SmugKitZine Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

Iseerphia All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Stephanie There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Hitchcoc This is a great book brought to the screen. Ronald Colman is good in dual roles. He is a visiting Englishman who bears a striking resemblance to the soon to be crowned king. When the King's half brother drugs him, the Brit becomes the only option. If the king is not crowned, the crown reverts to the evil brother. Colman's character is now in command of the country and is to marry his cousins, played by Madeline Carrol. Because the substitute is better than the original, she is taken with him because he "has changed." Of course, Michael, the half brother, knows something is fishy, but he can't blow the whistle without implicating himself. For all who know this story, we can't have thing as they should be because of courtly law. It's a great book.

MissSimonetta The 1937 version of The Prisoner of Zenda ranks up there with the best swashbucklers of Old Hollywood, even The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). It has everything: action and romance, humor and poignancy, all of which combine beautifully. It has a sense of glamor and soft-focus fantasy which modern cinema finds unfashionable; such a shame, because when it's done well, as it is in Zenda, the results are unforgettable.The cast is perfection: Ronald Colman, Mary Astor, Madeline Caroll, and of course, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., one of the best and most charming screen villains ever. The action scenes are shot with great verve and the romance, while a bit cheesy at times, comes off splendidly. Though they know one another for only about a day, you really believe Colman and Caroll are soul mates.Fifteen years later, this classic was remade shot for shot and in color, but wouldn't you know it, it was not nearly as fun or memorable. Instead of being unique, it tried too hard to copy a nearly perfect movie. Out of all the many Zenda adaptations that have ever been, the 1937 film is the one to watch.

TheLittleSongbird That is not to say that it is the only good version out there. The 1952 film is also pretty good, if lacking this film's unique charm and wit, but it is this 1937 film that strikes a chord with me. It looks wonderful, with the cinematography, costumes and sets all top-drawer and Alfred Newman's score superb. There is also a witty script, a wonderful story and excellent direction that lifts this film even brighter. The acting is top notch. Ronald Colman is wonderfully assured in his dual role, and David Niven is also great as are Raymond Massey and the beautiful Mary Astor. But it is Douglas Fairbanks Jnr who walks away with the movie as Rupert. Overall, this terrific movie has got the whole package. 10/10 Bethany Cox

edwagreen Major disappointing swashbuckling romantic film with the great Ronald Colman playing 2 parts- a cousin who goes to Zenda to attend his cousin's coronation only to be involved when the monarch is kidnapped.Douglas Fairbanks plays the villain here who hatches the kidnap plot to help the evil half-brother, a sinister Raymond Massey usurp the throne. When Michael (Massey) finds Henzlau (Fairbanks) with his beloved Mary Astor, Masse is stabbed to death by Douglas.There are some good romantic scenes between the "Cousin" and Madeleine Carroll. Aubrey Smith, as a confidant to the king, provides an excellent supporting role.The film itself is quite drab at best. How Astor could truly love the sinister Michael is beyond belief.