Rent The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Every bit the foppish English gentleman, Sir Percy Blakeney's (Leslie Howard)'s foolish demeanour is a mere cover to conceal his true identity as the 'Scarlet Pimpernel' - daring saviour of French aristocrats during Robespierre's (Ernest Milton)'s - Reign of Terror. With the villainous Chauvelin (Raymond Massey) desperate to track him down, a plan is soon put into action which threatens the life and liberty of Sir Percy's beautiful wife (Merle Oberon) in the hope of putting paid to the Pimpernel's exploits once and for all...
- Actors:
- Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey, Nigel Bruce, Bramwell Fletcher, Anthony Bushell, Joan Gardner, Walter Rilla, Mabel Terry-Lewis, O.B. Clarence, Ernest Milton, Edmund Breon, Melville Cooper, Gibb McLaughlin, Morland Graham, John Turnbull, Gertrude Musgrove, Allan Jeayes, A. Bromley Davenport, William Freshman
- Directors:
- Harold Young
- Producers:
- Alexander Korda
- Writers:
- Baroness Emmuska Orczy, Lajos Biró, Alexander Korda, Montagu Barstow
- Studio:
- Network
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama
- Collections:
- A Brief History of Archaeology on Screen: Part 1, Top 10 Films About Radio: Rock to Rap, Top 10 Films and Shows About British Princes, Top Films
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Reviews (1) of The Scarlet Pimpernel
Historical Adventure. - The Scarlet Pimpernel review by Steve
The first sound version of the classic adventure story is peerless. The production values rival those of the historical films of 1930s Hollywood, with big sets, handsome interiors, rich and detailed costuming and swarms of extras, all tucked away into a tidy and exciting 90 minutes.
Leslie Howard is superb as both the popinjay Sir Percy Blakeney and his dashing masquerade, The Scarlet Pimpernel, sought by the French revolutionaries for saving aristocrats from the guillotine. Raymond Massey is a natural as his saturnine adversary. Merle Oberon is beautiful, but a little too impassive as Lady Blakeney.
The elusive Pimpernel is a prototype superhero, a figure of destiny who hides behind a passive alter-ego. So this story has been (sort of) ripped off endlessly. But in this case, thanks to the star, it is the domestic facade, the effete, idle toff who is far more entertaining. The script is certainly mannered, but that suits the splendid theatricality of the film.
This is far from realism, and part of suspending disbelief means imagining ourselves on the side of the French aristocracy. And the film is relentlessly patriotic towards the English nobility. But, propaganda aside, it is among the best action adventures of the '30s. Leslie Howard reprised his role in 1941 as Pimpernel Smith, this time fighting the Nazis.