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The Elusive Pimpernel

Foppish Sir Percy Blakeney, who secretly leads a double life as the daring rescuer of French aristocrats from the guillotine during the French Revolution, fights to save his brother-in-law while his wife is manipulated by the villainous Chauvelin into helping capture him, unaware of her husband's true identity.

Top Cast

  • David Niven

    David Niven

    Percy "Scarlet Pimpernel" Blakeney

  • Margaret Leighton

    Margaret Leighton

    Marguerite Blakeney

  • Cyril Cusack

    Cyril Cusack

    Chauvelin

  • Jack Hawkins

    Jack Hawkins

    Prince of Wales

  • Arlette Marchal

    Arlette Marchal

    Contesses de Tournai

  • Gérard Néry

    Gérard Néry

    Philippe de Tournai

  • Charles Victor

    Charles Victor

    Colonel Winterbotham

  • Danielle Godet

    Danielle Godet

    Suzanne de Tournai

  • Edmond Audran

    Edmond Audran

    Armand St. Juste

Overview

Foppish Sir Percy Blakeney, who secretly leads a double life as the daring rescuer of French aristocrats from the guillotine during the French Revolution, fights to save his brother-in-law while his wife is manipulated by the villainous Chauvelin into helping capture him, unaware of her husband's true identity.

Rating

6.0 / 10
10 Reviews
1 Popular

1 Reviews

  • CinemaSerf
    CinemaSerf
    7 Apr 4, 2022

    David Niven takes on the mantle of Baroness Orczy's hero in this classy but a little lightweight take on the escapades of the "Scarlet Pimpernel". Hugely successful at smuggling doomed artisto's from under the nose of the Reign of Terror, the French authorities charge "Chauvelin" (Cyril Cusack) to track down the culprit. He has some leverage with the new and glamorous "Lady Blakeney" (Margaret Leighton) and so offers her the life of her brother if she will agree to help him. She just happens to be married to the foppish "Sir Percy", but is he so useless as his persona suggests? Niven is on quite good form in this; there is enough intrigue to keep it moving along well and Leighton can always be relied upon to deliver competently (even if this is far from her best effort). It's not the best Powell & Pressberger film, but it is still a polished adventure with a soupçon of humour as we head to an exciting last fifteen minutes. Perhaps not as good as Leslie Howard's 1934 iteration, but Niven looks like he enjoyed making it and I enjoyed watching it, too.

Trailers & Clips

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