The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

Ronald Colman, Madeleine Carroll, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Raymond Massey, Mary Astor,

C. Aubrey Smith, David Niven

Directed by John Cromwell

Available stream on Prime Video

Jill's second pick of the month is a swashbuckling romantic adventure story with a superb ensemble of actors -- The Prisoner of Zenda.

A king's evil brother tries to poison him on the eve of his coronation, but a lookalike cousin comes to the rescue, poses as the king, fends off his enemies, and falls in love with the princess.

Ronald Colman and Madeleine Carroll

Why Jill loves it:  The cast is excellent, especially Douglas Fairbanks Jr.  They make it fun to watch even though the story is a far-fetched fairy tale. Ronald Colman is dignified; Madeleine Carroll is regally beautiful; Raymond Massey is suitably evil; Old C. Aubrey Smith and young David Niven faithful and loyal; but Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is fun!  He is a delightful villain, from his first cocky entrance, grinning and swathed in cigarette smoke.

Colman and Carroll from "Modern Screen" 1937

Fun Facts:

• The Prisoner of Zenda was a well-known novel by Anthony Hope from 1894 that had already been filmed twice, and performed on stage innumerable times, so in 1937 everyone was already familiar with the tale of the king and his lookalike cousin. But something was different in 1937. All of America was fascinated with the story of the abdication of England's King Edward VIII and the coronation of his younger brother George VI, father of the future Queen Elizabeth II. Producer David Selznick decided this was the perfect time to remake the classic story.  It has been remade since, but this 1937 version is considered the definitive one.

• Life magazine, read weekly by millions of Americans, faithfully followed the royal family's tribulations and triumphs, with photos of the Crown jewels and explanations of all that would take place in the 1937 coronation of George VI. Not long after the real coronation Life also carried photos of the coronation of Ronald Colman in The Prisoner of Zenda.

Life magazine covers the real coronation, May 1937

Life magazine covers Ronald Colman's coronation in "The Prisoner of Zenda," September 1937

• Silent movie superstar, Ronald Colman (1891-1958) became a successful star in the talkies because of his mellow voice and British accent. In his first talkie, Bulldog Drummond (1929), he "virtually defined Hollywood's idea of the suave and rugged gentleman hero and showed a generation of actors how to perform for the camera and microphone."(Carl Rollyson, National Endowment for the Humanities, article "Ronald Colman Was the Original Hollywood Gentleman", 2024). Colman starred in many of the great films of the classic era: Lost Horizon (1937), Tale of Two Cities (1935), Random Harvest (1942), Talk of the Town (1942).

From "Modern Screen" 1931

• Madeleine Carroll (1906-1987), the beautiful blonde British actress, first came to the public's notice in Hitchcock's The 39 Steps (1935). Carroll quit acting during the war after her sister was killed during the London Blitz.  She joined the Red Cross and was awarded the Medal of Freedom and the Légion d'Honneur for her work with servicemen and also with children displaced by the war.

  
  

  

  Carroll from "Photoplay" 1937

  

  Carroll in her Red Cross uniform from "Screenland" 1944

• Son of silent great Douglas Fairbanks, Doug Jr. (1909-2000) forged an acting career of his own (Our Modern Maidens 1929, Union Depot 1932, Joy of Living 1938, Gunga Din 1939).  Fairbanks Jr. originally wanted Ronald Colman's part in the film and was upset when he didn't get it. According to Fairbanks Jr.'s autobiography, his father encouraged him to take the part of the villain saying,"not only is The Prisoner of Zenda one of the best romances written in a hundred years and always a success, but Rupert of Hentzau is probably one of the best villains ever written."

  

  Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Ronald Colman

• Fairbanks Jr. served in World War II, first under Lord Louis Mountbatten, and then as a Navy Lieutenant Commander where he was awarded the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, and other honors for his direction of deception operations, including the "Beach Jumpers."

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as the villain Rupert in "The Prisoner of Zenda"

• A lifelong Anglophile, Fairbanks, with his wife and three daughters, moved permanently to England in 1949 where they lived until 1973 at 28 The Boltons in London.  He was known for hosting dinner parties which occasionally included the young Queen and Prince Philip. The Queen reportedly enjoyed these events where she could socialize casually with people she had seen in films.  In 1949 he was made an Hononary Knight of the British Empire.

Queen Elizabeth II and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. from "The Oakland Tribune" 1953

For more reviews from the time, go to the Fan Magazine Reviews page.

Featured Cocktail:

Jasmine

When a friend challenged a California bartender in the 1990s to make a drink he’d never made before, this cocktail was the result. It was named after the friend, whose last name is Jasmin.

1 1/2 ounces (45 ml) gin

1/4  ounce (1/2 Tbsp) Campari

1/4 ounce (1/2 Tbsp) Cointreau

3/4 ounce (1 ½ Tbsp) lemon juice

Shake gin, Campari, Cointreau, and lemon juice with ice

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass

Garnish with a lemon twist

Cheers to the Classics!