Copyright 13 October 1952 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture. New York opening at the Capitol: 4 November 1952. U.S. release: November 1952. U.K. release: 9 February 1953. Australian release: 2 January 1953. Sydney opening at the St. James. 100 minutes.NOTES: Metro made its first version of "The Prisoner of Zenda" in 1922. Lewis Stone, who plays the cardinal in this version, had the dual role, Alice Terry was the princess, Stuart Holmes, Black Michael. Rex Ingram directed, John F. Seitz photographed. In the definitive 1937 version, Ronald Colman played the prisoner opposite Madeleine Carroll. There's also a 1915 silent version, starring the great Henry Ainley as Rassendyll, directed in England by George Loane Tucker, who also handled the 1915 sequel Rupert of Hentzau. This sequel was also filmed in 1923, this time by Selznick Pictures. Lew Cody played the title role, Bert Lytell was Rassendyll whilst Elaine Hammerstein essayed Flavia. Victor Heerman directed.Oddly, the sequel has never been filmed in the talkie era, though both sound versions allow for it by letting Hentzau escape.Re-made by director Richard Quine as a Peter Sellers vehicle in 1979.Although this version was only modestly successful in America and England, it proved a smash hit in Australia, coming in 14th at the 1953 box-office, just behind "The African Queen", and well ahead of the widely touted "Snows of Kilimanjaro".COMMENT: Nobody likes this version except the paying public. The critics — all with fond memories of the Colman impersonation — the actors, particularly Stewart and Mason (who couldn't stand working with non-indulgent, quickie director, Dick "Print It!" Thorpe), the technicians and even the studio brass hate it.Yet it's actually quite entertaining. Richly costumed and set, cleverly and attractively photographed, fairly pacily scripted and at times even stylishly directed (love that enormous dolly shot which Thorpe uses to show off the magnificence of the grand staircase to the ball-room). Newman's music still serves a treat. Best of all, Stewart, Mason and Douglas are appropriately dashing and/or villainous, and have the well-tuned support of seasoned players like Jane Greer, Robert Coote and Peter Brocco. Calhern is a bit too stiff, Stone too sententious and Miss Kerr as usual is a pain, but fortunately these roles are not large enough to cause too much loss of interest. And at all screenings I've attended, the special effects drew gasps of admiration and amazement. I thought the costumes were ghastly. — James Mason.A lot of the playing is grandly theatrical. Mason provides an ingratiatingly sly, delightfully tongue-in-cheek portrayal, whilst Robert Douglas is wonderfully, eminently hissable. Granger has presence and flair, hitting his stride particularly well in the early impersonation scenes which he skilfully plays for humor rather than melodrama; but the convolutions of the plot tend to swamp him. And of course the pallid Deborah Kerr is little help. — JHR writing as Charles Freeman.Every day, Mr. Thorpe had me look at Mary Astor in the part on a movieola. I took him literally when he asked me to repeat her performance. That's why I was so bad. Little did I know the remainder of the cast were playing tongue-in-cheek. — Jane Greer.

Stewart Granger plays twin roles. An Englishman called Rassendyll on a fishing trip to a small European kingdom of Ruritania and gets strange looks from the locals. This is because he looks a lot like the new King Rudolf, a distant cousin of his. After a night of partying with the king, Rassendyll soon discovers that thanks to the king's brother their is intrigue to wrest the crown from the decadent Rudolf before his coronation. Rassendyll agrees to step into the place of the King to keep the country steady. He falls in love with Princess Flavia (Deborah Kerr) while dastardly Rupert of Hentzau (James Mason) also wants to take control of the kingdom.This is a lavish Technicolor remake of the Ronald Colman version, a faithful pedestrian remake though. It should had been more cavalier but Mason makes a sinister villain and there is plenty of swashbuckling.

The concept of turning to a proved success rather than come up with an Original Screenplay is something that seems to beset only producers of today whereas this film is proof that it has been going on for more than half a century. They may have opted to film the 1937 version shot for shot but, alas, they couldn't replicate the original cast and had to settle for acting joke Stewart Granger, insipid Deborah Kerr and rely on James Mason to supply the only decent acting amongst the principals, plus strong support from Louis Cahern and Robert Coote. The story itself retains all its Boy's own Paper razzamatazz and it's one of the few properties which does not suffer by the addition of colour. Once you get past the wooden Granger and the passionless Kerr you can bask in the charisma of Mason and beguile the time pleasantly.

Rollicking Technicolor swashbuckler like they just don't, can't or probably just won't make anymore. You just know that today the story here would be swallowed up in miles of SFX ("National Treasure" anyone?). Virtually the only noticeable effect here is the cleverly wrought double-play scenes of Grainger as the facile sot of a king and his dashing True-Brit doppel-ganger who is pressed into his impersonation (you really can't see the join). Grainger of course eventually saves the kingdom against the dastardly machinations of the King's designing brother, Prince Michael and the even more dangerous James Mason, (a picture in lilac jodhpurs!) as the real brains and cold-steel of the whole operation, Rupert of Hentzau. Here we get a narrative true to its "Boy's Own Story" novel source which plays it straight from start to finish. The story engages and involves the viewer straightaway and takes you out of the everyday into a magical make-believe world of derring-do (and derring don'ts!). The three English leads (Grainger, Mason and Kerr) are all absolutely delightful, immersed as far as they need to be in their characters with nary a trace of knowing cynicism at the unreality of it all. The climax of the film of course is the terrific sword-fight between Grainger and Mason (more correctly the two gifted stunt-players), a trick repeated in Grainger's next feature "Scaramouche" to even better effect. All in all a matinée treat of the highest order.