Themes: Twins and Lookalikes, Crowned Heads, Assumed Identities
Main Cast: Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Mark Lester, Mark Lester, Ernest Borgnine, George C. Scott
Release Year: 1977
Country: PA/US
Run Time: 121 minutes
Plot
A poor commoner and a young prince each find out how the other half lives in this adventure story based on the classic tale by Mark Twain. Tom Canty (Mark Lester) is a young man from a laboring family who bears a striking resemblance to Prince Edward (also played by Lester), the son of King Henry VIII (Charlton Heston) and heir to his throne. Tom and Edward meet by chance, and they decide to exchange places briefly as a lark; Edward will get to live as an ordinary boy, and Tom will be able to enjoy the perks of royalty. But the two are separated before they can let everyone in on the joke, and Tom discovers as he pretends to be Price Edward that the castle is awash in corruption. Originally released as Crossed Swords, The Prince and the Pauper also features Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, George C. Scott, and Rex Harrison. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Whatever its flaws, The Prince and the Pauper is certainly a lavish and visually stylish adaptation of the Mark Twain classic. The sets and costumes are quite eye-catching, and Jack Cardiff has photographed the proceedings to take advantage of every opportunity to show them and the cast off. And quite a few members of that cast are well worth showing off. Even if Oliver Reed could perhaps have benefited from at least a hint of a sense of humor, the intensity that he brings to his role is still quite impressive. Raquel Welch has rarely looked better; what's surprising is that she has also rarely acted better, turning in a delightful performance with more depth to it than usual. Ernest Borgnine and George C. Scott chew up the scenery in a most delightful manner, and Rex Harrison is dry, wry and commanding. On the other hand, Charlton Heston is a bit too broad (and American) as Henry VIII and David Hemmings is a bit too one-note as the villain in a role that requires at least a modicum of Basil Rathbone-like charm. Much more problematic is Mark Lester in the title roles. He's too old for the parts, and while he seems to be trying to act young, his physical presence works against him. In addition, it's an awkward and unconvincing pair of performances; if his Prince just barely passes muster, his Pauper falls far short of the mark. He's not helped by the lackluster direction of Richard Fleischer, which lacks the imagination that is required. Fleischer's work here is literal-minded when what is required is flamboyance. The Prince and the Pauper survives the direction and the miscasting, but these deficits do drag it down. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Sally Gilpin - Choreography, Judy Moorcraft - Costume Designer, Ulla-Britt Soderlund - Costume Designer, Nigel Wooll - First Assistant Director, Richard Fleischer - Director, Ernest Walter - Editor, Maurice Jarre - Composer (Music Score), Anthony Pratt - Production Designer, Jack Cardiff - Cinematographer, Ilya Salkind - Producer, Pierre Spengler - Producer, Roy Charman - Sound/Sound Designer, Berta Dominguez - Screenwriter, George MacDonald Fraser - Screenwriter, Pierre Spengler - Screenwriter, Berta Dominquez Spengler - Screenwriter, Berta Dominguez D. - Screenwriter, Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Featured Music, Mark Twain - Book Author
