A Revolução Francesa (1934)

A noblewoman discovers her husband is The Scarlet Pimpernel, a vigilante who rescues aristocrats from the blade of the guillotine.

Director:

Harold Young

Writer:

Baroness Emmuska Orczy (by) (as The Baroness Orczy)

Stars:

Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Leslie Howard	...	Sir Percy Blakeney
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	...	Col. Winterbottom
Melville Cooper	...	Romney
Gibb McLaughlin	...	The Barber
Morland Graham	...	Treadle (the tailor) (as Moreland Graham)

Storyline

London fop Percy Blakeney is also secretly the Scarlet Pimpernel who, in a variety of disguises, makes repeated daring trips to France to save aristocrats from Madame Guillotine. His unknowing wife is also French, and she finds that her brother has been arrested by the Republic to try and get her to find out who "that damned elusive Pimpernel" really is.

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Plot Keywords:

british ambassador | british aristocrat | character name as title | the scarlet pimpernel character | chess | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The original director, Rowland Brown, was fired on his first day at work.

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Goofs

The jailer who tells Chauvelin about the Le Lion d'Or has his arms folded in one shot and then by his side in the next.

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Quotes

Percy Blakeney: Magnificent fight this afternoon, my dear. Gad! That Mendoza's got quick ears. In the 10th round, when Jackson had him down, I shouted, "Get up, Mendoza!" And damn me, he did and sink me, he won!

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Connections

Version of Pimpernel Svensson (1950)

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Soundtracks

God Save the King!
(1744) (uncredited)
Attributed to Henry Carey
Whistled and hummed by Leslie Howard

User Reviews

Leslie Howard's finest hour?

This aged take on the popular novel of a foppish English hero saving aristocrats from the guillotine during the French Revolution is an absorbing British movie; benefiting in particular from the excellent performance of Leslie Howard (one of England's greatest screen actors, despite his Hungarian ancestry), who gives the character of Percy Blakeney a humour and charm lacking from other actors who have attempted the part.

Merle Oberon also does well as his French expat wife - perhaps her best acting, even surpassing her later work opposite Olivier in 'Wuthering Heights'. Given that Howard and Oberon had a real-life love affair which started during this movie, it is interesting to note there are definite sparks between the pair on screen. Other actors in the cast are good value; Raymond Massey as the arrogant French ambassador who never thinks he can be outwitted; and Nigel Bruce, beloved later in the decade as Dr Watson, as the dullard Prince of Wales.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

4 March 1936 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

A Revolução Francesa

Filming Locations:

Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

London Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Wide Range Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1