Pun Salad

As I noted a few days back, the 1952 version of The Prisoner of Zenda tags along "for free", literally, on the back of the 1937 version.

Differences: it's in color. Some of the details are changed: the climactic swordfight is longer and covers more ground than in 1937; instead of getting out of one tight situation by using a tea table as a battering ram, the hero escapes through a hole in the roof. Other than such details, it's remarkably similar, sometimes line-for-line, shot-for-shot. I think they may have reused some of the 1937 sets.

And, of course, the actors: Stewart Granger takes over the "Rudolf" roles played in 1937 by Ronald Coleman, and, well, he's not as good. James Mason plays psycho Count Rupert, and he seems a really strange choice to replace Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. However, Deborah Kerr is really quite good as Princess Flavia; she seems like she's on loan from an actual royal family somewhere.

But (bottom line), if you rent this disc, you're not missing much if you just watch the "real" 1937 version and skip the flip side.