The Scarlet Pimpernel

Amazon.com

It's tough trying to beat the 1934 version of the popular adventure-romance story, starring Leslie Howard as the 18th-century British hero who poses as a fop in London society but runs a secret mission to rescue the doomed in Robespierre's Paris. But this 1982 television version, starring Anthony Andrews (Under the Volcano) as the Pimpernel and Jane Seymour as his beloved but estranged wife, is quite a treat. Andrews and Seymour expertly capture the essence of a relationship suffering from misunderstandings and elusive passion, and there is plenty of crackle to the action sequences. Clive Donner (What's New, Pussycat?) brings some strong cinematic qualities to this television presentation. --Tom Keogh

Description

The swashbuckling classic comes to rip-roaring life in this lavish production, filled with breathless romance and derring-do! In the eyes of high society, Sir Percy Blakeney (Brideshead Revisited's Anthony Andrews) is a typical fop, surrounded by adoring ladies and clueless gentry. However, he is also a master of disguise and bears an infamous secret identity: the Scarlet Pimpernel, dashing and fearless rescuer of victims of the French Revolution! Sir Percy also falls head over heels for the beautiful Marguerite (Somewhere in Time's Jane Seymour), who is also wooed by the villainous Paul Chauvelin (The Lord of the Rings' Sir Ian McKellan), Robespierre's Chief Agent for the Committee of National Security. Suave, stylish, and utterly irresistible, this dazzling adventure is sure to capture your heart!

Customer Reviews:

awesome wit and humour!.......2007-09-14

This is one of those movies that you really have to watch a couple times to grasp the wit and humour involved, but it's fabulous! We've sat with people that poo-pooed it the first time, but then upon seeing it again became hooked! LOVE IT!

You've got to see it.......2007-09-07

One of my all time favorite movies (and my husband's too, surprisingly enough). Very quotable! We love it!!

Chick lit.......2007-08-23

I didn't know what "Chick lit" was until I read this novel. Now I know to avoid it.

Enjoyable.......2007-08-16

Movie is very good. Andrews is absolutely wonderful. Early Jane Seymour. Anyone that likes the classics will enjoy this movie.

classic romace.......2007-08-07

This is a great story and the acting was well done by all of the cast...especially Ian McKellan and Anthony Andrews. Great romantic love story.

Average customer rating:

Technically awful
Be aware of your version quality
Adventure and clever
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Avoid the Madacy

The Scarlet Pimpernel
Starring: Leslie Howard , Merle Oberon , Raymond Massey , Nigel Bruce , and Bramwell Fletcher
Director: Harold Young
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305066825
Release Date: 1998-07-07

Amazon.com

"That damned elusive Pimpernel" finds a dashing embodiment in Leslie Howard, who has the steel to be an action hero and the wit to hide behind his alter ego: a British fop. Based on Baroness Orczy's novel, the story focuses on the efforts of this British dandy to aid members of the French aristocracy in escaping the guillotines of the French revolution. He also romances Merle Oberon, a beauty forgotten by recent generations, and engages in a wonderfully wicked duel of wits with the humorless enforcer for the French Republicans (Raymond Massey). If somewhat short on swashbuckling, it's long on the kind of costume drama that Hollywood seems to have forgotten how to do. Remade in 1982 for television, in an equally engaging version starring Anthony Andrews. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Technically awful.......2007-03-28

Technically bloody awfull, otherwise great. Was it really worthwhile to DVDize this particular copy?
What has happened to the color version, also with Leslie Howard, that I saw in Zürich in 1946 - 1953?

Be aware of your version quality.......2007-01-19

Our classic movie "Scarlett Pimpernel" came wiht unacceptable sound and scenes missing. Seller should have warned about being a second rate copy.

Adventure and clever.......2006-12-22

The hero of the story pretends to be a fop, a sissy, so his enemies will not suspect him of being the clever hero he really is. Young English noblemen risk their lives to cleverly save innocent French men and women from death by the guillotine, during the French Revolution of 1792.

