Line #64 Film/ThePrisonerOfZenda


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_prisoner_of_zenda_combined_cast_11.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:Toward the close of the last century, when History still wore a Rose, and Politics had not yet outgrown the waltz...]]
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4	There have been many film adaptations of the Anthony Hope novel ''Literature/ThePrisonerOfZenda''. There were silent versions in 1913 and 1915; another silent version in 1922, starring Lewis Stone as Rudolf/Rudolph and Ramon Novarro as Rupert; a 1952 version with Creator/StewartGranger, Creator/JamesMason, and Creator/DeborahKerr; a 1979 version starring Creator/PeterSellers in one of his last roles; and a TV movie version in 1984.
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6	The most famous, however, is the 1937 David O. Selznick production directed by John Cromwell. The film stars Creator/RonaldColman in the dual role of Rudolf Rassendyll, English gentleman, and Rudolph V, the ne'er-do-well king (the name is spelled both ways in the film); and co-stars Madeleine Carroll, as the lovely and lively Princess Flavia, and Creator/DouglasFairbanksJr, as the [[AffablyEvil wicked but engaging]] Count Rupert of Hentzau. Creator/RaymondMassey as the saturnine and ambitious Duke Michael, Creator/MaryAstor as his beautiful but hapless mistress Antoinette de Mauban, Creator/CAubreySmith as the crusty, Macchiavellian Colonel Zapt [''sic''], and Creator/DavidNiven (in his first major role) as the faithful though feckless Fritz von Tarlenheim lend sterling support. The sweeping romantic score, supported by use of Wagnerian [[{{Leitmotif}} leitmotives]], is by Music/AlfredNewman.
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8	----
9	!!Tropes found in the 1937 film:
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11	* AdaptationDistillation: The film is generally considered faithful to the spirit of the original novel, if not always to the letter. Much of the dialogue from the novel was retained.
12	* AdaptationDyeJob: Flavia is a redhead in the novel, but she is played by the "golden-haired goddess," Madeleine Carroll who is a classic pale-skinned beauty. Lynne Frederick (Creator/PeterSellers' last wife) was given a literal dye job for the 1979 remake.
13	* AdaptationalHeroism: A very mild example. Rupert is still a villain, but unlike in the book he never goes as far as AttemptedRape.
14	* AffablyEvil: Rupert of Hentzau.
15	* AntiVillain: Michael
16	* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: The coronation scene, including the use of a Händel anthem (''See'' PublicDomainSoundtrack, ''below''), was probably inspired by the coronation of [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor George VI]] of England. Spoofed in the 1979 movie, where the doddering old bishop makes a number of errors, ending up dropping the orb of state which rolls away to knock down a group of candles ninepin-style.)
17	* BecomingTheMask: Rassendyll becomes the role of king much more than the King does.
18	* BittersweetEnding "Heaven does not always make the right men kings." [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the 1979 version, where [[spoiler:Rudolf replaces Rudolph as king of Ruritania and marries Flavia, and Rudolph goes off to London to play in the casinos and restaurants with his mistress.]]
19	* BladeLock: Allows Rudolf and Rupert to exchange some choice taunts.
20	* DeadpanSnarker. Rassendyll, Zapt, even Princess Flavia -- but above all, Rupert of Hentzau.
21	* DefrostingIceQueen: Princess Flavia, though she knows she must marry the King, is not pleased about it -- until she gets to know him better, ''after'' his coronation. Alas!
22	* DidNotGetTheGirl: As noted above in the BittersweetEnding entry, [[SubvertedTrope subverted thoroughly]] in the 1979 version, where [[spoiler:both Rudolf and Rudolph get their girls in the end]].
23	* TheDragon: Count Rupert fills this role with gusto... up to a point. His patience with Michael only goes so far.
24	* EnigmaticMinion
25	* TheEvilPrince: Or, rather, the Evil ''Duke''.
26	* EvilVersusEvil: Boozing indolent bully versus politically competent but personally unpleasant usurper.
27	* FakeKing: Rassendyl, in a gambit which boxes in Black Michael since he can hardly admit he kidnapped the real king.
28	* {{Fanfare}}: Newman composed several for this film, notably one on representing the Ruritanian monarchy itself -- which, in the minor, becomes associated with Black Michael.
29	* {{Flynning}}: Very nicely done in this film -- for the most part. (''See'' {{Narm}} ''under YMMV''.)
30	%% * Getting Crap Past The Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.
31	* GorgeousPeriodDress / PimpedOutDress: Rudolf's coronation and the grand-ball scene, in particular, are crammed with these in every film version.
32	* GratuitousFrench: At the ball, the master of ceremonies announces, « ''Avec la permission de Sa Majesté, le bal commence ! Valse générale !'' » ("With the permission of His Majesty, the ball begins! General waltz!") and later « ''La valse dernière !'' » ("The last waltz!"). This is in accordance with the ceremonial of the royal courts of the 19th century.
33	* HeroAntagonist: Michael is an excellent example ― one sometimes wonders whether Ruritania wouldn't be better off with him on the throne.
34	* HeroicBastard: Rassendyll, the hero, is illegitimately related to the royal family of Ruritania.
35	* HighClassGloves Logically enough, seeing that the films are set in [[TheEdwardianEra Edwardian Era]] Europe and include coronation and fancy-ball scenes with ''lots'' of GorgeousPeriodDress / PimpedOutDress in evidence, the major actresses in the theatrical film versions - Madeleine Carroll and Mary Astor (1937), Deborah Kerr and Jane Greer (1952), and Lynne Frederick, Creator/ElkeSommer and Catherine Schell (1979) - all wear long gloves in key scenes.
