Ronald Colman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Rassendyll vs Rupert of Hentzau Scene The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1937 American black-and-white adventure film based on Anthony Hope's 1894 novel of the same name and the 1896 play. A lookalike has to step in when his royal distant relative is kidnapped to prevent his coronation. This version is widely considered the best of the many film adaptations of the novel and play. The film stars Ronald Colman, Madeleine Carroll and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., with a suppor