I don't think anyone could play the charming hero better than Leslie Howard, co-star in "Gone with the Wind"; and a secret agent in real-life in World War II. It is an excellent story, so other versions are likely good too. The beautiful actress Merle Oberon co-stars. Humor, wit, cleverness, romance, heroes, villains, and adventure.

This copy could have been copied better; but is acceptable. This film is available from Turner Classic Movies, TCM dot com, for $9. I do not know whether it is a different & better print; same cover picture.

Scarlet Pimpernel also a small wild-flower which grows beside the country lanes of England, whose flower opens and closes with the weather, staying open only in sunny weather. The plant was used for medicines in ancient times.

Other good period, adventure movies are "Tom Brown's School Days 1935", "David Copperfield 1940 & 2000", "Oliver Twist", "At Swords Point 1952", "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 1939", "The Three Musketeers 1939" with Don Ameche, and "The Prince and the Pauper 1937 & 2001".

The Scarlet Pimpernel.......2006-11-10

the movie is superior to any others ever done. Leslie Howard does a superb job as the pimpernel. My family enjoys old movies as they are much better than the newer ones on the market, even though there are some good ones. The actors seems to have an English type theater training and are much more serious in their acting.

Avoid the Madacy.......2006-11-06

The 1-star rating is for the Madacy print - the movie rates 4 stars. As a general rule avoid anything by Madacy, they market some of the worst prints imaginable of movies in the public domain. This one is no different. It is dull, dirty and virtually unwatchable. If you want to see the Scarlet Pimpernal then wait for the TCM movie channel to broadcast their beautiful print from time-to-time.

Average customer rating:

Wildly Entertaining
Very Entertaining
alas the scarlet pimpernel
Disappointing
We sek him here...

The Scarlet Pimpernel Boxed Set
Starring: Peter Jeffrey , Robert Langdon Lloyd , Julie Cox , Denise Black , and Robert Perkins
Director: Patrick Lau , and Edward Bennett
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0767026128
Release Date: 2000-05-30

Product Description

A&E s lavish adaptation of the swashbuckling adventure stories, based on the books by Baroness Emmuska Orczy bring passion and intrigue into the sweeping world of the dashing SCARLET PIMPERNEL.It is the height of the French Revolution s reign of terror, and Sir Percy Blakeney (Richard E. Grant) has a secret. By day, he is just another foppish British aristocrat. By night, he becomes the legendary SCARLET PIMPERNEL, a caped crusader for the 18th century. With sparkling wit and brilliant disguises, he forms a secret league of followers which includes his wife, Lady Marguerite (Elizabeth McGovern), to fight against the tyrants of the French Revolution and to save the innocent from Chauvelin, the bloodthirsty leader of the French Revolution and Mademoiselle Guillotine. Each brilliantly adapted story leads to danger and intrigue culminating in a tale of secret identities where no one is who they appear to be.

System Requirements:

Running Time 294 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Scarlet Pimpernel Book 3: Kidnapped King returns the series to the swashbuckling adventure of the first film. The dauphin has been kidnapped and both the Pimpernel and the Republicans are on his trail. Marguerite (Elizabeth McGovern) returns to France for a little undercover skullduggery while Percy (Richard E. Grant) travels to Paris and reunites his network of spies and secret agents. Grant plays the effete but snide Percy for all he's worth, a flamboyant snob with a tart tongue, while McGovern's Marguerite is the wayward daughter of the revolution come home for the cause. They're both covers, of course, but the play-acting becomes public theater when they hiss and spit a public breakup in front of the Republican government and Percy skulks out looking every inch the spineless fop. Free of suspicion from all but the cagey Republican agent Chauvelin (Martin Shaw), the Scarlet Pimpernel again rises to save the oppressed, shadow the suspicious, and track down the hiding place of the dauphin's captors. The plot of secret identities and murky alliances climaxes (in the best swashbuckling tradition) with crossed swords but concludes with a sneaky new conspiracy that opens the door for even more sequels. Suzanne Bertish guest stars as the theater star with a secret La Tourain. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Wildly Entertaining.......2007-08-08

