The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel

 I loved the Scarlet Pimpernel movies and watching them again here has brought back heaps of nostalgia to me from my childhood. I am enjoying making the Old Movie Classics blog somuch lateley as it is causing me to stumble across so many movies which evoke nostalgia from the days when i was a kid. This movie is one of them.
The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel is a 1937 British thriller film directed by Hanns Schwarz and starring Barry K. Barnes, Sophie Stewart, Margaretta Scott and James Mason.It is a sequel to the 1934 film Scarlet Pimpernel based on the stories by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.
The Scarlet Pimpernel Boxed Set

France, 1794. Citizen Chauvelin lays a trap for his long-standing nemesis Sir Percy Blakeney (Barry K. Barnes) by kidnapping his wife (Margaretta Scott).

Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel belongs to the Public Domain and is free to watch or download



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Review (IMDB)

The only element this film lacks is 'star quality', other than that, it's a very worthy sequel to the 1934 'Scarlet Pimpernel'. The story is based upon Orczy's 'The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel', with elements of 'Elusive' (Marguerite's arrest and Percy's escape) and even 'Sir Percy Hits Back' (Chauvelin's fate) added to make the action flow better on film. Barry K. Barnes, despite not being as fair or famous as Howard, makes for a passable fop (sounding like Leslie 'Ding Dong!' Phillips with a speech impediment: "Stap me, Senorita, don't dwag me into it!"), a revered leader of the League, and a truly devoted and romantic husband. In fact, this film is probably more in the spirit of Orczy's books than any other, with the characters portrayed nearly exactly as you would find them written; there is a great deal of heart and natural charm in the sequel, which I always find lacking in the Howard/Oberon version. Barnes does not have the commanding screen presence of his predecessor, and as such is sometimes lost amongst the sea of League faces, but he is far more believable as the 'husband in love with his own wife' and as a friend to nineteen brave men. Sophie Stewart is similarly indistinctive as Marguerite, but I think she brings more to the role than Oberon: at once 'the sweetest woman in France', naive and easily lead into danger, and a brave and noble wife, willing to sacrifice her own life for that of her husband's, when she needs to be strong.

Diminutive and bright-eyed, Stewart is endearing as a rather more innocent Lady Blakeney. Francis Lister plays a diplomatic and reserved Chauvelin, who fears for his own life as the Terror reaches its peak and Robespierre hunts out 'the men at his elbow', traitors amongst his own supporters. The discredited agent parries words with the dictator, and enlists Theresia Cabarrus, lover of Tallien (a young James Mason, given a rousing speech at the end of a minor role), in a final bid to destroy the Pimpernel. Margaretta Scott is formidable and intelligent as the Spanish double agent who is introduced to Sir Percy and Marguerite as an actress seeking the protection of the English court. Marguerite is of course immediately taken in, Sir Percy is naturally more wary of her motives.

There is some recycled footage (as well as the odd recycled actor), but ultimately this film stands alone from its more well-known and oft-shown stablemate. The neat dialogue flows better, without the heavy-handed patriotism injected into the original story (strange, with World War Two looming even closer); fiction is supported by historical details from the eighteenth century (the popularity of cricket, dancing the cotillion, songs such as 'Aupres De Ma Blonde' and the rousing toast 'Here's a Health unto His Majesty'), which is surely a novelty for such an early film; there is more League action (and three members are actually given names from the book!), as well as more scenes of friendship between Sir Percy and his band of men; plus some excellent disguises (the deaf colonel had me in stitches: "Grilled trout?", "Yes, all right, I'll have half a bottle"). All in all, there is no reason not to watch this compact, entertaining little film, especially now that it's available on DVD, and I consider it a definite must for all fans of the Pimpernel.

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Angel (Marlene Dietrich, 1937)

1937 Rare Movie Classic with Marlene Dietrich
The Ernst Lubitsch touch is omnipresent in this relatively unknown but extraordinary romantic comedy. The theme of a potential marital infidelity of a disaffected upper class wife (a gleaming Marlene Dietrich) is dealt with unusual sophistication and insight, building up slowly to a brilliant denouement, while the core dilemmas and the predicament of the main character are continuously and subtly underscored. The confrontations between the characters are a delight of restrained pathos, whereas Lubitsch, unsurprisingly, perfectly recreates a confined world of rigid social norms that suppresses any emotional profusion. All the performances are top notch, the secondary characters are equally memorable and the whole film is pervaded by the genius of one of cinemas most charismatic directors, Ernst Lubitsch. One wishes that modern romantic comedies had only maintained even a fraction of the wit and incisiveness that Lubitsch established as a norm in the 30s.
Starring Marlene Dietrich, Herbert Marshall and Melvyn Douglas with Edward Everett Horton, Laura Hope Crews and Herbert Mundin.






Lubitsch is recognized as one of the great directors of the 30s, and yet this wonderful film is not on any of the usual critical lists of notable films. Perhaps it was too modern for its time. It is perhaps Dietrich's best English performance (though even here she could be a bit more subtle), but the real star is the director, shining in the shots he composes and performances he coaxes from his actors. Lubitsch is a master of subtlety, and when he places important moments off-screen, it is in such a way as to heighten their impact.

     

Since the censorship code is in effect, the sexual elements are cleverly concealed. For example, Halton and Barker discover that in Paris they both visited the same... seamstress. The naive Hays Office must have thought that was the joke, but the real joke is on them for it is clear--at least today--that the two did not visit her to get their sewing done. The sophistication of the film is unusual for its time.

