The Prince and the Pauper

Plot synopsis:
Tom Canty, youngest son of a poor family living in Offal Court, London, has always aspired to a better life, encouraged by the local priest (who has taught him to read and write). Loitering around the palace gates one day, he sees a prince (the Prince of Wales – Edward VI). Coming too close in his intense excitement, Tom is nearly caught and beaten by the Royal Guards; however, Edward stops them and invites Tom into his palace chamber. There the two boys get to know one another, fascinated by each other's life and their uncanny resemblance; they were born on the same day. They decide to switch clothes "temporarily". The Prince momentarily goes outside, quickly hiding an article of national importance (which the reader later learns is the Great Seal of England), but dressed as he is in Tom's rags, he is not recognized by the guards, who drive him from the palace, and he eventually finds his way through the streets to the Canty home. There he is subjected to the brutality of Tom's abusive father, from whom he manages to escape, and meets one Miles Hendon, a soldier and nobleman returning from war. Although Miles does not believe Edward's claims to royalty, he humors him and becomes his protector. Meanwhile, news reaches them that King Henry VIII has died and Edward is now the king.
Tom, posing as the prince, tries to cope with court customs and manners. His fellow nobles and palace staff think "the prince" has an illness which has caused memory loss and fear he will go mad. They repeatedly ask him about the missing "Great Seal", but he knows nothing about it; however, when Tom is asked to sit in on judgments, his common-sense observations reassure them his mind is sound.
As Edward experiences the brutish life of a pauper firsthand, he becomes aware of the stark class inequality in England. In particular, he sees the harsh, punitive nature of the English judicial system where people are burned at the stake, pilloried, and flogged. He realizes that the accused are convicted on flimsy evidence (and branded – or hanged – for petty offenses), and vows to reign with mercy when he regains his rightful place. When Edward unwisely declares to a gang of thieves that he is the king and will put an end to unjust laws, they assume he is insane and hold a mock coronation.
After a series of adventures (including a stint in prison), Edward interrupts the coronation as Tom is about to celebrate it as King Edward VI. Tom is eager to give up the throne; however, the nobles refuse to believe that the beggarly child Edward appears to be is the rightful king until he produces the Great Seal that he hid before leaving the palace. Tom declares that if anyone had bothered to describe the seal he could have produced it at once since he had found it inside a decorative suit of armor (where Edward had hidden it) and had been using it to crack nuts.
Edward and Tom switch back to their original places and Miles is rewarded with the rank of earl and the family right to sit in the presence of the king. In gratitude for supporting the new king's claim to the throne, Edward names Tom the "king's ward" (a privileged position he holds for the rest of his life).

Tags: violence, action

Review:
Twain Classic, with Flynn in Support of the Mauch Twins!.
In 1937, the WB, capitalizing on Errol Flynn's spectacular performances in CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE, cast him in four films, with varying degrees of success.
The best, by far, was William Keighley and William Dieterle's production of the Mark Twain classic, THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, where he supported new WB 'discoveries' Billy and Bobby Mauch, portraying London urchin Tom Canty and his look-alike, Prince Edward Tudor.
The twins were gifted, young (12 at the time of the filming) actors, with a Freddie Bartholomew-like quality of engaging innocence, and they gave this version of the oft-filmed tale a sense of reality that split-screen performances by a single actor could never achieve.The story is an engaging one, as young Canty, inspired by his mother and a local priest to dream of a finer life than his father, an ill-tempered beggar (Barton MacLane) could provide, sneaks onto the grounds of Buckingham Palace.
There, he meets young Prince Edward, who is thrilled to meet a boy his own age...and, after cleaning him up a bit, is astonished to discover that the pair could pass as twins.
Edward decides this is a golden opportunity to see what life outside the Palace is really like, so, against Canty's misgivings, the two exchange clothing, and the Prince leaves...creating far more of an uproar than either boy could ever imagine!Canty is soon considered 'mad', as he insists he is not Edward, and the Prince, abused and ridiculed by Tom's father, is unceremoniously thrown off the Palace grounds when he attempts to return, by a disbelieving Captain of the Guards (Alan Hale, in the first of 11 films he'd make with his friend, Errol Flynn).
The ambitious Earl of Hertford (the always brilliant Claude Rains) investigates Canty's claim, and realizes, after interviewing the Captain, that the boy is telling the truth, giving him a golden opportunity to seize power.
