SimonJack Baroness Emma Orczy was still writing sequels when this first film was made of "The Scarlet Pimpernel." The British novelist, playwright and short story writer was born Sept. 23, 1865 in Hungary and died Nov. 12, 1947 in England. She first wrote "Pimpernel" as a short story and then as a play in 1903. Once it became popular, Orczy wrote a dozen sequel stories either as novels or as plays. I have enjoyed all three of her stories that have made it to the silver screen. "The Scarlet Pimpernel" is her best known work, and has the most renditions on film "The Emperor's Candlesticks" in 1937 and "Pimpernel Smith" in 1941 are very good films as well. Orczy preferred to write historical fiction, which I especially like. She puts her fictitious characters in an actual time, event or place of history, and makes them a part of that history. Besides the romance, drama, comedy or other entertainment we get from the fictional story, we also get a look at history. Of course, this is as the film industry (aka Hollywood) makes it, but most such productions try to be accurate on the historical details. Viewers can watch for errors and post corrections on IMDb. "The Scarlet Pimpernel" is a story with a lot of variety. It's an action drama in a historical setting. It has intrigue and mystery. It has deceit and deception. It has somber moments that look at a dark period in French history, and the barbarism of humanity gone mad. It is a sure- fire romance, and it has wonderful humor. I can think of very few films with stories that combine so much and come off so successfully. This first film version is hard to beat. The only later rendition that comes close is the 1982 TV movie with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. But, this 1934 London Film movie is the masterpiece. The cast is outstanding, and all roles are played superbly. Leslie Howard as Sir Percy Blakeney, Merle Oberon as Marguerite (Lady Blakeney) and Raymond Massey as Citizen Chauvelin shine in their roles. The set, scenery, props and costumes all look real for the time and circumstances. The scenes of public executions with the guillotine are a good look at how mob rule can lead to barbarism and treachery. An opening scene shows a newspaper with a close up of an item dated June 5, 1792. It reads, "On Wednesday last no fewer than fifty-three persons, including young girls, were guillotined by the order of Citizen Robespierre, the self-styled Dictator of France. An eye-witness described the scene as heart-rending." We also see the mob cheering and applauding each execution. It is a necessary look at history more than 200 years ago that we should not forget. Tens of thousands were executed by mob rule during the historic Reign of Terror. Unfortunately, the film quality is not very good on the DVD I have. This is a classic film that should be digitally remastered for posterity – and future sales. Movie buffs often quote the clever and funny poem that Sir Percy has written and recites in the film. It's an easy one to remember. I like some of the other witty exchanges Percy has at times with others. At the Blacks Club, Percy is going to recite it to some gentlemen sitting in high-backed chairs. Percy, "Would you believe me? I've just written a masterpiece?" Col. Winterbottom, "Who sir? You sir?" Percy, "Me, sir." The colonel, "No, sir." Percy, "Yes, sir. All about this mysterious pimpernel fellow." Later, at a party they are giving, Percy says to Marguerite, "Forgive me, my dear. Take our friend around and tell him who everybody is. If anybody is anybody."While this is a very entertaining film, it's also one that shines a light on the dark side of the French Revolution. Westerners are quick to celebrate the birth of democracy in late 18th century France, and at the same time turn a blind eye to the different tyranny it brought and the greater upheaval it fostered. The film has a poignant scene and line that puts the time in perspective. Nigel Bruce is playing the Prince of Wales. At a grand ball in England, a French woman who had been rescued from the guillotine approaches the prince. "Your highness, I have accepted the … invitation belatedly to implore your highness to do something to save my husband." The Prince of Wales replies, "Madame. The government does everything in its power to save those who are threatened by death in the prisons of the French Republic. But if a country goes mad, it has the right to commit every horror within its own walls."

lastliberal Most Americans know Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes in Gone With the Wind, but he was an accomplished actor long before that. A stage actor, and a British film actor, before coming to America.Here he plays a foppish dandy, much like Zorro, as he tries to spirit away French Aristocrats before they are guillotined.While he is doing that, he has trouble at home with his wife, the lovely Merle Oberon, who testified and sent a family to that same guillotine.You won't find a great amount of action here, unlike the familiar Zorro films with a similar theme. It is a play more than anything, and an excellently written one at that. We can thank Oscar winner Robert E. Sherwood (The Best Years of Our Lives, Rebecca) for that.Seeing Raymond Massey (Dr. Leonard Gillespie in "Dr. Kildare"), and Nigel Bruce (Dr. Watson in the Sherlock Holmes films with Basil Rathbone), only added to the pleasure.Excellent film.

Clifford04 I first saw this movie when black and white-television had first arrived, and was captivated by the plotting as well as by Leslie Howard's genius and beautiful Merle Oberon's eyes. This is romantic adventure at its peak, and considering the early stage of the industry in which it was made, sound still a novelty, it remains magnificent. I have seen it since, of course, although it has been some time now. And, oh yes, the greatest villain of all times is here too. Who could ever have done better than Raymond Massey in the role of Citizen Chauvelin, whom I also remember as Sherlock Holmes in The Speckled Band (1931)? And the eminently lovable Nigel Bruce, later paired with Basil Rathbone in a whole series of memorable Sherlock Holmes movies. I may be nostalgic, but have they ever been bettered? Anyway, he is a suitably silly Prince of Wales here, adding some of that comic relief that could easily spoil an adventure if not rightly done, but this one, like Leslie Howard's acting balances on the finest of edges with supreme precision. They will never do stuff like this anymore. Too bad.

MartinHafer If I had never seen the 1982 mini-series version (shown on successive nights) of THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour), I probably would have really loved this Leslie Howard/Merle Oberon picture a lot more. However, the 1982 version was so perfect in every way that when I later saw the 1934 film, I was a bit let down. This isn't because the 1934 film is bad--on the contrary, it's excellent. But the story is simply too much for a conventional movie lasting only 97 minutes. As a result, many of the plot elements are a bit vague or have been removed altogether. Plus, the wonderful romance of the 1982 film is mostly gone because the production had to be rushed and the romance wasn't allowed to be explored in such a beautiful fashion. The extra 47 minutes of the later film REALLY made the film a wonderful experience that the earlier film just couldn't match. Plus, this is one costume drama that really was helped by filming it in color.Now as for the 1934 film, the acting was very good. In particular, Leslie Howard did a great job as the lead, Merle Oberon was fine and Raymond Massey was fine as the villain. They had nothing to be ashamed of in their performances (though I also think that the remake DID have slightly better acting--mostly due to the characters being more complex). The direction was fine and the cinematography was fine as well--no complaints. It's a good film that I do recommend--just not as highly as the later version. And, this IS saying something as I usually prefer the original versions of most films.