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Media Type: DVD
Artist: PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937)/PRISONER OF ZENDA (1952)
Title: PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937)/PRISONER OF ZENDA (1952)
Street Release Date: 03/06/2007
Domestic
Genre: ACTION / ADVENTURE

The Prisoner of Zenda 2 pack is a real treat for fans of the story & the films. Watching them side by side invites the inevitable comparisons and the 1952 version comes up way short. This is not a criticism of that film; rather it is an affirmation of how great the 1937 version is. The ‘52 entry is a shot-by-shot remake using the same script and much of
the same score but filmed in color. The action sequences are beefed up and the climactic sword duel is well-staged and goes on forever. The critical difference in the films is not necessarily the casting but the performances. In general the actors in the ‘52 film seem very histrionic and overwrought in many scenes while the performers in the earlier version are more subtle, nuanced, and ultimately more effective. The only performer in the second film that is not up to snuff is Jane Greer as Antoinette, who is awful. Deborah Kerr is hard to take as the virginal Flavia while Madeleine Carroll in the ‘37 film looks like she stepped out of a storybook. Raymond Massey, no stranger to chewing scenery, is perfectly sinister & tragic in the ‘37 film while Robert Douglas is just evil and unlikeable in the later version. In the lead role of Rudolph Stewart Granger is suave and certainly athletic but has an overwrought edge in tense scenes that could have used a more tongue-in-cheek flair. Ronald Colman is nothing short of brilliant in the earlier film in one of his signature roles. Perhaps the biggest gap of performance effectiveness is the actors in the role of Rupert of Hentzua. James Mason is a brilliant actor but seems miscast and too old for the role; his attempts at being a suave lady-killer are laughable. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. is a complete joy in the ‘37 version. He is a laughing cavalier; certainly evil but a truly likeable rogue that we are happy to see escape in the end.
Overall, I enjoyed the 1952 film but it suffers in comparison the 1937 classic. Ronald Colman was such a unique star, so suave and romantic, that the memory of him in the lead role lingers forever. The cast was perfect, the black-and-white photography lush, and the musical score both rousing and touching in appropriate spots. See this version first and the ‘52 copy won’t stand a chance.

Where to buy cheap prices? -The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 and 1952 Versions) $5.78



*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 28, 2009 08:27:16

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