Ordering the Captain to find and kill the Prince, the Earl then threatens to kill Canty if he doesn't obey his commands.Things grow desperate for the young Prince, as he attempts to evade his murderous 'father' on the streets, until Miles Hendon (Flynn), a roguish but good-natured 'soldier-for-hire' comes to his aid.
Offering his protection to the lad, Hendon thinks him a bit balmy, as well...until events (the child's obvious despair over the death of Henry VIII, the Palace search party, and a sword duel with the Captain, where Flynn KILLS Alan Hale!!!) convince him otherwise.
Then it becomes a race against time to smuggle the real King into the Coronation, before Canty is crowned, and the Earl assumes "the Power behind the Throne".Blessed with a gifted cast, including wonderful character actor Montagu Love as the dying Henry VIII, the film offers a truly exceptional film score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (who would eventually expand the theme into a symphonic work).
Audiences have always been surprised that Errol Flynn's role is not larger, but as a faithful Twain adaptation, the focus had to be on the two boys, and not on the impoverished soldier.
Flynn had fun playing Hendon, and the Mauch twins were nothing less than superb as the leads.With THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD less than a year away, and Errol Flynn's star continuing to ascend, the WB had every reason to celebrate, and THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER is a pleasure to watch, to this day!.
The Prince and the Pauper is a charming and witty film.
Errol Flynn, although appearing a little late in the film, gives a great performance as an adventurer who protects what he believes is a delusional boy.
The Mauch twins, Billy and Bobby, are perfect foils for Flynn, who's interaction with the Prince of England is touching, warm and comedic.
As usual with Flynn's films Erich Wolfgang Korngold's music is brilliant, weaving a childlike main theme with an undercurrent of adventure.
it is a good hour before he makes his appearance as Miles Hendon.The novel by Mark Twain looked at what might have happened if the future Edward VI was swapped for a beggar boy who looked identical, and what that might mean for the (simplified) political situation on the death of his father, Henry VIII.As Edward and the beggar, Tom Canty, identical twins Billy and Bobby Mauch are charming.
They were both good little actors as well, which helps in this story.Claude Rains excels as the villain of the piece, while Alan Hale, Eric Portman, and others make up the cast.
Flynn himself is fun as Hendon, swashbuckling with the best.After 70 years this film has not dated one jot - highly enjoyable..
"The Prince and the Pauper" is based on Mark Twain's novel of the same name.
The story is a hypothetical situation where Edward VI exchanges places with a beggar that resembles him as he is about to become King of England.The Mauch twins, Bobby and Billy, skillfully play the roles of Edward VI and the beggar Tom Canty.
Errol Flynn is well-cast as the dashing hero Miles Hendon, who comes to protect Edward when he's taken for a beggar.
Also notable are Alan Hale as the captain of the guard, Barton MacLane as Tom Canty's despicable father and Montagu Love as the counseling Henry VIII.The story is not meant as history, but rather an examination of social disparities.
Bobby Mauch and Billy Mauch are "The Prince and the Pauper," a 1937 film based on the Mark Twain story.
The film also stars Errol Flynn and Claude Rains.
When Tom, the pauper, is caught by the guards, the young Prince sees a playmate in him and invites him in.
They change clothes so that the Prince can go and get his dog from the kennel for their next game, but he's caught by the cruel guards who think he's the pauper.
He has a protector forced upon him, the Earl of Hertford (Rains), who does not have the best interests of the English people in mind.While he's in Tom's world, Prince Edward gets a good look at the horrible way the English people are forced to live because of bad laws.
Eventually he meets Miles Hendon (Flynn) who saves him from Tom's wretched father.
This is a wonderfully fun movie, filled with the meanest of the mean in Alan Hale as a palace guard, Barton MacLane as Tom's father, and the diabolical, unfeeling Earl.
Mark Twain's classic tale of a pair of look-alike boys in 16th century England is given the glossy Hollywood treatment in this very entertaining effort.
Billy and Bobby Mauch, 12 year old twin brothers, star, one as the heir to the throne of England and the other as a street urchin.
By accident, each is mistaken for the other and when the king dies, the pauper may be crowned instead of the rightful prince.
Errol Flynn may be billed as the star, but he does not appear until halfway through the film.
Flynn is good as always in this fun filled film..
This version of The Prince and the Pauper had all the ingredients to be good, and it was, great even.
Korngold's score is superb, very sweeping and bombastic, I would go as far to say that it is almost as good as his score for The Adventures of Robin Hood which I have long considered one of the all-time greats in that regard.
