Actuakers
One of my all time favorites.
CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
ChanFamous
I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
utgard14
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. They're both very good. Despite receiving top billing, it's nearly an hour in before Errol Flynn shows up. He's lots of fun as you might expect. Claude Rains is great as the villainous Earl of Hertford. He doesn't really get to have scenes with Flynn, however. Fine WB supporting cast includes Alan Hale, Barton MacLane, Henry Stephenson, and Halliwell Hobbes. Spirited, fun adventure story. Despite the length, it never drags. Nice music score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Definitely worth checking out.
TheLittleSongbird
This version of The Prince and the Pauper had all the ingredients to be good, and it was, great even. Maybe some of the first half of the film takes a little too much time to get going, but everything else really shines. The sets and costumes are very handsome and colourful and the film is sumptuously photographed too. 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. The dialogue is suitably witty, the swash-buckling itself is energetically and never clumsily choreographed and the story is as timeless as ever. 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. 9/10 Bethany Cox
didi-5
Those who hope to see a lot of Errol Flynn in this movie will be disappointed ... 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. Much better than the split screen versions in later remakes of the 60s and 70s. 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.
MartinHafer
This is a very likable and well-made film for the entire family. 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. The story is probably very familiar to most people. A poor boy in the 16th century turns out to be the spitting image of the young prince. However, the prince hates life in the palace and longs to escape and see and experience life. When the two accidentally meet, they decide to temporarily change places. Unfortunately, this results in many complications--the biggest of which is a conspiracy to use the fake prince as a dupe and do away with the real one! 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. Fun and entertaining throughout--it almost makes you believe this story is TRUE!
