Press Release Warner Archive Collection Press Release: The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

COMING FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION ON JULY 29th
New 2025 1080p HD Master from 4K Scan of the Original Technicolor Camera Negatives

THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1952)
BD 50
NOT RATED
COLOR
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 1.37:1 with side mattes
Audio Specs: DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
Subtitles: English SDH
Running Time: 101 Minutes
Cast: Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr, James Mason, Louis Calhern, Jane Greer
Includes 1922 silent version with Lewis Stone and Alice Terry, Audio-only radio broadcasts-LUX RADIO THEATER with Ronald Colman and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and SCREEN DIRECTOR’S PLAYHOUSE with Colman and John Cromwell, Original Theatrical Trailer.

With spectacular Technicolor photography, and sumptuous production values, Stewart Granger stars in this 1952 second remake of the famous Anthony Hope novel as Rudolf, the would-be King of Ruritania, who on the eve of his coronation is kidnapped by the henchmen of his wicked half-brother the Duke of Streslau (Robert Douglas) as part of a conspiracy to usurp the throne. As fortune would have it, Rudolf Rassendyll (also played by Granger) appears on the scene. Rassendyll so strikingly resembles the King that loyal Colonel Zapt (Louis Calhern) enlists him to save the crown. Rassendyll's adventure leads him to romance with the beautiful Princess Flavia (Deborah Kerr) to a web of treachery which finally culminates in cloak-and-dagger combat with the villainous Rupert (James Mason).

 

[Ronald Epstein]

This space reserved for Amazon preorder link

 

[Robert Crawford]

I prefer the 1937 film but I also enjoy this film version too.

 

[ahollis]

Wow! Another one out of the ballpark.

 

[richardburton84]

I prefer the 1937 film but I also enjoy this film version too.

The 1937 version is definitely my favorite adaptation of this story, so I really hope the Archive can overcome the elements issues holding it up. This version does have some fine moments, (I like the more action-oriented take on the final duel, though I miss the witty banter from the 37 version), so I definitely considering picking it up, especially to see the silent version.

 

[Alan Tully]

A 1952 MGM swashbuckler starring Stewart Granger, & it's not Scaramouche! No matter, I like this, in fact I like both versions, but prefer this one, & I do think that the menacingly suave James Mason makes a better Rupert of Hentzau than Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (controversial stuff!).

 

[bujaki]

Ramon Novarro is a great Rupert. Mason is definitely more villainous.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I enjoy Fairbanks Jr. more as Rupert.

 

[Capt D McMars]

Ramon Novarro is a great Rupert. Mason is definitely more villainous.

I also appreciated Doug Jr as Rupert, a bit more weasel like with just a dab of crazy, LOL!!!

 

[Robert Crawford]

I also appreciated Doug Jr as Rupert, a bit more weasel like with just a dab of crazy, LOL!!!

I'm used to Mason playing the "baddie" but not Doug Jr., who does so with a smile on his face.

 

[Capt D McMars]

I'm used to Mason playing the "baddie" but not Doug Jr., who does so with a smile on his face.

it was almost like seeing Henry Fonda for the first time as the sociopathic murdered in Once Upon a Time on the west, it was one amazing risk that paided in spades!!

 

[Cleopatra]

Awesome news, I've been waiting for this release (and Scaramouche) for decades.

Coupling this version with the silent one is an interesting choice, since the previous dvd release bundled it with the Ronald Colman one...

Although I like both the Colman and the Granger version, I still like the latter one better. Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr and James Mason is a stellar cast, and the technicolor is glorious.

I haven't seen the silent version though, so this will be a great opportunity to catch up on that one.

I also would like to pause on how miraculous this release is : A new 4K scan of a technicolor film from the original 3 strips negative is like scanning and restoring the film 3 times. It's a huge workload, which only Warner Archive seems to be doing these days. So a massive thank you to the Warner Archive team, and hopefully, a similar treatment for Scaramouche will follow soon!

 

[bujaki]

I'm used to Mason playing the "baddie" but not Doug Jr., who does so with a smile on his face.

