john cromwell direct and david o. selznick produce and and ronald colman and madeline carroll and douglas fairbanks jr. and and david niven star in the 1937 film the prisoner of zenda . that really all any viewer need to know . rudolph rassendyll ( colman ) and king rudolf v identical cousin and be ask to impersonate the kidnapped future king ( colman ) at the coronation . otherwise and the crown go to his young brother . this be a top notch film with a great performance by ronald colman in a dual role and something he be call upon to do during his career several time . colman be an smooth actor of great charm . one of the comment ( from a man and of course ) ask if he be suppose to be handsome because if he be and the commenter couldn not see it . just an opinion represent colman be good look in the style of actor in the early to mid thirty and but it be his gentle quality and beautiful speaking voice and and fine acting that put him over with female audience . here his fiancé be the gorgeous madeleine carroll and and they make a wonderful couple . douglas fairbanks jr. be one of my favorite actor and and he perform the villainous rupert with panache and create an excellent character . raymond massey be another villain and michael and and he very good . david niven be in a small role he on his way up a a young colman in fact and he be suppose to play colman brother in lose horizon . the end of the film be total action with a magnificent swordfight . don not miss this version of prisoner of zenda .