#The Prisoner of Zenda

[pinkstarlightcomputer]

Sir Claude Francis Barry “Castle of Zenda“

#Sir Claude Francis Barry #The Prisoner of Zenda #Anthony Hope #Castle of Zenda #1894 #adventure novel #1883-1970 #british artist

[hootenanie]

Douglas Fairbanks Jr in (promotional material for) The Prisoner of Zenda, 1937

#the prisoner of zenda #he's so hot it's unreal

[cursemewithyourkiss]

Why did Ronald Colman have the saddest eyes in the universe?

#ronald colman #a tale of two cities #a tale of two cities 1935 #lost horizon #the prisoner of zenda #random harvest #fuck off me

[chiropteracupola]

someday I will actually work on the best and coolest fic idea I have never started (prisoner of zenda rewrite wherein rudolf rassendyll is a butch wearing a fake mustache)

#today's art adventure #the prisoner of zenda #you know what I Will maintag this. If anyone is interested in the lesbian swashbuckler I rotate on occasion. #[guy who ought to be focusing on tasks/existing sketches] 'I should give in to the charms of turn-of-the-century Swordfightin'

[ecoustsaintmein]

You know these photos of Nate Mann of Rosie???

They really do remind me of Douglas Fairbanks Jr in The Prisoner of Zenda (and if they do a remake I need Nate to play Rupert of Hentzau????)

GIf by @matineemoustache

#it's the curls!!! #and the stache!!! #and the flowy silk shirt!!!! #(also if we're talking military --- the hat!!!) #and i need to see nate playing a charismatic evil bastard???? #nate mann #douglas fairbanks jr #the prisoner of zenda #i mean the pic of rupert by the window looks so much like nate i can't even

[hussyknee]

I haven't read Prisoner of Zenda, but I refuse to believe it could be any better than its satirical retelling The Henchmen of Zenda by K. J. Charles. Queer mercenaries playing triple agents to bring down both factions while having horny sex, and boss bitch women working together to take back control abusive, egomaniacal misogynists? What conventional Victorian waffle can compare?

#it's such a fun swashbuckler #detchard's whole thing is not being showy or reckless but he still has the same vibe as Lord Crane in Charm of Magpies #they both pretend to have no morals and be self-interested bastards but they're just intrinsically decent and unstintingly loyal #detchard's friendship with toni felt a lot like crane's with leo #hentzau was very good too but i would have liked him better if detchard could have stopped rhapsodizing about him for five mins #i also liked how flavia was such a force of personality off-screen when we only get to meet her in person once #toni was what really pulled the book together though. her desperation for her daughter and loathing of michael its emotional core #a fun‚ galloping little romp #kj charles #the henchmen of zenda #the prisoner of zenda #queer historical fiction #queer historical romance #book recs #book recommendations #knee of huss

[hellostarrynightblr]

favourite movies wached in 2022

1. The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) dir. John Cromwell

The King lives.

#john cromwell #ronald colman #madeline carroll #1937 #douglas fairbanks jr #david niven #1930s #30s #adventure #romance #oldhollywoodedit #classic hollywood #favourite 2022 #the prisoner of zenda

[thebarroomortheboy]

RONALD COLMAN and MADELEINE CARROLL in THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937) dir. John Cromwell

#1930's cinema #1937 #the prisoner of zenda #ronald colman #madeleine carroll #filmedit #classicfilmsource #classfilmgifs #oldhollywood #oldhollywoodgif #filmblr #dramaedit #romancedit

[whisperofthewaves]

I only picked up The Prisoner of Zenda because of that post the other day mentioning a KJ Charles' retelling of the story. I wanted to read it first to get the original kinda out of the way and then enjoy the queer romance but.

I entirely did not anticipate how entertaining this book will turn out be

#nothing important #the prisoner of zenda #I'm halfway through so we will see but so far it's been light fun

[hollywoodlady]

Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr for 'The Prisoner Of Zenda', 1952.

