The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) Reviewed

I postponed watching the 1952 remake of the 1937 adaptation of The Prisoner of Zenda (q.v.) because I felt that watching them back-to-back would compromise my objectivity. After all, the 1937 version is itself but one of many film adaptations of the novel by Anthony Hope, and they all deserve to be judged fairly on their own merits. So, I gave myself 13 years to ensure impartiality. (Thirteen years was not a predetermined amount of time—I just happened to think recently, "I never got around to watching that version of The Prisoner of Zenda with Stewart Granger... I guess there's no time like the present!")

So, I watched the version starring Stewart Granger as Rudolf Rassendyll and King Rudolf V, Deborah Kerr as Princess Flavia, and James Mason as Rupert of Hentzau. As this version is a mostly scene-for-scene direct adaptation of the 1937 film, but in color, I'll avoid repeating the essential background I described in the previous review and concentrate on the differences.

Despite the similarities, or possibly because of the limitations imposed by such a close adaptation, the 1952 film lacks the verve of its predecessor. It's a good film, but it seems sleepy and resigned in comparison. Granger is fine, but lacks edge. Mason has a very keen edge, but his character is shallow. Everything about the film is acceptable, but nothing really gets the blood rushing the way a great swashbuckler can. The entire cast is acceptable, with one exception: Deborah Kerr. Kerr's Princess Flavia is subtle, powerful, and utterly believable. With such a performance, I think she could have carried an entire film centered on Princess Flavia, and I think I would have preferred it.

The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) is solidly good, but it is no match for the 1937 film.

Writing: Good
Directing: Good
Acting: Good (Deborah Kerr: Great)
Cinematography: Good
Stunts: Good
Swordplay: Good
Panache: Good

Overall Rating: Good
Swashbuckling Rank: Good

Written by: John L. Balderston, Noel Langley, Edward E. Rose, Wells Root, and Donald Ogden Stewart
Based on: The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope
Directed by: Richard Thorpe
Performed by: Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr, James Mason, Louis Calhern, Jane Greer, Lewis Stone, Robert Douglas, et al.