Directed by Harold Young and produced by Alexander Korda, The Scarlet Pimpernel is a British historical adventure film based on the 1905 play and novel by Baroness Orczy. Starring Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon, it’s a swashbuckling tale of espionage, romance, and identity—set during the Reign of Terror in revolutionary France.
Plot Summary
Sir Percy Blakeney (Leslie Howard) is a wealthy English aristocrat who poses as a foppish dandy to conceal his secret identity as the Scarlet Pimpernel, a daring vigilante who rescues French nobles from the guillotine. His wife Marguerite (Merle Oberon), unaware of his double life, is manipulated by the sinister Chauvelin (Raymond Massey), who seeks to expose the Pimpernel and crush the underground rescue network.
Cast Highlights
- Leslie Howard as Sir Percy Blakeney / The Scarlet Pimpernel
- Merle Oberon as Lady Marguerite Blakeney
- Raymond Massey as Chauvelin
- Nigel Bruce as The Prince of Wales
- Joan Gardner, Walter Rilla, and Anthony Bushell in supporting roles
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- The film was produced in England, allowing it to bypass stricter American censorship. The Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America objected to the film’s “offensive cleavage” in multiple reels, calling it the last film they would pass with such scenes
- Leslie Howard’s use of the word “demmed” in his poem was considered profanity in the U.S., but was acceptable in the UK
- A Lux Radio Theater adaptation aired in 1938, with Howard reprising his role and Olivia de Havilland joining him shortly after filming Gone with the Wind
- Though Harold Young is credited as director, many believe Alexander Korda directed much of the film himself due to creative disagreements with the original director
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