#stewart granger #deborah kerr #The Prisoner Of Zenda #50's #by lady hollywood

[pinewood-to-hollywood]

David Niven in the 1937 version of The Prisoner of Zenda.

#david niven #the prisoner of zenda #old hollywood #1930s #chess #english actors

[cursemewithyourkiss]

Bring back absurdly long swordfights with threatening quips throughout!!!!!!!!

#captain blood #the prisoner of zenda #the adventures of robin hood #the mark of zorro #the court jester #fuck off me

[lover-of-the-starkindler]

Prisoner of Zenda (1979)

Anthony Hope’s novel The Prisoner of Zenda is either the formative influence of the tropes I adore or one that manages to hit the sweet spot of most of them, and I’ve long said that MGM should do a shot for shot remake of their 1930′s version of the story, kind of like a ‘draw it again’ meme because it would be a lovely example of changing cinematography and filmmaking philosophy (and we also have the 1950s version to compare).

After watching the loosely adapted version with Peter Sellers I had a few thoughts, some snarky remarks, appreciation, and a laugh count...

Opening: !!!LANDSCAPE!!! PRETTY! not quite so enthusiastic about the king in the balloon, though, since he’s drinking and presumably about to meet his end. 

YIKE--oh, okay, wine cork through the bag is maybe funny and not the disaster I was envisioning at this point. ....and, nope, not amused by the irony of the actual death.

I’m having flashbacks to The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood; ah-ha, it IS Black Michael (who is a red-head, and not quite as charismatic as Prince John, though that may be a deliberate choice to have Michael overtly tyrannical) and here’s Rupert of Hentzau who is pretty. Pretty annoying, that is, and it seems Black Michael agrees. 

And here are Sapt and Fritz going to retrieve their prince from London... it’s interesting that the prince is expensively dressed, but the count is well dressed. If only the count had chosen his wife with the same care he bestowed on his wardrobe, we wouldn’t have to sit through this flirtation and mayhem in the club. Points to the count for his casual exit of the fountain after leaping in with his clothes on fire; and a point to Sapt for his use of a non-flaming pan and a cuspidor, the exits are the best part of the sequence.

Ah, we meet the cabbie with his uncanny resemblance to the prince. Sapt has a BRILLIANT idea. He and Fritz try to convince the cabbie to come to Ruritania--ooh, an actual laugh for Sapt and Fritz’s improv on the skills of the coachmen they’ve met. Poor Fritz, he’s really not cut out for this. ...and I call that the cabbie is talking about his horse right away; am I supposed to know that so that the dialogue is funnier? Either way, I’ll give it a hah, and kudos to the cabbie for looking after his business partner.

The count is back, and looking snazzy in a morning suit. Pity he runs into the cabbie who has no patience for a duel among gentlemen, and so the count is left without satisfaction. 

OOOOOH Fritz, you are not subtle in setting up the decoy. :/ On the bright side, the cabbie is a nice guy and the people at the station are going to have a lovely favorable impression of their new king. The cabbie is also confused by Fritz’s show of protocol, which is probably good for another hah. 

There’s a moment where Fritz realizes that he may not actually survive the attempt on the decoy’s life, and he swallows and takes his lumps bravely. What a cinnamon roll. Someone get this boy a new job. Or a better king. The cabbie takes the reins and wields his whip like an action hero! (DID RUPERT JUST GET TOSSED IN THE DITCH? HA! TAKE THAT RUPERT!)

SCENERY!!! CASTLE!!! NICE!!! But we have the spoiled prince to contrast with the cabbie and he doesn’t come off well. The staff are mildly confused when they meet the cabbie, and the cabbie is Suspicious and Demands Answers. We have a Discovery that there is Another (half-brother, that is, which explains the resemblance) and a kidnapping which is more cringe than comedy, which is sad because we were doing drama decently. Sapt convinces the cabbie to continue playing decoy.

Rupert taunts/flirts with Antoinette de Maubin. She slaps him. He backs off. Creepily.