Although no mysteries of life will be revealed in this series, it was entertaining beyond belief. Mr. Grant added a dimension that was unique: he was all the Pimpernel should be and incredibly charismatic. All the acting was excellent, but his stood out in particular since he embodied the hero so well and was so charming. I will miss not being able to watch more of this excellent actor. Someone in an earlier review criticized him as not being their idea of a leading man. To me, he was one of the best leading men I have seen in ages. Granted, he does not have the perfect looks of a Tom Cruise, but he has an inner depth that gives him an appeal that far surpasses any Mr. Cruise or another pretty boy may possess. I highly recommend this series.

Very Entertaining.......2007-06-24

My mom and I loved this series. She is a fan of the Leslie Howard movie verision, but this one with Peter Jeffery (and I quote) "They did a GREAT job on this!" She wants more. The settings, costumes, the story were very well done. The script, acting, .. all of it together made the Pimpernel stories come to life. We enjoyed every minute of them all. The French Revolution came to life. Very well done.

alas the scarlet pimpernel.......2007-06-20

Ive read the many reviews, (opinions) about this particular version of the Scarlet Pimpernel, and having seen many of them and read the book..
I prefer the Richard E Grant version. The Andrews one left me cold.
I know a lot of people look at Mr Grant and only see and evil or as one put it, sniviling character.If you ever read the book you will see a rather unsexy story.Aristocrats in that day and age did not show a lot of emotion in public..in fact they kept seperate sleeping apts and a lot of times married not for love but for money and title. Ever since I rented this version ive wanted to own it.I finally found a like new, used, set and gobbled it up. A very welcome addition to my classics collection..
Pride and prejudice (4 versions)jane eyre (3 versions) wethering heights,emma,persuasion,etc,etc...
I also recommend Richard E Grant in Jack and Sarah. a sweet and enjoyable tale.

Disappointing.......2007-05-18

Don't get me wrong, I love Peter Jeffrey, so I was more than willing to give this a chance, even though he doesn't entirely fit the part. However, no matter how much I wanted him to be able to pull this off, poor Jeffrey was working with a terrible adaptation that ruined the best parts of his character. He was sort of a smash-and-grab type with fancy gadgets in this movie, which is the exact opposite of what made the scarlet pimpernel such a great character in the book and other adaptations. The main character (in script and action) lacked the grace, wit, and mystery of the book, which (let's be honest) is the whole point. Also, if memory serves correctly, they sort of butchered the story, which always seems to happen. I remember having very high expectations, on account of this being a longer film, because I assumed it was long because they were being really loyal to complexity of the original story. I was sadly mistaken. Forget this painful waste of 6 hours and opt for the glorious portrayal by Anthony Andrews opposite Jane Seymour. The plot is not exactly like the book in that one either, but the characters are handled magnificently.

We sek him here..........2006-11-03

Different from what I expected, being a fan of the Anthony Andrews and Leslie Howard versions. I liked it, but they made it seem like the Pimpernel didn't try to hide his identity at all.

A&E Literary Classics - The Romance Collection Megaset (Pride and Prejudice / Emma / Victoria & Albert / Tom Jones / Jane Eyre / Lorna Doone / Ivanhoe / The Scarlet Pimpernel)

Average customer rating:

Simply Terrific!
Doe's anybody know if this collection have spanish subtitles?
A Strong Compilation
wonderful set
Buy it for your wife!

