I first came across The Prisoner of Zenda, a gorgeously wonderful story when I was about twelve or thirteen and there was a BBC version of it - old black and white telly in those days - and I was simply entranced by it though looking back I am sure it creaked a bit and the sets wobbled and since then have read it several times.
I did not know there was a sequel, Rupert of Hentzau, until I discovered a copy in my local library years later and well remember crying at athe ending. I have just read it again, this time on my Kindle as I was able to download it for free and could not miss the opportunity to do so. Loved it all over again and then went hunting for more by Anthony Hope, found a free Rupert so that is now on there too, and then searched Dodo Press about whom I posted a week or so ago. Lots of other titles by this author, none of which I know about, and so they are now nestling on my Kindle awaiting my attention. Buying these titles would have set me back about £30 so the fact that they cost me nothing will add to my future enjoyment....
After finishing this book I had a sudden yearning to see the movie again. I have seen two versions, a black and white one with Ronald Colman as Rudolf Rassendyl and the later one with Stewart Granger. I was always a huge fan of Stewart Granger, thought him very handsome and dashing, remember him well in striped tights in a film called Scaramouche, lots of sword play again and of course, he was Beau Brummell in the marvellous old movie with Peter Ustinov as the Prince Regent. The second version is a direct copy of the Colman production, literally, each scene exactly the same. I presume they either wanted to pay a tribute to the earlier one or, more likely, script writers couldn't come up with anything better so they just copied it.
I nipped over to Amazon and was rather dismayed to find that it is unavailable at the moment. There appears to be a DVD with both these versions which would be an excellent one to have, but is is the wrong region so that is that. I would say that I will keep an eye out for one or the other when on TV and record it, but the films shown on TV these days seem to be of a certain vintage and anything before the mid sixties seems to be neglected. This is just an impression of mine, I could be wrong, but it is ages since I have spotted an old movie I wished to watch and the ones they do show are repeated ad nauseam.
It appears there are other versions of Zenda as well, one starring Peter Sellers of all people and that might be worth a look at some time. There is also a cartoon version, of which the only reviewer says 'utterly appalling' so will give that one a miss, then another animated version in Story Book Classics. There also seems to be a film called The Prisoner of Zenda Inc starring William Shatner. The mind boggles.
What I have always loved about this Anthony Hope book is its romanticism, glamour and dashing hero and beautiful heroine. It is also a story of the victory of good over evil and the real king, a bit of a waster and a drunkard thanking Rudolf Rassendyl for his services and telling him 'you have made me a better king'. And then Stewart Granger takes a farewell of the woman he loves but must give up and rides off over the hill and into the titles.
I was wondering who I would cast if they ever made it again and no prizes for guessing that Richard Armitage came to mind......
