The Grand Duke, with his longtime faithful companions De Gautet ( Al Jennings), Bersonin ( Fairfax Burger), and Rupert of Hentzau ( Ramon Novarro), plan to detain the King at the Grand Duke's hunting lodge on the grounds of his castle at Zenda on the day of the coronation so that Michael can assume the throne in Strelsau in his place. She is attracted to the Grand Duke's magnetism, but she, in a sense of obligation to her country to support his reign, believes that she will marry the King despite she not being in love with him due to he indulging excessively in his vices, such as the drink, and thus often acting irresponsibly and not in the manner of a king. While half the populace favours the King and the other half the Grand Duke, the entire populace loves Flavia.
Both he and his half-brother, the treacherous Grand Duke 'Black' Michael ( Stuart Holmes), love Princess Flavia ( Alice Terry), their orphaned cousin who lives in a wing of the palace located in the Ruritanian capital of Strelsau. Upon the death of his father the King, Rudolph V ( Lewis Stone) is set to assume the throne of Ruritania. Ramon Novarro and Barbara la Marr in The Prisoner of Zenda (Rex Ingram, 1922). Photo: BAFAG (British-American-Films A.G.). Stone played both the King and his lookalike. The substitute king falls in love with Princess Flavia but he cannot tell the truth. Trying to stop a coup by Michael, who has abducted and imprisoned the real king, Sapt and Tarlenheim arrange a lookalike cousin of the king to be crowned (which we see on this card). Both are the loyal aids of the King, defending him against his evil half-brother Michael ( Stuart Holmes, who might be the man in black on the right) and his plotting cronies: his mistress Antoinette ( Barbara la Marr) and Rupert von Hentzau ( Ramon Novarro). Behind him is actor Malcolm McGregor, who plays Captain Fritz von Tarlenheim. The Bismarck-like guy behind Terry is the actor Robert Edeson, who plays Colonel Sapt. Lewis Stone as Rudolph Rassendyll and Alice Terry as Princess Flavia in The Prisoner of Zenda (Rex Ingram, 1922). Alice Terry as Princess Flavia and Lewis Stone as King Rudolf in The Prisoner of Zenda (Rex Ingram, 1922). German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. Ramon Novarro had his breakthrough in the film as the roguish Rupert von Hentzau. The story was previously filmed in 19 and would enjoy five more remakes during the sound era. It is an adaptation of Anthony Hope's popular 1894 novel 'The Prisoner of Zenda' and the subsequent 1896 play by Hope and Edward Rose. It will not soon be forgotten even as flashier and louder thrillers invade our filmgoing consciousness.Alice Terry and Lewis Stone were the stars of Rex Ingram's classic silent Swashbuckler The Prisoner of Zenda (1922). I envy anyone their first viewing of this remarkable film. All in all, it is an ensemble acting film with Colman at the top-as it should be. It is Colman's quiet and absolutely accurate acting that stirs me most, although one cannot ignore the talents of his superlative co-stars. It is true that there are some parts of this film that have not aged well, and the story itself is only a thin (though classic!) adventure yarn, but out of this Colman has created a masterful portrait of a humane and dutiful hero and his flawed but equally interesting counterpart. It must be said that the monumental achievement is Colman's for his brilliant portrayal of King and commoner.
The combination of seven fantastic lead actors, a very witty script, excellent production values, tight direction, and good taste from all concerned make this a film that *must* be seen, and can be enjoyed by anyone of any age. This particular version of Hope's novel has to be the most supremely romantic film of all time.
#THE PRISONER OF ZENDA SILENT MOVIE#
As my summary line might suggest, this is a movie that I have tremendous affection for and is one of the few movies I can watch again and again without a twinge of boredom.
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