| The Prisoner of Corbal | |
| Director: | Karl Grune |
| Producer: | Max Schach |
| Based On: | the novel The Nuptials of Corbal by Rafael Sabatini |
| Music: | Allan Gray |
| Cinematography: | Otto Kanturek |
| Editing: | Walter Stokvis |
| Studio: | Capitol Film Corporation |
| Distributor: | General Film Distributors (UK) |
| Runtime: | 93 minutes |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
The Prisoner of Corbal is a 1936 British historical drama film directed by Karl Grune and starring Nils Asther, Hugh Sinclair and Hazel Terry.[1] It is also known by the alternative title The Marriage of Corbal.[2] It is set against the backdrop of the French Revolution.
The film was made at British and Dominions Elstree Studios as an independent production which was released by General Film Distributors. The film is based on the 1927 novel The Nuptials of Corbal by Rafael Sabatini.
The aristocrat Cleonie is the object of affection for both the Marquis of Corbal and Citizen-Deputy of the revolution, Varennes. The latter saves Cleonie from the guillotine by disguising her as his nephew and smuggling her out of France.
Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene described the film as "incredibly silly and incredibly badly written but [with] a kind of wide-eyed innocence [...] which is almost endearing". Greene characterized the dialogue as "the worst I have heard these twelve months", and criticized the scenario and acting (which he attributed to the direction). Acknowledging the praise for this film from other reviewers Greene expressed concerns that other reviews may have been tainted by the presence of money.[3]
TV Guide noted, "some racy bedroom scenes were clipped for the US release. The actors suffer from miscasting, but Asther gives an outstanding performance. Interesting use of camera angles stands out, as does the direction of the crowd scenes."[4]