The Prisoner of Zenda ***½ (1952, Stewart Granger, James Mason, Deborah Kerr, Robert Coote, Robert Douglas, Jane Greer, Louis Calhern, Francis Pierlot, Lewis Stone) – Classic Movie Review 4652

Director Richard Thorpe’s 1952 version is virtually a shot-by-shot remake of the 1937 The Prisoner of Zenda, with the same shooting script, dialogue and film score. In most cases, settings and camera angles are the same too.

MGM dusts off Anthony Hope’s Ruritanian classic novel and play, previously filmed so effectively as the 1922 silent The Prisoner of Zenda and the definitive 1937 The Prisoner of Zenda, and adds Technicolor and a lively cast to keep the story fresh.

Director Thorpe unfortunately has a heavy hand with the action sequences and the story starts to sag well before the end. But, with the yarn such a supreme, compelling page-turner, there is still very considerable entertainment value to be found here.

Stewart Granger (as King Rudolf, the Prisoner of Zenda), James Mason (playing the villainous Rupert of Hentzau) and Deborah Kerr (as Princess Flavia) are all well and indeed ideally cast and convey an infectious spirit of obviously enjoying themselves.

There is also consummate professionalism from the star character support – Robert Coote (Captain Fritz von Tarlenheim), Robert Douglas (Duke of Strelsau), Jane Greer (Antoinette de Mauban), Louis Calhern (Colonel Zapt) and Francis Pierlot. Lewis Stone, star of the silent version in the twin roles of Rudolf Rassendyll and King Rudolf, appears again, this time as the cardinal.

Alfred Newman’s 1937 score is recycled by musical adapter Conrad Sallinger. Newman had received the first of his 45 Oscar nominations for its Best Original Music Score. The screenplay is nearly word-for-word identical to John L. Balderston’s in the 1937 version, though attributed to Noel Langley, who made slight variations in the script. The cinematography is by Joseph Ruttenberg, the art direction is by Cedric Gibbons and Hans Peters and the costume design is by Walter Plunkett.

Also in the cast are Peter Brocco, Jay Adler, Eric Alden, Guy Bellis, Emille Cabanne, Mary Carroll, Kathleen Freeman, John Goldsworthy, William Hazel, Thomas Browne Henry, George J Lewis, Doris Lloyd, Stanley Logan, Peter Mamakos, Paul Marion, Alphonse Martell, Joseph Mell, Forbes Murray, Manuel Parîs, Bruce Payne, Alex Pope, Hugh Prosser, Gordon Richards, Stephen Roberts, Victor Romito, Elizabeth Slifer, George Slocum, Michael Vallon, Peter J Votrian, Charles Watt and Bud Wolfe.

To use the same shooting script as producer David O Selznick’s 1937 film, MGM paid him $225,000 for the remake rights to the novel and the play.

The $1,708,000 budget film was huge hit, earning $2,078,000 in North America and $3,550,000 elsewhere, making an overall profit of $1,759,000

Thorpe and producer Pandro S Berman had collaborated on Ivanhoe (1952) and teamed later for All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953), Knights of the Round Table (1953), The Adventures of Quentin Durward, (1955) and Jailhouse Rock (1957).

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4652

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Stewart Granger (1913–1993).