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Le prince et le pauvre

Original title: The Prince and the Pauper
  • 1977
  • Tous publics
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
Charlton Heston, Raquel Welch, Ernest Borgnine, Rex Harrison, Oliver Reed, George C. Scott, David Hemmings, and Mark Lester in Le prince et le pauvre (1977)
Theatrical Trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures
Play trailer1:51
1 Video
40 Photos
Period DramaSatireSlapstickSwashbucklerAdventureComedyDramaFamily

Poor boy Tom Canty and Edward, Prince of Wales exchange identities, but events force the pair to experience each other's lives as well.Poor boy Tom Canty and Edward, Prince of Wales exchange identities, but events force the pair to experience each other's lives as well.Poor boy Tom Canty and Edward, Prince of Wales exchange identities, but events force the pair to experience each other's lives as well.

  • Director
    • Richard Fleischer
  • Writers
    • Berta Domínguez D.
    • Pierre Spengler
    • Mark Twain
  • Stars
    • Oliver Reed
    • Raquel Welch
    • Mark Lester
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    2.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Richard Fleischer
    • Writers
      • Berta Domínguez D.
      • Pierre Spengler
      • Mark Twain
    • Stars
      • Oliver Reed
      • Raquel Welch
      • Mark Lester
    • 35User reviews
    • 17Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    The Prince and the Pauper aka "Crossed Swords"
    Trailer 1:51
    The Prince and the Pauper aka "Crossed Swords"

    Photos40

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    + 36
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    Top cast47

    Edit
    Oliver Reed
    Oliver Reed
    • Miles Hendon
    Raquel Welch
    Raquel Welch
    • Lady Edith
    Mark Lester
    Mark Lester
    • Edward…
    Ernest Borgnine
    Ernest Borgnine
    • John Canty
    George C. Scott
    George C. Scott
    • Ruffler
    Rex Harrison
    Rex Harrison
    • The Duke of Norfolk
    David Hemmings
    David Hemmings
    • Hugh Hendon
    Harry Andrews
    Harry Andrews
    • Hertford
    Julian Orchard
    Julian Orchard
    • St.John
    Murray Melvin
    Murray Melvin
    • Prince's Dresser
    Lalla Ward
    Lalla Ward
    • Princess Elizabeth
    Felicity Dean
    Felicity Dean
    • Lady Jane
    Sybil Danning
    Sybil Danning
    • Mother Canty
    Graham Stark
    Graham Stark
    • Jester
    Preston Lockwood
    Preston Lockwood
    • Father Andrew
    Arthur Hewlett
    Arthur Hewlett
    • Fat Man
    Tommy Wright
    • Constable
    Harry Fowler
    Harry Fowler
    • Nipper
    • Director
      • Richard Fleischer
    • Writers
      • Berta Domínguez D.
      • Pierre Spengler
      • Mark Twain
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews35

    6.32.3K
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    Featured reviews

    7James_Byrne

    Perfect Sunday afternoon family entertainment

    The major stumbling block in this all-star version of Mark Twain's classic children's story is Mark Lester, he just does not convince as a begging urchin, he lacks the street-wise cunning of a young man who has been dragged up, beaten up and abused by his monster of a father. There is no disguising his cultured and well-spoken dialect when attempting the pauper's lower class diction, and the Harpo Marx hairstyle doesn't help his cause. Charlton Heston, the only American actor ever to play King Henry VIII, gives a towering performance as the gout-ridden Tudor monarch and completely dominates every scene he is in. Oliver Reed is great as Miles Hendon, and proves to be a rollicking good swashbuckler in his clash with fellow British 60's hell-raiser David Hemmings.(It's sad when viewing GLADIATOR and seeing what twenty years of hell-raising did to these two talented actors). Coincidentally, Errol Flynn, the daddy of all hell-raisers, made a better version of THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER in the 30's, and also a terrible turkey called CROSSED SWORDS, which was the American title used for this film in 1978. What this version has over all the others is the marvellous supporting cast, not just Rex Harrison, George C. Scott and Ernest Borgnine (who is frightening as the pauper's father) but the excellent British character actors who keep cropping up in the minor roles. Michael Ripper, veteran of countless Hammer horrors, does a fine turn as the servant of Raquel Welch; Ripper also appeared in the very good Walt Disney 1962 version of this tale, as a broom merchant. THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER is excellent family entertainment, the sets and costumes are superb, and this movie may inspire younger viewers to pick up and read the wonderful Mark Twain classic story.
    6son_of_cheese_messiah

    Colourful pageant

    This film has a lot to recommend it. It is has some rather beautiful scenes (the scene of Henry VIII on his deathbed with his jester at the foot of the bed lingers long in the memory and deserves to be in a better film), some good fights and an all-star cast. Oliver Reed in particular puts in his usual charismatic performance. There is some impressive technical wizardry by which Mark Lester is made to appear as his own twin. But I agree with other reviews that Lester is not up to the task of the central role unfortunately. He is too old, for a start. That would not not necessarily be a problem except he is involved in some fight scenes and appears to be too gangly and delicate an adolescence to be able to best his opponents. Nor does he have much presence and one gets the distinct impression that the all star cast was drafted in to distract from his rather dull performance. Still it is worth watching.
    8edoornbos

    great classic!!

