ShangLuda Admirable film.

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Motompa Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

screenman Don't let the vintage dissuade you. Like the similarly aged 'Mutiny On The Bounty', 'Scarlet Pimpernel' is an excellent piece of work.Other contributors have explained in worthy detail the merits of this movie so I'll be brief. Leslie Howard is perfectly cast for the part. Not a handsome man in the way we might employ the term today, he nevertheless conveys a tremendous presence and authority despite so-often playing the buffoon. He gets excellent lines and delivers them with panache and timing that is simply a masterclass. I particularly like his seeming obsession with dress, especially cravats, to emphasise his foppish credentials.Other actors fit their roles to a nicety, but Howard is the man to both watch and hear. The way he shifts between his shallow persona and the shrewd and scheming alter-ego is wonderful to behold. He is like Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson combined.Filmed in Black & White, and with nice production values with regard to costume and location, this is a classic interpretation of a hero. Though its age now necessitates some sound-track repair. A re-mastering would be a blessing, though its lack of popularity make it unlikely.Easily the best Pimpernel and highly recommended.

thinker1691 In the year 1789 the impoverish people of France, had had enough of royal ambivalence stemming from the boorish French upper class. In that year a revolution erupted, killing thousands of aristocratic families. Unquenched and unabated, this murderous rampage created a Reign of Terror, that also included many others not of royal blood. In this movie, based on a play written by Montagu Barstow and Baroness Emmuska, a dashing and daring individual attempts to save dozen of aristocratic families from the murderous machine called the Guillotine. This early Black and White film is called " The Scarlet Pimpernal " and has Leslie Howard (supurb casting) playing the foppish, yet secretly dashing Sir Percy Blakeney. While Chauvelin (Raymond Massey) his main rival as the Ambasador of France, tried to capture Sir Percy, it's nearly impossible as the action hero wears many disguises and is admired by the people of England. The movie is a good adaption of the early play, but no less exciting. A fun film for the entire family who's interested in real drama instead of CGI and mindless explosions and killings. ****

Cyke 120: The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) - released 12/23/34, viewed 9/25/08.DOUG: From the makers of 'The Private Life of Henry VIII,' our next entry is 'The Scarlet Pimpernel.' Leslie Howard (from 'Of Human Bondage' previously and 'Gone With the Wind' eventually) plays Sir Percy Blakely, a seemingly empty-headed aristocrat who secretly works the underground as the Scarlet Pimpernel, helping innocents out of France during the revolution. Pimpernel is kind of a super-hero identity, although he has no costumed persona, but he does have a logo (the titular flower), and many disguises. He's something of a French version of Zorro, minus the sword. About that: Call me ignorant, but I always thought Orczy's original story for Pimpernel was a swashbuckler; I'm pretty sure other versions have actual swordplay. But there is not a sword to be seen here; Blakely's weapon of choice appears to be the eyeglass. The movie yields a good performance from Howard, who works Blakeny's act nicely between underground vigilante and witless fop. Oberon is especially good as Marguerite, the wife who can't stand her seemingly clueless husband but admires the courage of the mysterious Pimpernel. Even without the action, this is a capable suspense yarn set in the backdrop of revolutionary France, with some very good performances and compelling twists and turns.KEVIN: I am happy to see that Leslie Howard is not always as bland as he was in 'Of Human Bondage.' In many ways, 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' is a superhero story, which is probably why it's one of my favorites of the year, up there with 'The Count of Monte Cristo.' The Pimpernel may not have a costume, but he does have a superhero symbol and a host of disguises. Characters like Batman and Iron Man stole the idea of a wealthy aristocrat who utilizes his wealth and resources to aid those in need. But in a totally not-made-up twist, it turns out to be the aristocracy rather than the peasantry that is persecuted under the Reign of Terror. There's also the old crime-fighter trope of the hero assuming the boorish fop persona to throw off suspicion, which in a way gives the hero the chance to be as memorably crazy as the villains. Although it makes for some of the best scenes in the film, I wondered if it was really necessary for Blakeney to maintain his foppishness around the woman he married. Which brings us to the awesome Merle Oberon as Lady Blakeney. She has nearly as much screen time as Howard. It's her story just as much as his, if not more so. Raymond Massey, looking like Paul Muni by way of Boris Karloff, chews memorable amounts of scenery as the dastardly Chauvelin, tasked with uncovering the Pimpernel's true identity. Although the film restoration leaves much to be desired, I would highly recommend this to fans of the book, of lavish adventures in general, and of both Howard and Oberon.Last film: Bright Eyes (1934). Next film viewed: The Crowd (1928). Next film chronologically: Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

Daniel Kincaid "The Scarlet Pimpernel" takes place during the Reign of Terror in the aftermath of the French Revolution. It is the story of Sir Percy Blakeney, an English aristocrat that rescues condemned French aristocrats from the guillotine under the secret identity of "The Scarlet Pimpernel". The film features nice sets, scenes and costumes that fit the period.Leslie Howard leads the cast as Sir Percy Blakeney. Howard definitely delivers the outstanding performance of the film. He is equally good as playing the two sides of his character, public fop and secret hero. It is quite enjoyable to see Howard in the various disguises of the Pimpernel. Merle Oberon also gives a fine performance as Lady Blakeney and the relationship between her and Sir Percy is well-developed. Raymond Massey is decent, but not outstanding villain as Citizen Chauvelin.This film develops an interesting story with intrigue and memorable dialogue. However, I found that the film was unevenly paced and somewhat tedious or bogged down in ceremony at times. This version is decent overall, but I preferred the 1982 version in all aspects: the casting (even though Howard is excellent, I prefer Andrews as Sir Percy), the pacing, the development of the rivalry between Percy and Chauvelin and the ending.