The Prisoner of Zenda

In the late 19th century, an Englishman named Rudolph Rassendyll goes to the European country of Ruritania to go fishing. All who see him stare, because he bears a striking resemblence to the king-to-be of the country, Rudolf V. Rassendyll's destination is a small town called Zenda, which is nearby the capital, Strelsau, where Rudolf is to be crowned king shortly.

Upon arrival, Rassendyll takes a nap under a tree and wakes up to find Colonel Sapt and Fritz von Tarlenheim, two men working for Rudolf, point out the physical similarities between Rassendyll and Rudolf. As it turns out, the two men are actually related. Rudolf, delighted at this, invites his cousin for dinner and wine at his hunting lodge.

After dinner, Rudolf begin to make toasts to various people, resulting in him becoming quite drunk. Sapt tries to warn Rudolf, but gets an angry slap in the face. The final cup of wine which Rudolf drinks comes from a bottle which has been drugged. He falls to the floor.

The following morning, Sapt awakens Rassendyll with a pitcher of water and tells him what happened to Rudolf, noting that he won't be able to go to his coronation that day under any circumstances. He asks Rassendyll if he might pretend to be the king just for a day, so as to avoid Rudolf's evil brother, Black Michael, from getting on the throne. (Michael had drugged the wine.) Rassendyll thinks it a bad idea at first, and the risk is high, but then he goes along with it and shaves his beard and dons the king's uniform. Fritz hides Rudolf in the wine cellar and Sapt forces a maid to drink some of the drugged wine so she won't see what's happening. Things are looking up.

Michael signs a document declaring himself as King in his brother's place. One of his partners in crime, Detchard, is to present it at the coronation. He leaves with Michael's other henchmen. Michael's mistress, Antoinette de Mauban, hears this and begs him not to become king, as she wants to marry him. But Michael wants the kingdom more than Antoinette. Then, his main henchman, Rupert of Hentzau, enters and begins some sarcastic conversation with Michael. Infuriated, he leaves. Rupert takes this as an opportunity to flirt with Antoinette until she too gets infuriated and leaves.

Sapt and Fritz ride with Rassendyll in the train to the cathedral. On the way, Sapt teaches Rassendyll what he has to know to reign for the day. The train then ends up at Strelsau, and Rassendyll enters tha cathedral before large, cheering crowds. Michael and Rupert excitedly anticipate the moment when the king fails to show up, but their merriment dies when they hear the trumpets announce the king's entrance. Rupert goes to Zenda to "find out what went wrong" and Rassendyll gets crowned. Michael is inwardly seething.

Rassendyll rides in a carriage with the Princess Flavia to the palace. Their conversation is laced with Rassendyll's wit and Flavia's sarcasm. After all, she has no idea that Rassendyll isn't the King, her cousin, and Rassendyll is quite taken with her beauty.

Flavia and Rassendyll talk in the palace that night. Flavia recalls how Rudolf mistreated her when they were children and expresses how her cousin is different now. Rassendyll, delighted, refuses to let her think of it. When Michael comes in to pay his respects, Rassendyll snaps a few cheerful comments to him about a wine he drank that night which was responsible for his good mood. He was referring, of course, to the drugged wine. Michael, angered, leaves. Flavia begs Rassendyll not to make Michael angry, as it could mean his death. As she leaves, Rassendyll's thoughts are very mixed. He thinks he will never see her again.

After having left the palace, Rassendyll says goodbye to Fritz and rides with Sapt to the hunting lodge to retreive Rudolf. When they get there, they find that Rudolf's servent has been killed and the King has been kidnapped. A note, stained with blood, states "One king is enough for any kingdom." Tension begins to rise.

Sapt and Rassendyll converse over the subject of Rassendyll remaining king until the real one returns. Rassendyll reluctantly agrees.

Rassendyll attends a ball thrown by Princess Flavia. His knowledge (or lack thereof) of ballroom dancing techniques between a king and princess is amusing, but his need to tell the princess of his true identity is serious. They meet on the terrace afterwards, and just when Rassendyll is about to confess, Sapt comes along, reminding them to pay their respects to His Eminence the Cardinal.

Rassendyll yells at Sapt for his intrusion.

Rupert laughingly tells Michael that he has kidnapped the King and that there is an imposter on the throne. The two parry over the consequences that could occur over a smoke by the fireplace. Rupert apparently has wounded Rudolf and thrown him in a woodcutter's cabin, because "it's an old medeival custom - abducting kings."

Fritz gives Rassendyll a memo from Antoinette telling him to go to Zenda to learn of Rudolf's whereabouts. It is from Antoinette. Fritz goes with Rassendyll, but they wisely leave Sapt behind.

At Zenda, Antoinette tells Rassendyll that she will help him in getting the king back, but that she must have his word that he will not harm Michael. She gives him one of her earrings and says that he will get the other one when it's safe to get the king back. Just then, Rupert tries to butt into the conversation, with a loaded pistol at hand. Rassendyll outsmarts him by knocking him over with a table and dashing off as Rupert shoots repeatedly.

The following day, Rassendyll must leave the palace to get Rudolf back and has a fine time thinking of a good excuse to tell Flavia. She lets him go in tears.

Well, that's it for now. Click here to continue.