The Scarlet Pimpernel

About The Scarlet Pimpernel

The Scarlet Pimpernel is a British film – a classic period drama - directed by Harold Young and released in 1934. The film is based on the play by Baroness Orczy and Montague Barstow, revolving around the French Revolution. At the helm of the plot sits the dashing and secretive Sir Percy Blakeney - an English aristocrat during the day and the heroic Scarlett Pimpernel by night. Sir Percy smuggles condemned French nobles out of France to safety while cunningly disguising his heroic alter-ego under his humdrum aristocratic life, thereby constantly outwitting the French revolution leaders.

Making / Production

The movie was produced by London Film Productions and released by United Artists. It was shot at British and Dominion studios in Elstree. Chief among the visual highlights are the lavish costumes and detailed set designs representative of the period it portrays.

Actors

• Leslie Howard: He played Sir Percy Blakeney/the Scarlet Pimpernel. He delivered a nuanced performance that balanced his roles of an aristocrat and a hero perfectly.
• Merle Oberon: She portrayed Marguerite Blakeney, Percy's wife. She excellently depicted the conflicting emotions of a woman torn between love and duty.
• Raymond Massey: He enacted the part of Chauvelin, a committed revolutionary determined to uncover Pimpernel's identity. Massey's impeccable portrayal of the antagonist contributed heavily to the film's drama.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The rhyme about the Scarlet Pimpernel, which is heard throughout the movie, was written by the Baroness herself.
• The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of the early instances of a hero with a secret identity, predating characters like Batman and Zorro.
• Leslie Howard was so associated with his role as the Scarlet Pimpernel that during World War II, his name was used as a code word for one of the war efforts.

Quotes

• "They seek him here, they seek him there, those Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven or is he in hell? That damned elusive Pimpernel."
• "Sink me, the game's afoot. No rest for the wicked."
• "Is the Scarlet Pimpernel nothing more than a name, a shadow we all fear?”

Music, Soundtrack

• The movie's score was created by Arthur Benjamin, a prominent British composer.
• The immersive background score perfectly complements the period drama and adds to the overall ambiance of the movie.