What happens
Rudolf Rassendyl, an English country squire, is persuaded by Colonel Sapt to impersonate King Rudolf V of Ruritania, who has been drugged and hidden before his coronation. Rassendyl takes the crown and wins the affection of Princess Flavia, while the king's scheming brother Black Michael plots to seize the throne. Screen Director's Playhouse presents this adaptation of Anthony Hope's novel, starring Ronald Colman and Benita Hume, with John Cromwell introducing the film. Rassendyl must weigh his duty against his feelings for Flavia as the plot unfolds in the royal court and the forest of Zenda.
Late nineteenth-century Ruritania, including the forest of Zenda and Castle Zenda
Characters: Rudolf Rassendyl, Colonel Sapt, Princess Flavia, Black Michael, Antoinette de Mauban, Rupert of Hentzau, King Rudolf V
Listen for: Rassendyl's coronation and his growing feelings for Princess Flavia
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.