Pages could be written about this film. Suffice it to say that if you like 30s film at all, see this. In certain moments, it feels perfect. Probably one of the top 25 of the decade. (Christopher Wallis).

Plot;

The story describes a love triangle initiated by Lady Maria Barker (Dietrich), the comfortable but neglected wife of Sir Frederich Barker (Marshall), a top-level British diplomat in the pre-World-War-II era. Maria is faced with the possibility of divorce when Frederick learns that she has had an affair, but he realizes that he has not spent enough time with her and cancels his business plans to take her on a much-needed vacation.

Although Frederick provides well for Maria and appears to love her, he has been neglecting her in favor of pursuing his busy diplomatic career. One day when he is in Geneva on important business, she secretly flies to Paris to visit the Grand Duchess, who operates a high-class escort business. By chance, Maria happens to meet Anthony Halton (Douglas), a charming man who lived in India for several years. Although Maria insists that their affair remain anonymous, they are attracted to each other, and they have a brief tryst, during which he calls her "Angel". Intending to have only a simple fling, she tries to end the relationship by leaving him without saying good-bye. However, he has fallen in love with her, and he begins searching for her.

Maria manages to avoid being seen by Halton at a horse race, but Halton happens to meet Frederick at a social gathering, and the two of them makes plans for Halton to have lunch with Frederick and Maria. Unable to avoid Halton any longer, Maria pretends not to recognise him when he arrives. In a moment when Maria and Halton are alone together, she makes it clear to him that she has no interest in continuing their relationship and that she considers his presence a threat to her marriage and her reputation. Still in love with her, he offers to meet her in Paris the following week, but she refuses.

Meanwhile, tickets have arrived for the vacation to Vienna that Frederick promised Maria. However, he breaks his promise to her when an opportunity arises for him to go to Geneva again for work. Frederick's mistreatment of Maria is emphasized by his decision to go to Geneva despite Maria's obvious enthusiasm about the vacation and the fact that the Geneva trip was originally assigned to one of Frederick's capable assistants. Disappointed by this setback, Maria changes her mind about meeting Halton again, and she asks Frederick to drop her off in Paris on his way to Geneva so she can go shopping.

Frederick agrees to this plan despite the fact that he has discovered the affair. However, instead of continuing to Geneva, he goes to the Grand Duchess's salon to investigate. In a last-ditch attempt to save her marriage, Maria confronts Frederick in the salon and makes it clear to him that she needs more attention. She claims that Angel is another woman who is in an adjoining room, but asks him to believe her without looking in the room himself. Her hope is that he will save her reputation by accepting her word but will spend more time with her in the future.

This plan fails as Frederick enters the other room, which is empty, but he proposes a better solution. Finally understanding that he has taken Maria for granted, he humbly offers to cancel his business trip and meet her at the train station to go to Vienna, allowing her to decide whether they will stay together. As he leaves the salon, she immediately catches up to him, and they walk out together to begin their vacation.

Conquest - Greta Garbo (1937)

Greta Garbo stars in Conquest (1937)

Conquest (also called Marie Walewska) is a 1937 film which tells the story of the Polish Countess Marie Walewska, who becomes the mistress of Napoleon in order to influence his actions towards her homeland. It stars Greta Garbo, Charles Boyer, Reginald Owen, Alan Marshal, Henry Stephenson, Leif Erickson, Dame May Whitty, George Zucco, and Maria Ouspenskaya.

 

Plot Synopsis
After a brief informal meeting two months earlier when they were impressed with each other, Countess Marie Walewska (Garbo) formally meets Napoleon Bonaparte (Boyer) at a ball in Warsaw. When Napoleon notes her husband, Count Walewski (Stephenson), is three times her age, and as he is taken with her charms, he unsuccessfully tries to seduce her. She ignores his frequent letters and flowers until a few grim Polish leaders led by Senator Malachowski (Zucco) urge her to give into his desires as a personal sacrifice in order to save Poland. She goes to him despite the humiliation of her husband, who leaves for Rome to annul their marriage. They are extremely happy for a while; Napoleon divorces childless Empress Josephine and Marie eventually becomes pregnant. She is about to tell Napoleon about her baby when he tells her he decided to marry Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria. He explains it will be a political marriage to insure his future son could rule securely with Habsburg blood in him. It will not affect their relationship, he says, but Marie Walewska leaves to have her baby alone without telling Napoleon she is expecting his child.

The movie was adapted by S. N. Behrman, Samuel Hoffenstein, Helen Jerome and Salka Viertel from the novel Pani Walewska by Waclaw Gasiorowski. It was directed by Clarence Brown and Gustav Machatý
It was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Charles Boyer) and Best Art Direction

Watch Movie - Conquest

This movie was Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's biggest money losing movie prior to 1949. Its worldwide gross amounted to $2,141,000. But its massive budget led to a loss of $1,397,000.

Cast;

• Greta Garbo as Countess Marie Walewska
• Charles Boyer as Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte
• Reginald Owen as Tallyrand
• Alan Marshal as Captain d'Ornano
• Henry Stephenson as Count Anastas Walewski
• Leif Erickson as Paul Lachinski (as Leif Erikson)
• Dame May Whitty as Laetitia Bonaparte
• Maria Ouspenskaya as Countess Pelagia Walewska

Wikipedia Link