Filmography of The Prince and the Pauper

Abstract:The subject of filmed Mark Twain has only begun to be examined by scholars. Adaptations vary in format, production values, quality, and fidelity to the source material widely. Film versions of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn have received the bulk of critical attention, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court seems to have inspired many filmmakers, but the Mark Twain work that appears to have produced the most adaptations is The Prince and the Pauper. In the almost 110 years since the first silent version premiered, ninety-five variations on the Tudor tale have been released, with these adaptations varying from traditional and highly faithful renditions to versions that connect by very slim similarities. The novel’s plot has often been borrowed for episodes of television series, with stories involving previously unknown doubles and the switching of identities. This filmography traces and catalogs those adaptations that based on Mark Twain’s novel.