Today’s movie is an action/adventure film with a scene that happens on August 12. Watch it tonight and enjoy
THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL
James Danby is arrested by the French revolutionary government for aiding the Scarlet Pimpernel; a shadowy figure who smuggles condemned aristocrats out of the country. His associate Armand St. Just goes into hiding. In a bold rescue carried out under the very nose of Robespierre, the revolutionary leader, the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel rescues Danby from prison. Chauvelin, head of French counter-espionage arrests Armand St. Just. Chauvelin travels to England to uncover the Scarlet Pimpernel, as one of the few facts known about the elusive figure is that he is an English nobleman. On August 12, 1792 [15:07 – 25:48] at a party held to celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Wales, Chauvelin meets an old acquaintance Marguerite Blakeney, formerly a French actress ad her foppish husband Sir Percy Blakeney, who is really the Scarlet Pimpernel. Sir Percy invites Chauvelin to stay with them. During the visit, Chauvelin tells Marguerite that her brother Armand St. Just will be executed unless she helps him find the Scarlet Pimpernel. Marguerite, who does not know the secret identity of her husband, asks him to help free her brother but he refuses. However, he later goes to France to try and free Armand. Meanwhile Lady Blakeley discovers her husband is the Scarlet Pimpernel after she has given information to Chauvelin that enables him to discover the same fact. Marguerite travels to France to warn her husband but is arrested. Sir Percy is almost cornered twice, but escapes in spite of the fact that Minette Roland, Armand’s friend is a double agent. The league frees Armand, but Percy is captured. Percy and Marguerite have a jailhouse reunion and are reconciled. Percy later escapes. Marguerite is tried and condemned to death. On the way to her execution an ambush by the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel frees her and she and Percy return to England.
A classic swashbucklingadventure. You have to pay attention as the twists and turns of the plot are somewhat complicated. All in all and enjoyable adventure film that concentrates
on developing the characters as much as the action.
At 29:53-55 Chauvelin says he’s there “to celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Wales” which was on this date as per Prince of Pleasure: The Prince of Wales and the Making of the Regency by Saul David (Atlantic Monthly Press, New York, 1998) at page 5
Director – Patrick Lau
Screenplay – Richard Carpenter
Runtime – 1 hour 34 minutes
Released – January 24, 1999
Starring – Richard E. Grant as Sir Percy Blakeney/ the Scarlet Pimpernel, Elizabeth McGovern as Marguerite Blakeney, Martin Shaw as Paul Chauvelin, Pascal Langdale as Armand St. Just, Emilia Fox as Minette Roland, Ronan Vibert as Robespierre, Anthony Green as Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, Jamie Bamber as Lord Antony Dewhurst, Jonathan Coy as the Prince of Wales, Dominic Mafhan as James Danby
Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.
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