The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

Director: John Cromwell
Starring: Ronald Colman, Madeleine Carroll, C Aubrey Smith

Synopsis:
An Englishman on holiday who bears an uncanny resemblance to the country's heir apparent is called on to impersonate the incapacitated Prince for his coronation, but when the Prince goes missing, the ruse must go on.

Impressions:
In my review of the 1952 version of the story, I mentioned that I'd heard the '37 version was better. In fact, in the host segment on TCM, Robert Osborne even went so far as say the '52 version wasn't very good. Well, I liked the '52 version quite a bit, so this had me wondering what to expect as the '52 version uses the exact same script and is pretty well a shot-for-shot remake. Usually I'm not a fan of remakes, but let me say first that even with so much the same, there's just enough different that each has its own character and I like both. Think of it like different productions of Shakespeare's plays. Now let's get to this movie specifically.

Ronald Colman made a strong impression on me in Kismet, so I was looking forward to him in this as Rassendyll and he doesn't disappoint. The one I was suspicious about was Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as Rupert of Hentzau. I figured he was cast mostly for his swashbuckling ability and he does quite well on that front, but I had my doubts about how he'd pull off the villainous role. I was quite impressed. While James Mason does more of the slimy schemer in the '52 version, Fairbanks is young, brash and cocky as I'll get out. The chemistry with Colman is much better than what we see with Stewart Granger and Mason and Rassendyll and Rupert come off as almost friendly nemeses here. This is the sort of thing I'm talking about when it comes to the different spin the two versions have on the same material. I like Mason's take on the character even though I like Fairbanks' portrayal more and like even better that I can enjoy both. I also want to give a nod to a young David Niven as Fritz von Tarlenheim, a character I barely even regarded in the '52 version.

Final word: This version is indeed the superior of the two, but that doesn't diminish how much I liked the remake. Watch both, for sure, but when it comes to owning it, if you can only pick one, this is the one.

Rating:
Own It