THE PRISONER OF ZENDA premiered September 3rd of 1937 and was produced by David O. Selznick and distributed by United Artists. It is the best of five film versions based on the book by Anthony Hope. Hope was born a poor preachers son who worked his way up to being an unsuccessful lawyer before he failed at writing. But he persisted until his 3rd book PRISONER OF ZENDA and its sequel made him rich and famous. The 1913 film version was made by Edwin S. Porter, director of the 1903 GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY. The 1922 version was so successful a sequel was made by producer Lewis Selznick, the father of tonight's film producer David O. Selznick! So David grew up a fan of the book and his father's silent film. In 1933 MGM planned on making a musical version with Nelson Eddy & Jeanette MacDonald. In 1935 MGM thought again they would make a non-musical version but cast THIN MAN stars William Powell and Myrna Loy. But it was super producer Selznick who hit upon the idea in 1937 because of the current media frenzy over the recent coronation of Britain's King Edward VIII who abdicated the thrown to marry a commoner out of true love in 1936! From the opening shot of over thirty trumpeters heralding the start of major work of art producer David O. Selznick wanted to top A TALE OF TWO CITIES made just two years earlier and also starring Ronald Colman, and he does. Ronald Colman was at his peak getting $200,000 for this one film. In the same period he made LOST HORIZON, IF I WERE KING and THE LIGHT THAT FAILED. The cinematography was by a Chinese born American named James Wong Howe. He is considered a legendary master today and there are two completely different shots I want you to look for: the first is halfway through the story when Colman and Carroll arrive at the ball and the camera starts with them being announced and coming through a doorway. That's where I want you to start holding your breath and see if you can hold it until the end of the shot, as they descend the white stairs and the camera slowly pulls back and up and up… over 100 feet and reveals the full size of the room. There is some cute comedy relief in the next scene provided by the Orchestra leader who is played by Al Shean who was in real life, uncle to the Marx Brothers. The next shot is later and much more intimate where Raymond Massey and Fairbanks are in a dark room only lit by a fireplace and they sit in two large chairs with their backs to the camera. Our point of view stays behind them and we just watch, as if we were actually in the room ease dropping. Today the scene would be cut into 25 quick edits and unnecessary close-ups. David Niven was just starting out (he's listed just above the cook in the credits) and the director was under utilizing him so Niven improvised some humor and was actually fired until Selznick & director John Cromwell viewed the dailies and decided to let Niven improvise even more thus making him a star. Director John Cromwell was known as a woman's director who mixed lavish, spectacular scenes with warm and tender love scenes and he is the father of current actor James Cromwell who was the understanding farmer in BABE and the corrupt police captain in LA CONFIDENTIAL. Black Michael in case you did not know he is the bad guy and is played with dark vengeance by Raymond Massey. David Niven and Raymond Massey who both starred together in THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937) and A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946) both died on the same day, July 29th 1983. And beautiful Mary Astor of MALTESE FALCON fame is the scheming femme fetal who loves bad men. The stunning blonde beauty Madeline Carroll (she would later say this was her favorite role) was the most successful actress in England at the time. She was so attractive, it is said, Alfred Hitchcock never got over his crush on her while make THE 39 STEPS and forever cast blonds who looked like her as his female leads for the rest of his career. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is the curly haired and handsome henchman with the smile on his lips and danger in his eyes. He originally did not want to take a supporting role but asked his famous father about it. Doug senior (who practically invented swashbucklers) told him he had to do it, PRISONER OF ZENDA was one of the best romances written in a hundred years and always a success and the part of Rupert is probably one of the best villains ever written. He's witty, irresistible and as sly as Iago. Whoever plays Rupert in any stage production in any country, will always be a hit, event though the leading part is a double role. The part is actor-proof, in fact Rin-Tin-Tin could play the part and walk away with it! When the film was first screened for a preview audience it went over only OK and Selznick realized the beginning was too long and since LOST HORIZON another Colman film made that year had it's beginning taken away to speed up the story, that's what he did to PRISONER OF ZENDA, chop off the prologue and epilogue. He also brought in another director W. S. van Dyke to beef up the fencing scenes even more. Douglas and Colman spare with words while mixing with swords in a carefully choreographed fight scene that shows they trained with an Olympic gold winning fencing master! And he then hired Alfred Newman to write a new score and BAM, what an improvement it made!