    This is a great classic! With so many brilliant actors in one movie they couldn't go wrong! Charlton Heston as always, is excellent and oliver Reed plays the lead part as no one! A lot of action, some comedy and a great story makes this movie very much worth watching! Don't watch another remake, this one is without a doubt the very best!! A lot of actors from this movie, teamed up several times, and that was for a reason. Oliver Reed and Charlton Heston also stared in The Three musketeers, The Four musketeers, Treasure Island and although they never had so many scenes together, the movies always were GREAT!! Of course Oliver Reed also teamed up with Michael York in a few movies, like the Musketeers movies and in The Lady and the Highwayman.
    7Bogmeister

    The Pauper Who Would be a Prince

    Brought to us by the same producers of "The Three Musketeers" and "The Four Musketeers" of several years earlier, this also brought along some of the same cast - Reed, Welch, and Heston - in an attempt to duplicate the success of those earlier adventures. It doesn't quite reach that level but is a fairly faithful adaptation of the Mark Twain story, with solid entertainment value. This was a final gasp in the child star career of Mark Lester, who gained fame as the title character of "Oliver!" from 9 years earlier. A tall gangly young man by this point, he seems out of place here, as if they waited a couple of years too long to film this. He plays the pivotal dual roles of a poor pauper kid who switches places with his double, Prince Edward of England. Reed is the wandering soldier of fortune who takes pity on and befriends the prince, now mistaken for a peasant who seems mad. Reed basically repeats his 'Athos' role from the Musketeers movies, but that's not really a bad thing - it is Oliver Reed, after all.

    The movie also piles on as many big stars as possible, a habit of the producers, though many of these stars had their best roles behind them. Heston is on hand as the blustery King Henry, dying about halfway through. Welch doesn't appear until the 2nd half, playing Reed's old girlfriend, now married to his evil brother (Hemmings). Borgnine hams it up as the mean brutal dad to the pauper, while Scott puts in an appearance as a ruler of thieves or beggars, whatever. Harrison is a royal duke, reminding one of his role as Caesar long ago in "Cleopatra"(63). This benefits from the long experience of most of the actors, who lend a humorous, carefree style to most of the scenes. There's even some poignancy in the later scenes between Lester & Reed, who begins to wonder if this may truly be the new king of England he's trying to protect, and it helps to have a nice score, as usual, from Jarre. Twain knew how to write a good story, complete with suspense as we wait for the finale, and this shows through at the end.
    8phillindholm

    Lively escapist fare.

    "Crossed Swords" is a lavish and lively adaptation of the Mark Twain classic "The Prince and the Pauper". Producing the picture were the Salkinds, the father and son team responsible for "The Three Musketeers" films, as well as the "Superman" blockbusters. Released in England by Twentieth Century Fox as "The Prince and the Pauper" in 1977, it reached American shores (now distributed by Warner Brothers) in 1978 as "Crossed Swords" and with eight minutes of footage deleted.

    Veteran director Richard Fleischer moves the familiar story along quite briskly, while still giving audiences ample opportunities to appreciate the handsome sets and costumes. The all-star cast is mostly impressive. Mark "Oliver" Lester is too old and stiff to give a truly authentic performance in the dual role of Prince Edward and pauper Tom Canty, but he doesn't spoil the film. Oliver Reed is a hearty and touching Miles Hendon, and Ernest Borgnine, fake cockney accent or not, shines as the pauper's cruel father. Charlton Heston perhaps overdoes the part of old King Henry, but how else can you play a character like that? Rex Harrison is smooth as an ill-fated Duke, George C Scott impresses as a beggar king, Raquel Welch looks stunning in her too-few scenes as Edith, Hendon's true love, and she beautifully underplays her part (though her surprising adeptness at comedy is evident here as well). The same cannot be said for scenery chewing David Hemmings, cast as Hugh, Hendon's evil brother, who forced Edith into an unhappy marriage. Among the supporting cast are such familiar faces as Harry Andrews, as a duplicitous Court Minister, Julian Orchard as a court fop, and Sybil Danning as Tom's mother. Two young beauties (Lalla Ward and Felicity Dean) appear as, respectively, future Queen Elizabeth and Lady Jane.

    With a rousing music score by Maurice Jarre, perfect for a swashbuckler like this, and beautiful scenery photographed by the great Jack Cardiff, this is light-hearted, spirited adventure at its finest. Surprisingly, the film did not fare well on either side of the Atlantic but, like most period adventures, it has worn well. Incidentally, the DVD release restores the cut footage and includes a theatrical trailer and television spot (for the U.S. release) which compliment the flawless Anamorphic Widescreen transfer.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Mark Lester's last acting role. He gave up acting due to the film's poor reception. It was widely rumoured, beginning around 2010, that he would return to acting in a portrayal of King Harold II in a film called "1066". Reports of this project faded toward the end of the 2010s without the film being made.
    • Goofs
      After Miles Hendon fights with John Canty & his neighbors, Hendon lies apparently dead on the ground. One of Canty's neighbors warns Canty: "...The police'll beat on ye, even if no one else does..." The term "police" did not exist in England until the eighteenth century. He should have said watchmen or constables. This is a mishearing; Nipper says, "the priest'll peach (inform) on you if no-one else does." The priest has just examined the seemingly lifeless body of Miles Hendon and shouted "murderer!" at John Canty.
    • Quotes

      Tom Canty: If you think the food may be poisoned, why not feed it to a dog, or a plumber?

    • Connections
      Featured in The Making of 'The Prince and the Pauper' (1978)

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • March 17, 1978 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Hungary
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Crossed Swords
    • Filming locations
      • Sopron, Hungary
    • Production companies
      • International Film Production
      • Prince and the Pauper Film Export A.G.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $8,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 48 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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    Charlton Heston, Raquel Welch, Ernest Borgnine, Rex Harrison, Oliver Reed, George C. Scott, David Hemmings, and Mark Lester in Le prince et le pauvre (1977)
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