THE PRISONER OF ZENDA
Elaborate adventure drama is the latest acquisition in Eastman House’s nitrate motion picture collection 
THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937) directed by John Cromwell and starring Ronald Coleman, Madeleine Carroll, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is based on the 1894 novel The Prisoner of Zenda: Being the History of Three Months in the Life of an English Gentleman by Anthony Hope. It is the story of King Rudolf V (Ronald Coleman) who, the night before his coronation, meets a man who is identical to himself. 
As they toast their shared ancestors, the king falls ill, and the look-alike takes his place on the throne until he recovers. 
Along the way, the look-alike falls for the lovely Princess Flavia (Madeleine Carroll), the king’s intended. She finds the “new king” much kinder and begins to love him in return.
Watching the film, some in the audience may think to themselves “Hey, this sounds a lot like the movie DAVE (1993) starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver” and you would be right-up to a point. Here the plot changes and THE PRISONER OF ZENDA becomes more of an adventure story with sword fights, castles, and dungeons.
THE PRISONER OF ZENDA was a box office hit when released, giving producer David O. Selznick his second hit that year (the first was A STAR IS BORN with Janet Gaynor and Frederic March.)
Accepted by the acquisitions committee, these elements make up a complete nitrate print, with material created in 1937 and 1945. While the material is brittle due to the age, the shrinkage is very low, and the image quality is good. Long term cold storage will ensure this print will last for years to come.
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Deborah Stoiber is the Nitrate Vault Manager at The Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center. She graduated from The L. Jeffrey Selznick School in 1998. After graduation, she spent time at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY working on their 16mm collection.
One Response to “THE PRISONER OF ZENDA”
[...] The Prisoner of Zenda, read all about George Eastman House’s newest nitrate motion picture acquisition (with great stills, too!). [...]
24 Aug 2009 at 11:01 am