The Scarlet Pimpernel

Rating:
Summary: Saving Them From The Guillotine
Review: Leslie Howard is the courageous English aristocrat who saves French aristocrats from the guillotine in this filming of the famous novel. Very few know just who this mysterious saviour, the "Scarlet Pimpernel", really is, since he uses disguises and moves with the secrecy of a spy. Howard must also keeps his double life secret from his wife, Merle Oberon, a woman he loves but does not like very much. But forces are conspiring against him to reveal the truth about the Scarlet Pimpernel, which would lead to the brutal deaths of so many Frenchmen. Howard plays the many faces of his character with equal class and wit, giving a very natural and relaxed performance that is among the best I've ever seen him give. Oberon also scores well, getting more out of her character than simply being a very beautiful decoration in the film. The film could use a little more action, and unfortunately the years have not been good to the quality of the film's prints (especially the sound), but there is a lot here to entertain anyways.

Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite films, worth seeing again & again!!!
Review: Leslie Howard was perfectly cast in the title role of this highly enjoyable film, far superior in my opinion to the 1982 re-make (although I liked Jane Seymour better than Merle Oberon as Lady Blakeney). Howard plays his part to perfection, whether he's the hilariously foppish Lord Percy or the heroic Pimpernel. I liked everything about this movie, and at the end you'll wish you were British!

Rating:
Summary: Inferior Video Transfer
Review: Madacy continues to underwhelm when it comes to video transfers to the DVD medium. Copies always look as though they were made from an inferior VHS tape. If you ever wondered why Madacy's DVD titles were so inexpensive, now you know. The movie itself is a classic, though.

Rating:
Summary: SINK ME! ONE OF MY FAVORITE FILMS
Review: My mother, who was a lover of great old movies, introduced me to this film years ago. At first I thought it dull and dry, being too much accustomed to the new special effects that were beginning to dominate film.

The more I watched it the more I came to understand that this film is one of the true classics ever made and features some of the greatest actors and actresses to ever grace the silver screen. It is now easily one of my very favorite movies.

Leslie Howard (Gone With The Wind) stars as Sir Percy Blakeney, a super hero of the French Revolution, who masquerades as a man who should be afraid of his own shadow. I wouldn't be surprised to find that the Zorro stories were spawned in part by exposure to The Scarlet Pimpernel. Merle Oberon (Wuthering Heights), one of the great leading ladies of Hollywood, stars as Lady Marguerite Blakeney, a woman who holds a terrible secret about her past and wonders why her husband is a dandy. Rounding out the cast is Raymond Massey (East of Eden) who stars as the sinister Citizen Chauvelin.

A movie's greatness is shown in whether its remakes offer something new and revolutionary or copy it verbatim. The remake of this movie that aired in the late seventies/early eighties, was a complete copy of this 1934 classic. Don't waste any time on it and relish the classic performance by Howard, Oberon and Massey.

Rating:
Summary: Swashbuckling Good Fun
Review: Not quite as good as the colorized 80s version of the film, but still excellent. Leslie Howard does a magnificent job, as does the woman who plays his wife. The story is what really makes this a classic. Could you have a better ending?!!! I think not. "Sink Me" if this isn't my husband's favorite story.

Rating:
Summary: Still The Best Pimpernel...Ever!
Review: The cast is incredible, the writing is witty, the sets fantastic and the swashbuckle factor is off the scale. Yes, it's black and white and the sound is a little garbled, but every time I see this movie I find new reasons to rate it as one of the best movies ever made. Leslie Howard is no spineless Ashley Wilkes here...he's smart, determined and devious. Merle Oberon is beautiful, bringing a depth and sadness to her role that keeps her character from becoming the standard "set decoration." Raymond Massey is wonderfully wicked. He is a terrific villain and you can't wait to see him fall! The plot twists for first-timers are unrelenting--this is the smartest and most enjoyable version I've seen (and that includes A&E's mini-series travesty! ). Add this classic to your video collection today.

Rating:
Summary: Leslie Howard made this movie the classic that it is.
Review: The part of Sir Percy was perfect for Leslie Howard; no one could have played it better. His characterization of the dual personalities was wonderful to watch, and his use of voice inflection and body language to portray the incredible wit of his character would have made even Oscar Wilde himself recognize and applaud true talent when he saw it. I have been disappointed time and again in my efforts to purchase this movie; apparently, copies of it are no longer made. If anyone knows of a legitimate place where I can purchase it, please e-mail me at [e-mail] and let me know!

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful classic
Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel

This 1935 telling of the classic story has many pluses; first is the cast, with Leslie Howard as Sir Percy Blakeney, Merle Oberon as Lady Marguerite Blakeney, Raymond Massey as Chauvelin, and Nigel Bruce as Prince of Wales. The next is the script, which was adapted from the novel by Robert E. Sherwood, Sam Berman, Arthur Wimperis, and Lajos Biro. Finally, the overall production and look is superb -- while the story may be short on action, it is strong in character and intrigue.

I do quibble with the tape quality -- it looks as if it was taken from an old print of the film; there are several scratches and one apparent break; however, the sound is pretty good. I hope that one day, the film will be restored and new audiences will have an opportunity to watch Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon together in this project.

If you are a fan of Leslie Howard or Merle Oberan, if you are a fan of films from Hollywood's "Golden Age" or if you simply enjoy the story of the Scarlet Pimpernel, then add this video to your collection.

Rating:
Summary: "...that damned illusive complete film...!"
Review: There is nothing wrong with the film "the Scarlet Pimpernel", providing that you view a complete version of it; which sadly to say, this version is not! The quality is fairly consistant, considering how old the actual film is, however it is missing scenes and dialogue important to the story and characters. I don't know where they recieved this poor version from, and I would not recommend it to those of you who love the Pimpernel as much as I, as you will be sorely dissapointed. To add insult to injury, the jacket cover depicts a picture of Merle Oberon and Raymond Massey, while the title says "Leslie Howard and Joan Gardner". I suppose the old addage is true: "You buy cheap, you get cheap!"

Rating:
Summary: a very good film
Review: This film has most everyting adventure romance, but also an underlying sadness as its during the French Revolution. Merl Oberon is beautiful does a great acting job and also Leslie Howard plays the Scarlet PImpernel so very very well. Hes very talented in all his films this I think is one of his best.