The Prisoner of Zenda
Studio: Selznick International Pictures
Starring: Ronald Colman, Madeleine Carroll, C. Aubrey Smith
Director: John Cromwell
Writer: John L. Balderston, Donald Ogden Stewart, Wells Root
Producer: David O. Selznick
The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1937 American black-and-white adventure film based on Anthony Hope's 1894 novel and the 1896 play. A lookalike impersonates his royal distant relative when the royal is kidnapped to prevent his coronation. This version is widely considered the best of the many film adaptations of the novel and play.
Trivia
- Nominated for: Academy Award for Best Production Design; Academy Award for Best Score, Adaptation or Treatment.
- Based on The Prisoner of Zenda (1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope).
- Massey asked Smith for advice and was told, "My dear Ray, in my time I have played every part in The Prisoner of Zenda except Princess Flavia.
- Former Prince of Sweden Sigvard Bernadotte was working in Hollywood at the time and was credited as a technical advisor.
- Director John Cromwell was unhappy with his male leads, as he suspected that Colman did not know his lines, and was concerned about Fairbanks' and Niven's late nights on the town.
Previous Showings
17 Runs • 12 Festivals
Original Billings: 1 run (December 26, 1937)
Original Run: December 26, 1937 (Sunday - Tuesday)
All runs on record (17):
- December 26, 1937 (Sunday - Tuesday)Ronald Colman, Madeleine Carroll
- January 11 - 13, 1991w/ A Tale of Two Cities
- November 14 - 17, 1992w/ A Tale of Two Cities
- September 7, 1993w/ The Rage of Paris
- May 10 - 11, 1995w/ The Song of Bernadette
- November 6 - 9, 1999Holiday 1999w/ The Merry Widow
- September 16 - 19, 2000Summer 2000w/ Random Harvest
- August 7, 2002summer02
- April 7 - 11, 2006Ronald Colmanw/ The Talk of the Town
- September 29 - October 2, 2007Summer 2007 63 films in 12 weeks, including 22 films starring Fred Astairew/ The Palm Beach Story
- November 15 - 16, 200920th Anniversary Festivalw/ The Mark of Zorro
- January 29 - 31, 2011Winter 2011 Early Bette Davis, Val Lewton and morew/ The Mark of Zorro
- April 7 - 9, 2012Winter 2012w/ The Adventures of Robin Hood
- June 20 - 23, 2015Summer 2015 Forty Classics from the Golden Age Including Kurosawa in Augustw/ Roman Holiday
- August 31 - September 2, 2016Summer 2016w/ Romeo and Juliet
- August 14 - 16, 2018Summer 2018w/ If I Were King
- August 30 - 31, 2025Summer 2025w/ Random Harvest