The Prisoner of Zenda (1979 film)

The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Richard Quine and adapted from the adventure novel by Anthony Hope, first published in 1894. The novel tells the story of a man who has to impersonate a king, whom he happens to closely resemble, when the king is abducted by enemies on the eve of his coronation. An earlier adaptation of the story was made into a film in 1952 starring Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger, and directed by Richard Thorpe.

King Rudolf IV Sellers dies in a balloon accident upon the celebration of his seventieth birthday. In order to secure the throne, General Sapt and his nephew Fritz travel to London, where the Kings son, Rudolf V Sellers, resides and lives through the day in Londons pleasure establishments but the Kings demented halfbrother Michael Kemp, thinking that he is the better claimant, sends an assassin after them. Hansom cab driver Sydney or Sidney Frewin Sellers, the new Kings halfbrother from an affair with a British actress, rescues Rudolf from an assassination attempt. Once his resemblance to the King is noticed, Frewin is hired by the general ostensibly as the Kings coachman, but actually to play the role of decoy. The ruse is quickly uncovered, however, when during an attack by Michaels men the royal guardsmen address Frewin as their new king, and the two lookalikes get acquainted.In an unattended moment, Rudolf is captured and brought to Michaels castle of Zenda. Out of necessity, Frewin has to keep masquerading as the King for the coronation ceremony. Princess Flavia, Rudolfs fiance Frederick, is perceptive enough to see through the ruse, and after Frewin and the general have confided in her, she quickly becomes Frewins trusted ally and love interest. Complicating the scheme on Frewins side is the jealous Count Montparnasse whose wife Sommer has become infatuated with Rudolf, and on Michaels side by his mistress, Antoinette, who is wildly jealous about the prospect of Michael marrying Flavia and in turn is the love interest of the slightly unbalanced Rupert von Henzau, Michaels secondincommand. ........

Source: Wikipedia