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AdventureHistory

The Prisoner of Zenda

- A Swashbuckling Adventure In The Grand Style!

A kingdom's ascending heir, marked for assassination, switches identities with a lookalike, who takes his place at the coronation. When the real king is kidnapped, his followers try to find him, while the stand-in falls in love with the king's intended bride, the beautiful Princess Flavia.

Release Date : 1952-11-04

Language :EnglishItalian

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Stewart Granger

Character Name : Rudolf Rassendyll / King Rudolf V

Original Name : Stewart Granger

Gender : Male

Deborah Kerr

Character Name : Princess Flavia

Original Name : Deborah Kerr

Gender : Female

Louis Calhern

Character Name : Col. Zapt

Original Name : Louis Calhern

Gender : Male

Jane Greer

Character Name : Antoinette de Mauban

Original Name : Jane Greer

Gender : Female

Lewis Stone

Character Name : The Cardinal

Original Name : Lewis Stone

Gender : Male

Robert Douglas

Character Name : Michael, Duke of Strelsau

Original Name : Robert Douglas

Gender : Male

Robert Coote

Character Name : Fritz von Tarlenheim

Original Name : Robert Coote

Gender : Male

Peter Brocco

Character Name : Johann

Original Name : Peter Brocco

Gender : Male

Francis Pierlot

Character Name : Josef

Original Name : Francis Pierlot

Gender : Male

James Mason

Character Name : Rupert of Hentzau

Original Name : James Mason

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-07-19

From Alfred Newman's opening music through the first ten minutes of this, it's pretty much a carbon copy of the 1937 version of Sir Anthony Hope's story. The only difference is that it's Stewart Granger playing the dashing "Rassendyll" who arrives in the European kingdom of Ruritania just as it's king is to be crowned. He's puzzled by his welcome but a walk in the forest soon makes the reasons for that clear when he meets "Col. Zapt" (Louis Calhern) and his boss - the King - who looks like his identical twin. Back to his hunting lodge they go for a glass of wine and next thing he wakes up in the morning with the king sound asleep and the colonel with the headache. He'll never make his coronation now - unless... Despite plenty of nerves their alternative day goes off smoothly enough but their return to the lodge presents them with a much better problem. The king has been kidnapped by "Rupert" (James Mason) and their plan to put his step-brother "Michael" (Robert Douglas) on the throne via the "Princess Flavia" (Deborah Kerr) is starting to look like it will work. Only by staying on in his role whilst they figure out a way to rescue the eponymous gent from the dungeons can they hope to restore proper monarchy. With the battle lines now drawn, this becomes a colourful and quickly paced cat and mouse game with Granger on charismatic form as he must resist falling in love with the princess whilst he saves the king. Kerr does enough here. She brings a glittering presence just by turning up in a tiara with her softly spoken voice, but it's really Mason who steals the show as his character has that mischievous touch of malevolence that he was good at exuding. It does take a while to get up to speed, but it's my kind of film and well worth an hour and an half.