The Prince and the Pauper Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Prince and the Pauper Blu-ray Movie Review

Trading places.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 31, 2024

Based on Mark Twain's 1881 novel, William Keighley's The Prince and the Pauper was the first full film adaptation of its celebrated source material, which has been retold in media ranging from the Broadway stage to comic books. Rooted in historical fiction, it concerns two lookalike boys -- one of royal blood, the other poor -- who swap identities and learn a few things in the process. The flexibility of Twain's original story has led to a number of creative takes on the material, but Warner Bros.' lavish 1937 production plays it straight and still entertains more than 85 years later.

The brief summary of its source material above almost functions as a full film synopsis, but there's a lot more to the story here. Our story takes place in 16th century England, where a pair of curiously similar boys are born on the same day in much different environments. One might think the luckier of the two is Edward Tudor (Bobby Mauch), Prince of Wales and son of King Henry VIII (Montagu Love), who inherits a life of luxury. The other is poor Tom Canty (Billy Mauch), son of a criminal, who has almost nothing and is basically raised by Father Andrew (Fritz Leiber).

Once we're made aware of their different personalities, it's no surprise why, after meeting by chance one night during a storm, they're immediately interested in each other's lives: Edward is almost completely isolated from "the real world" and longs to experience life outside the palace, while Tom probably wouldn't mind living as a prince. Yet these are kids at heart and, immediately recognizing their striking resemblance to each other, Edward and Tom simply decide to swap clothes for fun. (Something that yours truly did for fun with his twin brother in school a few times.) Unfortunately, their trick backfires when Edward, dressed as Tom, is caught by the Captain of the Guard (Alan Hale, Sr.) and thrown out of the palace grounds. Now Tom, dressed as Edward, is stuck playing dress-up and unprepared for life as a prince; sure, he might enjoy its luxuries, but he'd rather go back to normal... if only someone would believe his story.

Naturally, there's a bit of throne melodrama to spice things up: when the Earl of Hertford (Claude Rains) discovers the switch, he takes the opportunity to seize control by forcing "Edward" to continue his charade and appear unfit for duty while secretly ordering the murder of the real prince. Luckily, soldier Miles Hendon (Errol Flynn) -- who doesn't believe Edward's story at first -- eventually acts as a go-between to hopefully set the record straight but, with the recent untimely death of King Henry VIII and a new coronation just around the corner, he's got to work quickly.

As durable as its source material, this solid production of The Prince and the Pauper is a worthy big-screen melodrama that feels just about perfectly paced -- it's breezy and intimate enough not to feel overindulgent, yet just grand enough to feel like a spectacle. Top-billed Errol Flynn, though limited to a supporting role that only warrants screen time during the film's second half, is as dashing as usual while identical twins Billy and Bobby Mauch, boasting only a few shared credits to their name, are terrific in the dual lead roles. The production design is top-notch, the original score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold is appropriately rousing, and the direction by William Keighley -- who would famously reunite with Errol Flynn on The Adventures of Robin Hood one year later -- keeps things moving along at a good clip.

All things considered, The Price and the Pauper is a "total package" film and a no-brainer for deluxe treatment by Warner Archive, a boutique label known for their careful treatment of studio-owned catalog titles. This time is no different, of course: the original nitrate camera negative has been given a fresh new high-resolution scan and a round of careful manual cleanup, resulting in a total facelift for this visually impressive production. Its bonus features are predictably lightweight, but The Price and the Pauper is still a great purchase for fans and first-timers alike.

The Prince and the Pauper Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Unsurprisingly, this new restoration of The Prince and the Pauper is another definitive effort from Warner Archive, who routinely put out some of the best-looking Blu-rays on the market. It's sourced from a recent 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative and perfectly encoded on a dual-layered disc, and thus checks all the boxes for an ideal home video presentation: fine detail, textures, black levels, contrast, and cleanliness are all well above typical expectations for a catalog film of this vintage. An authentic film-like appearance is also achieved thanks to the regular presence of film grain, which likewise appears very true to its source. It's yet another best-cast scenario for purists, and die-hard fans of The Prince and the Pauper will find that this 1080p transfer is worth the price of admission alone.

The Prince and the Pauper Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix follows suit with a clean, crisp split mono presentation that accurately conveys the film's one-channel roots. The boutique label employs a light touch with sound restoration, often allowing a bit of light hiss and other age-related elements to avoid compromising dynamic range, and luckily enough the existing wear and tear on The Prince and the Pauper's original audio was fairly minimal. Under the circumstances this is about as near-perfect as it gets with clear dialogue, well-placed effects, and thankfully plenty of room left over for Erich Korngold's rousing and uniformly excellent original score. No complaints here -- it more than gets the job done.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, not the extras listed below.

The Prince and the Pauper Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with vintage poster-themed cover artwork and no inserts. The bonus features are unsurprisingly minimal but at lease provide a bit of pre-show entertainment.

• Merrie Melodies Shorts - A trio of classic cartoons, all recently restored and looking great.

• Plenty Of Money and You (7:16) - This 1937 short, directed by Friz Freleng, keeps the "identity crisis" theme going with the story of a cute li'l ostrich hatched alongside a brood of chicks.
• Streamlined Greta Green (8:01) - Another Friz Freleng cartoon from the same year, this one introduces us to a world of anthropomorphic cars where one little guy wants to be a taxicab. The little engine that could? Maybe... and he'll stop at nothing to pursue his dreams, despite mom's objections.
• Sunbonnet Blue (7:21) - Tex Avery takes the reins for this 1937 short in which two young mice in a hat shop are tormented by a villainous rat who breaks up their date by kidnapping one of them.

• Theatrical Trailer (3:58) - This vintage promotional piece can also be seen here.

The Prince and the Pauper Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mark Twain's classic story is well-told in this 1937 adaptation of The Prince and the Pauper, which may only disappoint those expecting more screen time for top-billed Errol Flynn. It's an engaging drama with well-placed pockets of action and adventure, and still stands as a solid crowd-pleaser more than 85 years after its original release. Warner Archive's Blu-ray brings the goods with another top-tier A/V restoration, this one sourced from a new 4K scan of the original negative, and the extras are limited but fun as well. Well worth a purchase for fans and first-timers alike.