The Prisoner of Zenda

9/9/2022

From Alfred Newman's opening music through the first ten minutes of this, it's pretty much a carbon copy of the 1937 version of Sir Anthony Hope's story. The only difference is that it's Stewart Granger playing the dashing "Rassendyll" who arrives in the European kingdom of Ruritania just as it's king is to be crowned. He's puzzled by his welcome but a walk in the forest soon makes the reasons for that clear when he meets "Col. Zapt" (Louis Calhern) and his boss - the King - who looks like his identical twin. Back to his hunting lodge they go for a glass of wine and next thing he wakes up in the morning with the king sound asleep and the colonel with the headache. He'll never make his coronation now - unless... Despite plenty of nerves their alternative day goes off smoothly enough but the