OOOOOH Black Michael and Rupert have NICE uniforms for the coronation. And... aw, it’s the count again. And he’s in a snit.

Did we HAVE to mock the clergy? It’s sad, since we have a solemn moment when the cabbie is crowned.

Black Michael: How is this even possible? Rupert what did you do? Rupert: I swear I had nothing to do with this.

Flavia, love, what did you do to your hair? Oh, the 80s. I see. XD

It’s a bit out of place for the cabby to use the orb as a bowling ball, but I’ll grant it a laugh.

Now this is interesting. Zero effort is made to sell a cabbie/Flavia romance, and when she sees the difference between the prince and the cabbie he starts to tell her the truth right then and there and only Sapt’s swift intervention puts it off. And in every other interaction between the two they’re very honest and even kind to one another which is highly refreshing given how petty and cruel the other characters are.

Count: 1 wacky outfit, 1 horrible attempt at murder by croquet ball, 1 misfire. Props for dramatic tension, though?

The prince tries to convince Black Michael to let him go. What a poor little pathetic excuse for a man. Like, I think we were supposed to laugh when the prince rated his butterfly collection higher than the treasury or crown jewels, but, really, that’s just so sad. 

Plans are made for a double or triple cross; the major players meet at an abandoned windmill and, okay, having both sides pick a chicken for their ‘secret signal’ that all is not well is good for a laugh. Sapt and Fritz bumbling around does their characters no favors, alas. The night scenes here are BEAUTIFULLY lit; there are some wide shots that look more color-graded, but if there’s a light source the contrast is lovely. (So is Rupert’s red silk shirt he wears as he defends Zenda against the escape/rescue attempt.) The cabbie gets to call Rupert on his annoying habit, and Rupert grins as if, yes, he knows EXACTLY how much it drives everyone up the wall.

And then Rupert decides to play chaotic evil and switch sides.

YIKE--oh. Black Michael is only pinned to the wall, unharmed, not impaled through the throat. (is it on the viewer or did they really set up those scenes for the letdown/irony of the worst not happening??) Anyway, we have a fight scene that doesn’t hold a candle to a well done sword fight--or even a well done ‘bonk everyone on the head with random objects while other people fight’--and then we have an ending where the prince goes back to his gambling with the count’s wife at his side (poor count--but also, wow does that woman have poor taste) and the cabbie gets to be king and marry Flavia and hey! his horse gets to pull the bridal carriage and the cabbie gets to drive! Happy endings all around!

Or at least, what this movie considers to be happy endings.

#the prisoner of zenda #rabbit trail reviews

[disneyboot]

I know the comic says "Jules Verne", just trust me on this

#marvel comics #marvel classics comics #the prisoner of zenda #1001 nights #the first men on the moon #white fang #the prince and the pauper #robin hood #alice in wonderland #a christmas carol

[costumeloverz71]

Princess Flavia (Madeleine Carroll) Pink gown w/fur trim.. The Prisoner Of Zenda (1937).. Costume by Ernest Dryden.

#princess flavia #madeleine carroll #the prisoner of zenda #ernest dryden

[sirbogarde]

 this guy gets it, he gets what that quality is that makes the girlies like certain old actors:

“And R. Dixon Smith, author of the 1991 book Ronald Colman, Gentleman of the Cinema, emphasizes the romanticism Colman brings to the role: "As the dedicated Englishman who saves a kingdom at the expense of his own happiness, Rassendyll is the perfect incarnation of all the qualities which made the definitive Colman screen personality so overwhelmingly popular in the thirties: sincere and reliable, determined and resilient, affable and witty, yet somehow always bearing just a touch of the 'broken wing' which so arouses female sympathy and affection. This inner fragility, the vague sadness under the surface which was reflected both facially and through the sensitive, restrained delivery of that exquisite voice, had by now become the most distinctive element of Colman's style." (via TCM’s website, article by Roger Fristoe

#literally see why everyone loves him in the talk of the town <3 #ronald colman #the prisoner of zenda #tcm #the talk of the town #quotes