The Scarlet Pimpernel on Screen

[Oberon and Howard]
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1935)
The most widely-seen version, starring Leslie Howard (Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind) Merle Oberon and Raymond Massey, produced by Alexander Korda. Filmed in black and white. Howard set the standard with his portrayal of Sir Percy Blakeney. The 1935 version is in the public domain, so most of the copies are lousy.


Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel

Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1937)
Film starring Barry K. Barnes, Sophie Stewart and James Mason, sequel to the Leslie Howard film.


[David Niven]

The Elusive Pimpernel (1951)
Starring David Niven, Margaret Leighton and Cyril Cusack, produced by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Originally conceived as a musical. Niven is fine as the Heroic Percy and Percy-in-Disguise, but he can't do the nincompoop like Howard/Andrews/Sills can. And oddly, he delivers the famous poem wearing what looks like a diaper [an 18th century Speedo?], while in a steamroom. Cusack's Chauvelin appears to be wearing the same wig Laurence Olivier would use in Richard III.

Marius Goring

Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1954)
19 30-minute episodes of the British tv series starring Marius Goring, Stanley Van Beers and future 2nd Doctor Who Patrick Troughton were produced. Goring is surprisingly effective as Percy, he is a very good actor [he is probably most famous as the composer husband in the brilliant The Red Shoes]. No sign of Marguerite in this version. Includes an appearance by young actor Peter O'Toole.

There were 4 VHS issues, containing 2 episodes each:

The DVD were issued in 2 parts.

Andrews and Seymour

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
Made-for-television film (originally aired on CBS), starring Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour and Sir Ian McKellen. Based on the original SP novel and some of Eldorado (without the torture). The casting is perfect, though Andrews begins to grate after a while. Jane Seymour is the ultimate Marguerite. A great introduction to the story. This is the first version to imply a past romance between Marguerite and Chauvelin.

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1998)
6 films were made for BBC television starring Richard E. Grant as Percy, Elizabeth McGovern as Marguerite and Martin Shaw and Chauvelin. This version should have a warning that it is "loosely based" on the Orczy characters and novels. Grant has black hair and wears mostly black clothing, and probably would have made a better Chauvelin than a Percy. They killed off Lord Tony in the first half hour of the 1st film, and that is just wrong too. And don't get me going on Marguerite...
In the last three films, Marguerite and Chauvelin don't even appear.

[Richard E Grant US videos]

  1. The Scarlet Pimpernel
  2. Valentine Gautier
  3. The King's Ransom
  4. Ennui
  5. Friends and Enemies
  6. A Good Name

Midsomer Murders: They Seek Him Here (2007)

From season 10 (episode 7) of the popular British crime drama series, Barnaby (John Nettles) and DC Jones (Jason Hughes) investigate a string of grisly deaths on the film set of The Scarlet Pimpernel, filming at Magna Manor. The director and at least one actor become the victims of the guillotine.

[Black Adder]

Black Adder III, "Nob and Nobility" (1987)
The 3rd series of the British comedy series starring Rowan Atkinson as Edmund Black Adder and Hugh Laurie (now on House) as the Prince of Wales.

"The Scarlet Pimpernel is not wonderful ...There is no reason whatsoever for admiring someone for filling London with a load of garlic-chewing French toffs crying 'ooh-la-la!' and looking for sympathy all the time just because their fathers had their heads cut off!"

Two fop friends of the Prince wager Black Adder that he can't go to France and rescue an aristo like the famous SP. Black Adder of course won't go to the effort, and instead offers money to a newly arrived exile, le Comte de Frou-Frou, if he would say that Black Adder rescued him. Later, Black Adder accidentally kills the Pimpernel. [Watch for Neil the hippie from The Young Ones]


Scarlet Pumpernickel The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950)
The Warner Brothers cartoon features Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester and Daisy Duck. Daffy is trying to pitch a script idea to a movie studio chief. The film, "The Scarlet Pumpernickel" is the story of an highwayman (played by Daffy), whose true love, the daughter of the Lord High Chamberlain (Porky) is set to wed the villanous Grand Duke (Sylvester). Daffy, in a disguise makes him look rather like Zorro, saves the day and wins the girl after a swordfight. "Nay, but perchance, foppish as I am, I might be the Scarlet Pumpernickel!"


[Carry On] Carry On Don't Lose Your Head (1966)
One of the 31 Carry On films, this one spoofs the Scarlet Pimpernel as the "Black Fingernail". Stars Jim Dale, who might be more famously known as the reader of the Harry Potter audiobooks. See images from the film at carryonline.com.


Scarlet Pimpernel BalletThe Scarlet Pimpernel ballet (2006)
A classic story for the whole family performed in London's West End by dancers aged 9-16 from the London Children's Ballet.

[ Novels | Other books | Videos | Recordings | Souvenirs | Links | Scarlet Pimpernel main page ]