A&E Literary Classics - The Romance Collection Megaset (Pride and Prejudice / Emma / Victoria & Albert / Tom Jones / Jane Eyre / Lorna Doone / Ivanhoe / The Scarlet Pimpernel)
Starring: Colin Firth , Jennifer Ehle , David Bamber , Crispin Bonham-Carter , and Anna Chancellor
Director: Simon Langton , Diarmuid Lawrence , and John Erman
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000687BO
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Product Description

The exquisite push and pull of Darcy and Elizabeth's courtship in Pride & Prejudice. The rollicking adventures and bawdy conquests of Tom Jones. The knightly pageantry and unshakable honor of Ivanhoe. A&E's magnificent productions of timeless classics have set a new standard for literary adaptations. And now, eight perennial favorites are available together for the first time in this extraordinary DVD set.

Unforgettable performances from top stars, masterful screenplays, and unmatched production values make A&E Literary Classics: The Romance Collection a must-have addition to the library of any fan of intelligent, sophisticated entertainment. Like no other films ever made, these lavish realizations capture every nuance of the celebrated stories that have captivated generations of readers.

System Requirements:
Color, Approx. 30 hours total + extras

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Simply Terrific!.......2007-05-05

You will just love these, especially if you love the classics. A&E does an awesome job...don't hesitate to buy these! Although they are all wonderful, my favorites are Pride & Predjudice and Jane Eyre.

Doe's anybody know if this collection have spanish subtitles?.......2007-04-12

Anybody knows if this collection have spanish subtitles?

A Strong Compilation.......2006-07-13

I bought this set for my retired Mom, on the strength of the Pride and Prejudice. Much to my delight, I found that we enjoyed the lesser known titles like Lorna Doone far more.

wonderful set.......2006-02-02

I bought this set for my teenaged daughter - who really enjoys period films - she, I and my husband have all enjoyed them immensely. The Scarlet Pimpernel is great fun and this is the best Pride and Prejudice ever. It's great to have these to lend out to friends as well.

Buy it for your wife!.......2005-10-24

My wife loves Jane Austen, and this collection includes a version of Pride and Prejudice widely considered the best one. I bought these for her as a gift, not realizing how much I would enjoy them.
For the husband that can get past the stigma of watching Victorian British films, this can be a really enjoyable collection. I've even shed some tears watching these with her (except for Tom Jones, we're not big fans of that one).
This is a very good collection.

Average customer rating:

Rare Costume Adventure TV Series from the 1950s comes to DVD

The Scarlet Pimpernel, Vol. 1
Starring: Scarlet Pimpernel
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FVQLVG
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Customer Reviews:

Rare Costume Adventure TV Series from the 1950s comes to DVD.......2007-03-30

"The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel" was one of the earliest costume adventure series that was produced in England for domestic viewing, as well as for export to the United States and other countries. It was produced by Harry Alan Towers' "Towers of London" production company and starred Marius Goring in the title role; Goring was also the star of a "Scarlet Pimpernel" radio show in England in the early 1950s. Look for British character actors Patrick Troughton and Anthony Newlands appearing as regulars in the series, as well as Alexander Gauge, who would go on to greater fame as "Friar Tuck" in the hit series "The Adventures of Robin Hood." One of the biggest surprises of this DVD is the first credited screen appearance of Peter O'Toole in the episode "A Tale of Two Pigtails." O'Toole has a small, but funny, role as a bumbling French soldier.

As a child, I remember seeing this series in the early 1960s and the only thing that I could recall about it was the opening title sequence that featured the ominous blade of a guillotine being released. Viewing the show roughly 45 years later, "The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel" is a lot of fun to watch, but one wishes that the series had been filmed in color to better display the elaborate period costuming. The series had a limited production run of just 18 episodes and, consequently, never wears out its welcome; the stories are consistently entertaining, and Goring makes for an appealing hero. Despite the fact that Alpha Video does not use restored prints for the vast majority of its numerous vintage TV releases, the prints used for this release are in comparatively good shape for a series that was produced in the mid-1950s; they are certainly better than what I had anticipated. Surprisingly, Alpha has released half of the series' episodes to date; four more episodes are found on Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Vol. 2 (not previewed by me as of this writing), while a ninth, Christmas-themed episode is found on Alpha's Christmas Adventure Classics.