36	* HonorBeforeReason: Constant throughout. Lampshaded by Hentzau, of all people: "Ohoho, shoot with a lady present? In England, old boy, it simply ''isn't done.''"
37	* KarmaHoudini: Rupert, who kills several people over the course of the film, escapes.
38	* LampshadeHanging: Particularly associated with Rupert, who says of the main feature of the plot: "Not your type of fiction, I see, Your Highness -- too improbable. Still, these things ''do'' happen. I knew twin sisters once--" He also lampshades Rassendyll's HonorBeforeReason philosophy several times (''See previous entry''), as well as the unnecessary convolution of the Duke's plot to drug the King ("If only he'd drunk what ''I'' wanted to put in the bottle!").
39	* LoveMakesYouEvil: Rupert lusts after Black Michael's mistress, Antoinette de Mauban, [[spoiler: and ends up killing Michael because of it]].
40	* MenOfSherwood: Zapt's troops, whom he has waiting in reserve for the big final assault.
41	* OurLawyersAdvisedThisTrope: "Any resemblance in 'The Prisoner of Zenda' to Heroes, Villains, or Heroines, living or dead, is a coincidence not intended... "
42	* PragmaticAdaptation: This is generally considered the best of the cinematic versions, though it changes some details, as in introducing Hentzau near the beginning and making Flavia a blonde.
43	* PsychopathicManchild: Count Rupert, though he's not sadistic so much as completely [[TheUnfettered unfettered]], like a twelve year old boy with an endless supply of bullfrogs and firecrackers.
44	* PublicDomainSoundtrack: In the midst of the original score by Music/AlfredNewman, the coronation scene is accompanied by an anthem to the tune of "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF9jGNvbWbM See, the Conqu'ring Hero Comes]]" from Händel's ''Judas Maccabaeus''. This was probably inspired by the use of Händel anthems, such as ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPkzt9vklAw Zadok the Priest]]" at British coronations.
45	** Also, at the ball, the orchestra plays the "''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_W8LX7Jorw Künstlerleben]]''" ("Artists' Life") Waltz by Johann Strauss the Younger. Later on in the film, Kraftstein whistles a few bars of Strauss's waltz, "''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTqlLKBKFhg An der schönen blauen Donau]]''" ("The Blue Danube").
46	* RoyalBlood
47	* RoyallyScrewedUp
48	* {{Ruritania}}: Actually never mentioned by name in the entire 1937 film. It is mentioned in the 1922 and 1952 films, however.
49	* ShoutOut: Rupert makes a ShoutOut to Sir Creator/WalterScott, by quoting his ''Marmion'':
50	-->'' "Oh! Woman in our Hours of Ease''\
51	''Uncertain, coy, and hard to please--''\
52	''When pain and anguish wring the brow,''\
53	''A ministering Angel, thou!''"
54	* TheStarscream: Rupert
55	* SuccessionCrisis: Rudolph is in line to the throne but his younger and probably more competent brother Michael lusts for power.
56	* {{Swashbuckler}}: One of the most highly regarded in the genre.
57	* SwordFight: Several, of which the final duel is one of the best ever filmed.
58	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Given, oddly enough, by Colonel Zapt to the King, when he is trying to get the feckless idiot to stop drinking and to prepare for his coronation. It earns him a slap across the face.
59	* VillainExitStageLeft: Hentzau's HighDiveEscape into the moat at the end of the climactic sword duel may just be the most famous exit in the history of cinema.
60	* TheWrongfulHeirToTheThrone: A double dose as the legitimate ruler, Rudolf, is a drunken boor who is unpopular with the people and TheUsurper, Black Michael, while competent, isn't the most charming or popular guy either. The impostor, Rudolf Rassendyl, puts them both to shame and would make a better king then either of them, prompting young von Tarlenheim's "heaven doesn't always make the right men kings" quote.
61	* TheXOfY
62	* YouFightLikeACow: Rassendyll and Hentzau have a classic exchange of repartee, both verbal and metallic, in the final SwordFight.
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65	!!Tropes found in the 1922 film:
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67	* DeathByAdaptation: Rupert survives in the book, but here he dies by going over a waterfall.
68	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Ramon Novarro, in one of his first starring roles, playing a bad guy (Rupert). Novarro would soon become one of the more prominent leading men of the silent era.
69	* GoodHairEvilHair: Rupert sports both an evil pointy Van Dyke and a pencil mustache.
70	* ImagineSpot: Michael imagines himself as King, with crown and scepter and all that stuff, until Rudolf arrives impersonating Rudolph and ruins it.
71	* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: How Michael dies.
72	* InevitableWaterfall: Unlike in the book, the moat around Zenda leads to a waterfall.
73	* KissingCousins: Flavia is betrothed to Rudolph, her first cousin.
74	* LittlePeopleAreSurreal: A creepy dwarf assassin is sent to kill Rassendyl but is interrupted JustInTime.
75	* PragmaticAdaptation: This version actually makes Rudolf Rassendyl an English baron, thus making it marginally more likely that his family, now minor nobility, might have a little bit of a German royal family mixed in.
76	* SarcasticClapping: Ramon Novarro's Rupert has some of the same droll humor that Fairbanks brought to the 1937 version. In this one he gives a little sarcastic clap after Antoinette slaps him.
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78	!!Tropes found in the 1952 film:
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80	* LostInImitation: The director of the 1952 version watched this film frame by frame and copied all the set-ups exactly. The score was also recycled. It didn't work.
81	* RemakeCameo: Lewis Stone, who starred as Rudolf/Rudolph in the 1922 silent version, appears as the cardinal.

Context Film / ThePrisonerOfZenda