Billy and Bobby Mauch are very endearing as the twins and although he doesn't appear until halfway through Errol Flynn is a gallant charismatic presence.
Montagnu Love is a characterful and moving King Henry, but faring best are Claude Rains, doing urbane in a way not many other actors could do, and Alan Hale as a suitably villainous Captain.
All in all, a great film, worth noting for Korngold's score, the production values and Rains.
The reign of Edward VI of England would be little remembered if it not were for the writing of this story by an American of all people, Mark Twain.
In point of fact Edward Tudor ascended the English throne in 1547, the son of Henry VIII and died six years later, not even reaching his maturity.
That story can be seen in the films Young Bess and also in Lady Jane.
There was no happily ever after endings for young Tudor.At first glance it wouldn't seem possible that Samuel Langhorne Clemens of Hannibal, Missouri could write a classic tale about medieval England.
But thinking about it, is the poverty and young Tom Canty's dealing with it in Offal Court all that different from Huckleberry Finn?
Is his father, a coarse and brutal man beautifully played by Barton MacLane, all that different from Huck Finn's pap?Twain knew his characters well and it he had any trouble with getting the idiom just right he need only have looked to Charles Dickens who was writing about just such people a generation before.The story is simply that Tom Canty, a beggar boy from Offal Court in London gets into the palace of the king and meets up with young Prince Edward.
They look alike enough to be twins and in fact they are played by twin brothers Billy and Bobby Mauch.
They exchange places and the switch works only too well.Top billed in the film is Errol Flynn who plays the fictional Miles Hendon, soldier of fortune just returned from the continent.
Flynn was the biggest name in the cast, but the film is half over before he makes his appearance.
It's Flynn's third appearance with sword in hand for Warner Brothers after Captain Blood and Charge of the Light Brigade.
This film also marks Flynn's first film with Alan Hale who appeared in eleven films with Errol.
Jack Warner kept both those guys real busy.Also in the film are Henry Stephenson and Claude Rains who play competing nobles vying to be top man in their minority monarch's reign.
As I said unfortunately that marked Edward VI's entire time on England's throne.But we have Mark Twain in his classic story and the brothers Warner to thank for bringing Edward VI's story to life for generations to come.
I wonder if during his short life, young Edward might really have wished to escape what he had, even if it meant a place like Offal Court..
Great Fun. Excellent adaptation of Mark Twain's story about a young prince and a lookalike beggar boy who trade places.
The duo are played by real-life twins Billy and Bobby Mauch.
Despite receiving top billing, it's nearly an hour in before Errol Flynn shows up.
Claude Rains is great as the villainous Earl of Hertford.
Fine WB supporting cast includes Alan Hale, Barton MacLane, Henry Stephenson, and Halliwell Hobbes.
In one of his early sketches he tells an inquisitive reporter that the tragedy of his life was the strange death of his twin - the boy had one only one mark on his body that differs him from his brother - Twain shows it to the reporter on his own person, and says that was the boy who supposedly died mysteriously and was buried.
The reporter leaves after that tidbit.Of course the novel (which became the subject of this film and several others) is the one that people think of as Twain's "twins switching" story.
Twins pop up too in "Tom Sawyer Detective" - which was based on an old 17th Century Danish murder case involving twins.But it's "The Prince And The Pauper" (1876) that is recalled as Twain's "twin story".
Here it is central to Twain's looking at an appalling, inequitable social system in Tudor England.Henry VIII is dying and his son Edward, Prince of Wales is aware that he is going to soon lose his wise father and take over the reins of government.
In the film wise old Henry Stephenson is Norfolk and crafty, power-seeking Claude Rains is Hertford.
Edward, in Twain's story, while waiting for the sad news, meets Tom Canty, a boy who looks almost exactly like him (here played - for a change - by the Mauch Twins).
But Edward is soon helped by a young squire, Miles Herndon (Errol Flynn) who is trying to return to his ancestral home to regain his possessions from a greedy brother.The twisty plot did show much of the underside of English Tudor living that many of the other early Tudor history films barely touched on (except to show the intrigues at court).
It also had plenty of humor - look at the business about the usefulness of "the Great Seal of England", which is typical Twain humor.
I feel this version of the story is quite good - possibly the best of the different versions of the novel that have reached the screen..
In the slums of 16th century London, young Billy Mauch (as "Pauper" Tom Canty) makes the most of his life as a beggar; though, he is beaten by his father, and thrown in the mud.
