The Scarlet Pimpernel

1934 - England
Directed By Harold Young



SYNOPSIS

The French king has been deposed and the new government is rounding up aristocrats and executing them. A dashing, mysterious figure known as the Scarlet Pimpernel rescues as many as he can and leads them to safety, while maintaining his secret identity. But no one would expect a (seemingly) foppish British playboy (Leslie Howard) to be the rugged hero.... except his loving wife (Merle Oberon) who may have just ratted him out!


MY THOUGHTS


The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of the (literally) hundreds of novels put into production within the first decade of sound. Like many of those, Pimpernel is a bit dated and VERY dry.

For a film that could be very action-oriented, it is not, and it certainly could have used some of the bravado of an Errol Flynn film. That would have picked up the pace and made for an exciting story. Long talking scenes are implemented to tell the story instead of action, making it very dull.

This is the film that made Leslie Howard a star. He's adequate as the hero, and gets some good lines and the all the scant humor in the film... but later films Gone with The Wind and The Petrified Forest better show off his range as an actor.

The Scarlet Pimpernel seems to be an ideal story for retelling... and knowing Hollywood... that's why it hasn't been remade. It's easier to redo a horror film from a few years ago that was already done perfectly and has name recognition... then to remake a film based on a classic novel.