One of Mark Twain's true masterpieces, The Prince and the Pauper is rich in lessons as true now as when the legendary American scribe penned the classic in 1881. And now, Hallmark Entertainment brings the grippingly thoughtful tale to life in a two-hour television special.
A boy pauper with an abusive alcoholic father, Tom (Robert Timmins) dreams of a life steeped in riches and adventure. A life of royalty. Prince Edward (Jonathan Timmins), son of the often-merciless King Henry VIII (Alan Bates, Arabian Nights), dreams of playing with children his age and to "clothe myself in rags and revel in mud, with no one to forbid it." Little do the two boys know, they're about to get their wishes.
One day, while running from his father, John Canty, Tom tumbles unnoticed through the guarded gate and onto the grounds of the royal palace. He is met there by Prince Edward, who discreetly leads him through a side entrance and up to his stately room. The two boys become fast friends, sharing their aspirations and, in a whimsical act, exchanging clothes. The boys stand in front of a mirror and are suddenly amazed. Other than the smudge of dirt on his face, Tom looks exactly as the Prince did before they changed clothes and the Prince just as Tom had looked! The Prince seizes the moment and heads for the window. "Let us enjoy this opportunity," he says. "You are Prince until I return."
Hilarity and hardships ensue as the two boys realize that no life is, as it seems. With the help of an altruistic stranger, Miles Hendon (Aidan Quinn, Legends of the Fall), the Prince overcomes John Canty's wrath, imprisonment and nonbelievers who label him a liar when he professes his true identity, all in his quest to return to his rightful place in life. Tom finds himself behind bars as well -- the gate that surrounds the royal palace. When the king dies, he must continue to masquerade as Prince, longing for his family and friends, while fending off the nefarious Lord Hertford (Jonathan Hyde). Lord Hertford has discovered Tom's identity and threatens to reveal it unless Hertford rules the kingdom, using the boy as a puppet. However, through the kindness of strangers and armed with newfound wisdom, the Prince reclaims his throne and rights the injustices of his father, making a better life for his new friends and country.

Bates turns quite yellow at new role
McEntee, Daily Express, 13 September 2000

Alan Bates unveiled a Chernobyl-style carrot-yellow crop and beard when he turned-up at Monday's first night of Brief Encounter at London's Lyric Theatre. ... He had adopted the bizarre hairdo for his art.

Bates told me: "I play Henry VIII for an American television version of Prince and the Pauper with Aidan Quinn. But I'm not going to keep it like this!" |||