Given its limited production run and comparative rarity over the years, "The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel" doesn't evoke the strong memories of some of the other historical costume adventure series of the mid to late 1950s. But those who appreciate shows like "The Adventures of Robin Hood," "The Buccaneers," and "The Adventures of Sir Lancelot," among others, will find much to like about this show; it's an easy recommendation to fans of those shows.

Average customer rating:

The Scarlet Pimpernel

Manufacturer: Synergy Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000QJMDH8
Release Date: 2007-05-15

amazon.com

Sir Percy Blakeney (Leslie Howard) is an English aristocrat leading a double life, by day he's an effete aristocrat and by night he's the Scarlet Pimpernel, rescuing French nobles from the clutches of the French revolution under Robespierre's Reign of Terror. Not even his wife suspects that Blakeney is the Scarlet Pimpernel and his cause strikes close to home when his brother-in-law, a French nobleman, is taken by the French revolutionaries and sentenced to death by guillotine.

Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Volume 2

Average customer rating:

Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Volume 2
Starring: Marius Goring , and Peter O'Toole
Director: Dennis Vance , and David MacDonald
Manufacturer: Alpha Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MV9O1S
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Product Description

A foppish British aristocrat is ""The Scarlet Pimpernel,"" a masked hero who rescues innocent victims from the guillotine during the French Revolution.

Book 1 - The Scarlet Pimpernel-Scarlet Pimpernel, The DVD SET

Average customer rating:

Book 1 - The Scarlet Pimpernel-Scarlet Pimpernel, The DVD SET

Manufacturer: A & E Home Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

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Book 2 - Mademoiselle Guillotine-Scarlet Pimpernel, The DVD SET

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Book 2 - Mademoiselle Guillotine-Scarlet Pimpernel, The DVD SET

Manufacturer: A & E Home Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Korda Collection 2: 5-DVD Set (That Hamilton Woman / Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel / The Drum / The Private Life of Don Juan / The Man Who Could Work Miracles) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import

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Korda Collection 2: 5-DVD Set (That Hamilton Woman / Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel / The Drum / The Private Life of Don Juan / The Man Who Could Work Miracles) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import
Director: Alexander Korda , and Hanns Schwarz
Manufacturer: Manga Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

"Spain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: English (Mono), Spanish (Mono), Spanish (Subtitles), SYNOPSIS: That Hamilton Woman: Acting spouses Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh star in Alexander Korda's tragic tale of the adulterous love affair between Emma Lady Hamilton and Lord Horatio Nelson... Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel: The French revolutionary Robespierre vows to get revenge on the Scarlet Pimpernel who has been helping the aristocracy escape from the dreaded guillotine in this sequel to 1934's The Scarlet Pimpernel... The Drum: The Drum is an opulent Technicolor 'British India' epic, based on a story by A.E.W. Mason (of Four Feathers fame). Teenaged actor Sabu stars as a young East Indian prince educated in England... The Private Life of Don Juan: Producer and director (Alexander Korda) followed up The Private Life of Henry VIII (one of the first internationally successful British films) with this historical comedy. After years in exile, the great lover Don Juan (Douglas Fairbanks) returns to Seville, the city of his salad days... The Man Who Could Work Miracles: As a result of a discussion between a trio of gods over the true worthiness of Earth, a retiring British shop assistant is granted miraculous powers in this fantasy based on an H.G. Wells story. Roland Young stars as George McWhirter Fotheringay, whose new powers are virtually limitless; choosing to use them for good, he sets out to create a utopian society... SPECIAL FEATURES: Box Set, Cast/Crew Interview(s), Filmographies, Interactive Menu, Multi-DVD Set, Photo Gallery, "

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