass is poisoned. He falls into a stupor and goes into a very deep sleep.
The king's friends, Fritz von Tarlenheim and Col. Zapt, quickly deduce that it was the king's brother, Michael, Duke of Strelsau, that had him poisoned. They appeal to Rassendyll to take the king's place until he can recover and assume his rightful position or Michael will assume the throne and have the king killed.
Rassendyll dresses the part and is ready to become King Rudolf V. He just hopes that he can remember all his lines for the upcoming coronation.
Michael believes that the king has been removed and he is ready to take the throne. His mistress, Antoinette de Mauban, doesn't want him to do this. She wants to live with him quietly. Michael, however, wants power. "All my life, I’ve played second fiddle to that
weakling. Why? Because his
mother was a princess and mine was not. I’m
the eldest son, but he was the crown prince. He lived in the royal palace, he dined with
kings. Well, today the table is set for
Rudolf, but it’s Michael who’s going to the feast," he says with evil in his eye.
Michael also meets with his henchman, Count Rupert of Hentzau, to go over final plans before the coronation.
Trumpets ring out and announce the "king's" arrival for the coronation. Both Count Rupert and Michael are flabbergasted.
Michael goes up to his "brother" and greets him with suspicion in his eyes.
The coronation goes off without a hitch, and Rassendyll performs beautifully as the king.
It's at the coronation that Rassendyll comes face to face with Princess Flavia, who is engaged to be married to the king. He's quite overcome by her beauty.
They get along most agreeably. And in the carriage on the way back to the palace, Flavia can hardly get over the change in the man she thought she knew. Apparently, the king's manners and attentions weren't what they should've been in the past.
Sparks fly that night when Rassendyll and Flavia greet the people from the palace balcony. He wants to tell her the truth about the situation, but he refrains.
Late that night, Rassendyll prepares to return to his old life. However, the king has gone missing, and it's up to Rassendyll to keep up the charade for the time being until the king can be located.
He sends a personal invitation to Princess Flavia for the State Ball in honor of the king's coronation.
The ball is a resounding success, especially in the romance department! The two steal a kiss in the palace gardens after dancing the night away.
Col. Zapt, however, wants the whole business finished quickly. He doesn't see how any good can come of a relationship between Rassendyll and the princess.
Rassendyll receives a message from someone advising him to meet up later that night.
It's from Antoinette de Mauban, Michael's mistress. She knows that Michael has the king at his castle near Zenda. She doesn't support Michael's plans, and wants nothing more than to live out their days with each other quietly. She has plans for a rescue for the king. She gives Rassendyll and earring and says she will send someone with the matching earring when the plans are finalized.
Poor Flavia doesn't understand when Rassendyll bids her a hasty farewell. She thinks he's reverted to his old ways. He can do nothing but let her be angry as he can't explain any of the situation.
And once Antoinette de Mauban's messenger comes through, it's off to Zenda to rescue the king. Rassendyll has to face off with Count Rupert, who escapes and lives to fight another day. However, Michael is not so lucky. He is mortally wounded, to Antoinette's sorrow and regret.
The king is located and told the entire story by Col. Zapt. He is very anxious to meet Rassendyll again after all of these adventures.
The two meet, and Rassendyll asks if there is any way in which he can serve the king. King Rudolf replies, "You could never serve me better, cousin. You’ve taught me how to be a king."
There's also a tearful farewell from Princess Flavia, who has now been told the whole truth. She elects to remain in the country and take part in the role that she was born to play.
With Fritz and Col. Zapt saluting, Rassendyll rides his horse over the border to a neighboring country.
Cast rundown:
Ronald Colman.....................................Rudolf Rassendyll/King Rudolf V
Madeleine Carroll..................................Princess Flavia
C. Aubrey Smith...................................Col. Zapt
Raymond Massey..................................Michael, Duke of Strelsau
Mary Astor...........................................Antoinette de Mauban
David Niven.........................................Fritz von Tarlenheim
Douglas Fairbanks Jr..............................Count Rupert of Hentzau
Montagu Love.......................................Detchard
Ian Maclaren........................................The Cardinal
And that's it for The Prisoner Of Zenda. This film was remade as an almost exact copy in 1952. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was initially reluctant to accept the role of Count Rupert of Hentzau. His father, however, told him to accept on the basis that The Prisoner of Zenda was possibly the best romance ever written and was always successful, and that Rupert of Hentzau was perhaps one of the best villains ever written.
I'd like to take a moment to talk about the house that is shown before the film, as we've not covered it before. Billed as Selznick Pictures, this house was used for the filming of many illustrious Hollywood films, including Gone With The Wind and Rebecca. It is still in existence, though now under the Culver Studios label.
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