The Scarlet Pimpernel

2/7/19351h 37m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ Match courage with courage... meet cunning with cunning! ~

Overview:

18th century English aristocrat Sir Percy Blakeney leads a double life. He appears to be merely the effete aristocrat, but in reality is part of an underground effort to free French nobles from Robespierre's Reign of Terror.

Director:

Harold Young

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

husband wife relationship
double life
secret identity
french revolution
guillotine
dandy
aristocrat
18th century
troubled marriage
scarlet pimpernel
reign of terror
fop
1790s

Cast

Leslie Howard

~ as ~

Sir Percy Blakeney / The Scarlet Pimpernel

Merle Oberon

~ as ~

Lady Marguerite Blakeney

Raymond Massey

~ as ~

Chauvelin

Nigel Bruce

~ as ~

The Prince of Wales

Bramwell Fletcher

~ as ~

The Priest

Anthony Bushell

~ as ~

Sir Andrew Ffoulkes

Joan Gardner

~ as ~

Suzanne de Tournay

Walter Rilla

~ as ~

Armand St. Just

Mabel Terry-Lewis

~ as ~

Countess de Tournay

O.B. Clarence

~ as ~

Count de Tournay

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 3 year(s) ago
7
Leslie Howard portrays the ultimate good Samaritan in this enjoyable Alexander Korda adaptation of Baroness Orczy's tale of the murderous aftermath of the French Revolution. Married to the glamorous Merle Oberon, whom he believes selfishly betrayed the "St. Cyr" family to the guillotine, he, and his gang of lieutenants, daringly rescue aristocrats from under the very noses of the evil "Chauvelin" (Raymond Massey). Soon they are all walking a very tight rope between freedom and death after "Chauvelin" is sent to London to track down the "Scarlet Pimpernel" and where he tricks Oberon into betraying our intrepid rescuers. Howard is at times a little too theatrical with his foppish - "sink me" characterisation but Harold Young still creates a wonderfully tense drama with great performances from a particularly menacing Massey, and the supporting cast - Nigel Bruce amongst them - make this, for my money, the best silver screen adaptation of this novel.