Yet another British film of the thirties made by Hungarians (including Sir Percy himself, Leslie Howard), with a director and cameraman imported from Hollywood and the French villain played by a Canadian.
Like much history, the film is viewed through what came afterwards; and most viewers when they come to this movie now, do so via the much livelier 1941 update, 'Pimpernel Smith'. This 'straight' version, which had a difficult gestation (the original director - also American - was fired) emerges as handsome but rather cold and talky; rather like Sir Percy himself. But with actors of the calibre of Howard and Raymond Massey as the two central antagonists, whose complaining? The ending has been much criticised, but I personally thought it was pretty cool.
Like much history, the film is viewed through what came afterwards; and most viewers when they come to this movie now, do so via the much livelier 1941 update, 'Pimpernel Smith'. This 'straight' version, which had a difficult gestation (the original director - also American - was fired) emerges as handsome but rather cold and talky; rather like Sir Percy himself. But with actors of the calibre of Howard and Raymond Massey as the two central antagonists, whose complaining? The ending has been much criticised, but I personally thought it was pretty cool.