THE PRISONER OF ZENDA
US, 1952, 96 minutes, Colour.
Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr, James Mason, Jane Greer, Lewis Stone, Louis Calhern, Robert Coote, Robert Douglas.
Directed by Richard Thorpe.
Originally a Ronald Colman vehicle in the thirties. The screenplay for this version of 1952 was more or less that of the original. This was the period when Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr and James Mason had moved from England to America and were appearing in many of M.G.M.’s spectacular films, for example King Solomon's Mines and Young Bess. The film is given very colourful treatment and there is the build-up towards the famous swordfight at the end. It is very enjoyable Saturday matinee material but is given very lavish treatment. (A humorous satire on the Prisoner of Zenda story is given in Royal Flash where George Mac Donald Frazer indicates that Hope took his story from the facts as portrayed in this Flashman novel.)
1. How enjoyable an adventure film was this? How well did it meet popular taste for adventure? Its recreation of its period setting? The use of colour and locations, the stars?
2. Why is Central Europe in the 1890s so interesting a place for adventure stories? The atmosphere of Old World colour, yet modern things as trains? Central Europe as a place of intrigue? Royal families and dynasties? Why does this appeal to audiences?
3. How attractive were the stars of this film? In their time? How do they fare now?
4. How well did the film incorporate adventure ingredients? The plausibility of the disguise, the nature of the intrigue and spying, the deception and formalities, the culminating sword fight?
5. How well did the film use the technique of using Stewart Granger in two parts? Did it look like technique or was it easily and comfortably done?
6. The atmosphere of the opening: the English Rudolf and his encounter with the customs men, the anxiety on the part of the court. the plausibility of his taking the role of the king?
7. How well did Stewart Granger differentiate the two characters? What were the characteristics of the king and his arrogance, his drinking, his change of heart at the end? The English Rudolf as a sensible hero of such adventure stories, the English background, bravery, intelligence, the love for Flavia, the difficulty of leaving?
8. How successful a villain was Michael? The intrigues, the plots, his hostility to Rudolf, his awareness of the plot, his reliance on Rupert and Antoinette, the way that he was killed? An inevitable villain?
9. How successful a villain was Rupert? James Mason’s suave style? His encounter with Rudolf, his using the king, exploiting the situation, his jealousy and his death? The flamboyance of the sword fight and his final escape?
10. How attractive a heroine was Flavia? Her final decision in view of her love for English Rudolf, her sense of duty to throne and family?
11. The importance of Colonel Zam and his assistant? The theme of loyalty and devotion to the throne?
12. The melodramatic role of Antoinette, her relationship to Michael, her betrayal of Rupert?
13. The themes of royalty, duty, human love, love of country?