Novarro, dastardly dashing; Fairbanks Jr., rakishly roguish; Mason, smoothly sinister. Enjoy them all.
All 3 versions have many virtues. IMO, Colman fares best; I could never buy Lewis Stone in a swashbuckling role. M. Carroll and D. Kerr are improvements on lovely but wan Alice Terry. Mary Astor '37 can never be bested, but can Jane Greer ever be ignored? Raymond Massey owns Black Michael. Rex Ingram's direction is possibly the most polished, as befits a true visual artist. Cromwell is a better director than Thorpe, who slavishly follows the '37 version. And then, there's Technicolor...

 

[lark144]

Novarro, dastardly dashing; Fairbanks Jr., rakishly roguish; Mason, smoothly sinister. Enjoy them all.
All 3 versions have many virtues. IMO, Colman fares best; I could never buy Lewis Stone in a swashbuckling role. M. Carroll and D. Kerr are improvements on lovely but wan Alice Terry. Mary Astor '37 can never be bested, but can Jane Greer ever be ignored? Raymond Massey owns Black Michael. Rex Ingram's direction is possibly the most polished, as befits a true visual artist. Cromwell is a better director than Thorpe, who slavishly follows the '37 version. And then, there's Technicolor...

I was more or less going to say the same thing. The '37 is probably definitive, but I actually prefer Jane Greer, who appears to have much more emotion, or maybe it's just my fondness for her, and the fact she's in such few films. Still, Robert Douglas can be seen responding to that, possibly the only time, in this viewer's experience, where he turns in a portrayal of an actual human being, all the more surprising as he begins the film with his usual elegant but stock villain. I can't say enough about James Mason. That's a complex and fully delineated character. He clearly used Fairbanks Jr's performance as a template. There's lots of deering-do and also humor, but it goes much deeper. I've never managed to see the Rex Ingram version, so that's reason enough for me to buy this, but I've always had a special fondness for the 1952 Prisoner of Zenda, possibly because it was the first version I ever saw.

 

[richardburton84]

Unfortunately, it sounds like the 1937 version still has major elements issues per The Extras podcast, and they're still looking for good elements for the film. The Podcast also mentions that the silent version is unrestored SD, for those who are interested. On a side note, I liked that George gave a nice shoutout to Conrad Salinger's arrangements of Alfred Newman's 1937 score for this version (definitely seek out the Film Score Monthly release of Salinger's arrangements).

 

[Cleopatra]

Unfortunately, it sounds like the 1937 version still has major elements issues per The Extras podcast, and they're still looking for good elements for the film.

This is surprising. The 2007 dvd release of the 1937 version looks very good. The available print(s) are obviously in good shape. So unless something drastic happened to them since 2007 (very unlikely), I don't see why a new scan couldn't be made now...

 

[Robert Crawford]

This is surprising. The 2007 dvd release of the 1937 version looks very good. The available print(s) are obviously in good shape. So unless something drastic happened to them since 2007 (very unlikely), I don't see why a new scan couldn't be made now...

I don’t agree with your PQ assessment of the 1937 version. IMO, it’s not good enough for WA Blu-ray standards. Obviously, George Feltenstein shares that same opinion.

 

[richardburton84]

I don’t agree with your PQ assessment of the 1937 version. IMO, it’s not good enough for WA Blu-ray standards. Obviously, George Feltenstein shares that same opinion.

Yup, the last time I saw the film, it looked to be in pretty rough shape, which prompted me to ask Mr. Feltenstein about the condition of the elements for Zenda ‘37 roughly five years ago when the Archive still had their own podcast. I shall continue to hope that they’ll be able to find enough decent material to get the film looking the best it can for a WAC Blu-ray.

 

[hanshotfirst1138]

I prefer the 1937 film but I also enjoy this film version too.

Yeah, I’d rather prefer we be getting that. Still,
Maybe we will yet.

 

[Cleopatra]

I don’t agree with your PQ assessment of the 1937 version. IMO, it’s not good enough for WA Blu-ray standards. Obviously, George Feltenstein shares that same opinion.

Yeah well, it's good enough for me.

Sure, the print has some damage and flickering here and there, but I don't need a good movie to be 100% digitally scrubbed and spotless to enjoy it. Call me old school, but I find some moderate film damage to be part of the charm.

At this point, I'd be happy with a good HD scan of that same print, and even if it's not "good enough for WA blu-ray standards", it could have made a cool extra on this release.