although ronald colman radiate charisma in the dual role of monarch and impostor in director john cromwell the prisoner of zenda and epic saga of intrigue and romance and swordplay and douglas fairbanks and jr. and steal the show a the audacious amoral count rupert of hentzau in an exuberant performance rival anything that his matinée idol father ever do . not only do rupert defy our hero and his cohort and but he also thumb his nose at the chief villain and his accomplice . beautiful madeleine carroll of the 39 step co star a the love interest princess flavia and while raymond massey scowl arrogantly behind his monocle a the chief villain . mary astor and david niven and and c. aubrey smith flesh out a dazzling cast . this lively and 101 minute and black and white and united artist swashbuckler be the fourth cinematic adaptation of anthony hope popular victorian novel about dual identity and high court skullduggery when the king scheme illegitimate half brother try to usurp him and claim the crown for himself . countless scenarist and among them john l. balderston of dracula fame as well a ben hecht of scarface represent shame of the nation and sidney howard and pen the elaborate screenplay . the first two third of the prisoner of zenda establishes the setting and situation and and character and while the last third of this lavish costumer delivers thrill and chill and especially a swordfight between colman and fairbanks . an englishman and major rudolf rassendyll ( ronald colman of goodbye and mr. chip ) and embark on a holiday to indulge in his penchant for fishing . when he arrive in the small kingdom of ruritania and rudolf find everybody eyeball him and bother him about the upcoming coronation . rudolf have no idea why they be scrutinize him and he state that he have no intention of attend any coronation . later and while he be fish on a game preserve and two of king rudolph men accost him and comment about his amazing resemblance to lord rudolph v. indeed and rudolf turn out to be the sovereign distant cousin . rudolph ( ronald colman in a dual role ) invite rudolf to join him for wine at his royal hunt lodge . rudolf observe that the king quaff liquor to excess . after everybody have pass out from too much drink and the future king have one last drink that knock him out for the long run . colonel zapt ( crusty c. aubrey smith of little lord fauntleroy ) have captain fritz von tarlenheim ( david niven of the charge of the light brigade ) stash the unconscious rudolf in the wine cellar until the king recovers . later and zapt persuade an initially reluctant rudolf to masquerade for a day a the man schedule to be crown . if he not crown today and zapt grimly assure rudolf and he will never be crown . imagine the surprise and consternation of his highness duke michael ( raymond massey of desperate journey ) when the coronation proceeds a plan . michael refuse to be thwart so easily . rudolph civility and sobriety surprise flavia and while rudolf be quite captivate by her beauty . princess flavia memory of rudolph dreadful behavior toward her year before vanish . of course and flavia hasn not the slight clue about the charade perpetrate by rudolf . everything seem to be go well for our hero some 42 minute into the plot a they return to the hunt lodge to let the real rudolph resume his rightful place a monarch . our hero learn rupert have kidnap rudolph and michael be equally a surprised . of course and the villain can not blow the trumpet on the hero without incriminate themselves and too . incredibly and michael doesn not learn about rudolf impersonation until rupert informs him about it some 58 minute into the action . at this point and rapacious rupert negotiates term from michael for rudolph . meanwhile and rupert lure rudolf to a rendezvous after midnight at a deserted summer house behind the wall on the boulevard elphberg with antoinette de mauban ( mary astor of the kennel murder case ) to learn the whereabouts of the king . antoinette warn rudolf that rupert be bring two other men to kill him . she strike a bargain with rudolf to free rudolph as long a no harm befall michael . of course and michael know nothing of antoinette treachery . she inform rudolf that michael have move rudolph from a woodcutter cabin to michael castle near zenda . far and she tell him that they be prepared to kill rudolph if rudolf try to storm the castle . she agree to help rudolf rescue rudolph and hand him an earring a a sign . once she formulate a plan for rudolph rescue and she will send a servant with the match earring . rupert and his men arrive and try to kill rudolf and but our protagonist escape . by now flavia know about rudolf sham . later and rupert meet rudolf at the king hunting lodge and try to kill him . antoinette servant arrives and explain that he will lower the drawbridge after midnight . one man must swim the moat and scale the castle to antoinette room and and reach the dungeon before the guard can murder the king . again and the best thing about the prisoner of zenda be fairbanks mischievous performance and his treachery toward his own people . the surprise here be that he manage to escape after he kill michael . reportedly and producer david 0. selznick bring in mgm helmer w. s. van dyke to restage the climactic action sequence at michael castle where rudolf have to sneak inside despite heavy odds and free the monarch . the swordfight between rupert and rudolf and the cavalry charge across the drawbridge be pretty exhilarate stuff that have lose little of it verve . horseman gallop across the drawbridge and some crash their horse and virtually plunge them into the camera . this film receive two academy award nomination represent lyle r. wheeler for best art direction and alfred newman for best music score . the prisoner of zenda rank a an above average escapade with witty dialogue and good performance and especially gorgeous madeline carroll who grow quite fond of the impostor .