The Prince and the Pauper (1937)

A graceful, near perfect adaptation of Mark Twain’s Classic satirical view at the distance between royalty/nobility and common folk.

Sure, you could focus a lot more on modern production values, or attempt Barry Lyndon-styled lighting schemes for gorgeous, painterly effects; but one should never forget that this is not History, it is instead an Edward Tudor Alternate Universe Fantasy (there is no room in this story to follow-up on his short, tragic life,) and as such simple storytelling is most effective.

The film even manages to capture Twain’s (and America’s) love/hate relationship with European nobility; hate for its inhumanity, cruelty, and clueless injustice, but also love for its setting, costuming, (it again made me reconsider sculpturing my own facial hair, even when I hardly have time for it,) pomp and circumstance (considerable screen time is spent on this); feelings shared also by Twain enthusiast Robert A. Heinlein.

The plot hardly needs retelling:

Physically identical twins are born from different parents, one into the family of King Henry VIII of England (Montagu Love), the other at Offal Court; and whether by chance or by providence switch places one day to walk in each other’s shoes.

Trouble ensues when they are separated and unable to return to their natural roles.

It’s difficult to imagine better principal casting.

Today one need only have a single talented young actor and double him with SPFX, but at the time the casting of twin brothers Billy and Bobby Mauch who are not only beautiful (they were caught precisely just before the awkward age for boys begins) but also charismatic, natural, funny, likeable and tender; and who can credibly sell the disparate roles; (despite changes in costuming I challenge you not to know which character is which in any one scene!) was a stroke of pure luck.

The supporting cast is just wonderful, the Earl of Hertford (Claude Rains) is villainous and murderous enough, and it is only because of lessons learned that he gets off much too easily; criminal father John Canty (Barton MacLane) does not.

Errol Flynn as the handsome, chivalrous (and flirty) soldier of fortune Miles Hendon, who patiently suffers the madness of the pauper he has just rescued from being beaten to death until he is able to understand the child speaks the truth, is just the hero this fairy tale needs.

Not only a Classic, but a fine family film (with minimally dark edges, there are more than a couple of onscreen murders.)

Also, with Henry Stephenson and Alan Hale, Sr.