The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)

Director:

Harold Young

Writers:

Baroness Emmuska Orczy (by)
Lajos Biró (scenario, continuity & dialogue) ...

Release Date:

7 February 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy

Tagline:

The Scarlet Pimpernel. Who Was He... What Was His Strange Power?

Plot:

Leslie Howard plays Sir Percy Blakeney, an 18th century English aristocrat who leads a double life. He appears to be merely the effete aristocrat...

Plot Keywords:

Aristocrat | Disguise | Robespierre | France | Fop

Cast

Leslie Howard	...	Sir Percy Blakeney / The Scarlet Pimpernel
Merle Oberon	...	Lady Blakeney
Raymond Massey	...	Chauvelin
Nigel Bruce	...	The Prince of Wales
Bramwell Fletcher	...	The Priest
Anthony Bushell	...	Sir Andrew Ffoulkes
Joan Gardner	...	Suzanne de Tournay
Walter Rilla	...	Armand St. Just
Mabel Terry-Lewis	...	Countess de Tournay
O.B. Clarence	...	Count de Tournay
Ernest Milton	...	Robespierre
Edmund Breon	...	Colonel Winterbottom
Melville Cooper	...	Romney (The Great Artist)
Gibb McLaughlin	...	The Barber
Morland Graham	...	Treadle (the tailor) (as Moreland Graham)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Wide Range Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #578)

Filming Locations:

Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

London Film Productions

Trivia:

Percy Blakeney refers to one of the boxers as "Mendoza", a reference to Daniel Mendoza, the 17th-century British Jew who revolutionized boxing. Mendoza was the heavyweight champion of England from 1792-5, despite being a middleweight.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Blakeney and the Prince of Wales are seen at a boxing match in which the combatants are in a structure similar to a modern 'square' ring. This form of the ring was not used until around 1838.

Quotes:

Percy Blakeney: Open up your sleeves, man. Let your ruffles take the air. Let them flow. Let them ripple.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Rosemary & Thyme: The Memory of Water (#2.1)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

God Save the King!

One of Howard's Best

I loved this movie largely for the fabulous performances that both Oberon and Howard give. Nothing beats Howard dressed up as an old woman and fooling the silly French soldiers!

Howard's performance is beautifully understated. His performance is based mostly in his facial expressions, which gives the performance its power. There is a tendency by later actors who have played the Pimpernel to really over do the fop business, but he gives it just the right intensity.

Oberon is perfect as Lady Blakeney, and she has wonderful chemistry with Howard. She also does a lot with facial expressions and closeups

The other good thing is that not all the French people in this movie sounded like they were English!