Meanwhile, royal Bobby Mauch (as "Prince" Edward VI) lives a life of luxury; soon, he will replace father King Henry VIII on the throne.
Prince Mauch invites Pauper Mauch over to the palace, where the two become intrigued by their different lifestyles, and identical appearance.
When nobody believes their stories, the boys are forced to assume each other's identities.This is a well-produced version of the Mark Twain classic.
The "Mauch Twins" and Claude Rains (as the Earl of Hertford) are especially strong in their portrayals; and, Erich Wolfgang Korngold's soundtrack should be noted.
Don't expect to see top-billed Errol Flynn (as Miles Hendon) until later in the film, as a supporting player.
Alan Hale, Barton MacLane, Henry Stephenson, and Montagu Love are also worth noting; but, the film's main strengths are Mr. Rains, Mr. Korngold, and the "Mauch Twins".
******* The Prince and the Pauper (5/5/37) William Keighley ~ Billy Mauch, Bobby Mauch, Errol Flynn, Claude Rains.
For all my life I loved the film 'The Adventures of Robin Hood'.
I always liked Errol Flynn and his men fight the bad guys.
Yesterday I saw The Prince and the Pauper on TV for the first time.
A lot of music that won the Oscar in Robin Hood appears here in this film (2 years earlier !!).
Look out for Little John in the role of the captain of the King's guards.
I've always thought of Mark Twain (nee, Samuel Clemens) as America's Charles Dickens.
Twain's first book, "The Innocents Abroad," was published in 1869 – the year before Dickens died.
Because I think Dickens would have enjoyed thoroughly Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper." The two men wrote with obviously different references – cultures, times, people.
Twain's Prince and Pauper was published in 1882.
And that brings me now to this first sound production of "The Prince and the Pauper." It's a wonderful rendition of this classic tale that I think has become a classic in itself.
It has a stellar cast for the period in Errol Flynn, Claude Rains, Henry Stephenson, Barton MacLane, Alan Hale and Eric Portman.
And the twin brothers, Billy and Robert Mauch give top performances as the prince and the pauper.
This is a delightful fictional story with just a little bit of an historical look at the times and place.
I love "The Prince and the Pauper" and Billy and Bobby Mauch.
And, although Errol Flynn gets top billing, Bobby Mauch as both the prince and the commoner gets the lion's share of the time on screen.
A poor boy in the 16th century turns out to be the spitting image of the young prince.
That's where heroic Errol Flynn comes into the film.
The movie is a well made and well acted costumer--employing all that is best about Warner Brothers films of the era.
Errol = cute; Mauch Twins= Not so much.
I thought that they brought Mark Twain's story to life pretty well.I enjoyed Errol's 2:1 sword fight and his eventual duel with Alan Hale.
This may be the only film in which Errol and Alan are adversaries rather than allies.
The twins are well cast even though they are from illinois and Errol Flynn is always entertaining as the swashbuckling hero.
Classic Mark Twain Story.
Everyone knows the story of the spoiled prince who is bored with his life.
This is a really fun Mark Twain story that boys would have loved to read, and this an adequate,though not outstanding, version..
I love this wonderful story that was penned by the absolute genius Mark Twain aka Samuel Clemmons.This movie made in 1937 is a delight for the senses.Errol Flynn and the twins that play the prince and the pauper are just wonderful actors.To me they look like child Dennis Morgans.He was a wonderful actor and Irish tenor of the same time era in movies.And who could top the amazing Claude Raines.Black and white is as usual the best for these old movies and I put this to DVD from an airing on Turner Classic Movies.I put a lot of movies to DVD especially from Turner Classic Movies.Then I can watch them anytime that I want to.If you want to see a wonderful adventure then this is for you.!!.
This movie reflects Mark Twain's Nostradamus-like prophecy .
Twain was a big fan of the Tudors, contending that Henry VIII was more devious than Machiavelli in THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER.
But Twain knew that ever since the Saxons had jumped onto the Anglos' backs, Britain was prone to being led astray by conniving Prussians, such as Lord Hertford (Claude Rains) in PAUPER.
This happens at the end of PAUPER, just as it came to pass in Real Life during the 1930s (long after the book's release and Twain's death).
Errol Flynn may be absent from the first hour--as well as the final ten minutes--of PAUPER, but Hitler's Hous of Hanover Henchpeople were very much present to film audiences of the 1930s.