The Scarlet Pimpernel main backdrop
The Scarlet Pimpernel main poster

The Scarlet Pimpernel

Visit website

6.9/10 • 65

1934-12-201h 37m

DramaAdventure

Match courage with courage... meet cunning with cunning!

18th century English aristocrat Sir Percy Blakeney leads a double life. He appears to be merely the effete aristocrat, but in reality is part of an underground effort to free French nobles from Robespierre's Reign of Terror.

Directors
Harold Young
Writters
Lajos Biró, S. N. Behrman, Robert E. Sherwood, Arthur Wimperis
Editors
Lajos Biró, S. N. Behrman, Robert E. Sherwood, Arthur Wimperis, William Hornbeck

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Leslie Howard

    Leslie Howard

    Sir Percy Blakeney / The Scarlet Pimpernel

  2. Merle Oberon

    Merle Oberon

    Lady Marguerite Blakeney

  3. Raymond Massey

    Raymond Massey

    Chauvelin

  4. Nigel Bruce

    Nigel Bruce

    The Prince of Wales

  5. Bramwell Fletcher

    Bramwell Fletcher

    The Priest

  6. Anthony Bushell

    Anthony Bushell

    Sir Andrew Ffoulkes

  7. Joan Gardner

    Joan Gardner

    Suzanne de Tournay

  8. Walter Rilla

    Walter Rilla

    Armand St. Just

  9. Mabel Terry-Lewis

    Mabel Terry-Lewis

    Countess de Tournay

Reviews1

View Reviews
CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Jun 13, 2022

7/10

Leslie Howard portrays the ultimate good Samaritan in this enjoyable Alexander Korda adaptation of Baroness Orczy's tale of the murderous aftermath of the French Revolution. Married to the glamorous Merle Oberon, whom he believes selfishly betrayed the "St. Cyr" family to the guillotine, he, and his gang of lieutenants, daringly rescue aristocrats from under the very noses of the evil "Chauvelin" (Raymond Massey). Soon they are all walking a very tight rope between freedom and death after "Chauvelin" is sent to London to track down the "Scarlet Pimpernel" and where he tricks Oberon into betraying our intrepid rescuers. Howard is at times a little too theatrical with his foppish - "sink me" characterisation but Harold Young still creates a wonderfully tense drama with great performances from a particularly menacing Massey, and the supporting cast - Nigel Bruce amongst them - make this, for my money, the best silver screen adaptation of this novel.

Media

  • The Scarlet Pimpernel poster
  • The Scarlet Pimpernel poster
  • The Scarlet Pimpernel poster
  • The Scarlet Pimpernel poster
  • The Scarlet Pimpernel poster

Recommendations

  • Wuthering Heights main backdrop

    Wuthering Heights

    7.2

  • The Heiress main backdrop

    The Heiress

    7.8

  • The Mummy's Tomb main backdrop

    The Mummy's Tomb

    5.6

  • The Last Days of Pompeii main backdrop

    The Last Days of Pompeii

    5.6

  • Thirty Day Princess main backdrop

    Thirty Day Princess

    6.8

  • The Chief of Chukotka main backdrop

    The Chief of Chukotka

    5.5

  • The Score main backdrop

    The Score

    6.7

  • M main backdrop

    M

    8.1

  • RoboCop main backdrop

    RoboCop

    7.3

  • Dumbo main backdrop

    Dumbo

    7.0

  • Pulp Fiction main backdrop

    Pulp Fiction

    8.5

  • Atlantis: Milo's Return main backdrop

    Atlantis: Milo's Return

    6.3

  • Nightcrawler main backdrop

    Nightcrawler

    7.7

  • Red Heat main backdrop

    Red Heat

    6.2

  • Ghostbusters main backdrop

    Ghostbusters

    7.5

  • Titanic main backdrop

    Titanic

    7.9

  • Treasure Planet main backdrop

    Treasure Planet

    7.6

  • Almost Famous main backdrop

    Almost Famous

    7.5

  • The Prince of Egypt main backdrop

    The Prince of Egypt

    7.3

  • Chicken Little main backdrop

    Chicken Little

    5.9

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
husband wife relationshipdouble lifesecret identityfrench revolutionguillotinedandyaristocrat18th centurytroubled marriagescarlet pimpernelreign of terrorfop1790s