Evening star., 1935-02-22
ssTHE SCARLET
PIMPERNEL" is
COSTUME FILM
Leslie H0,uard Again
Takes Top HOnOrs in
English Picture.

Some months have passed since the
legion Of Leslie Howard admirers were
afforded chance to play II see you
thar, Leslie, behind that wig" or
watch the most aristocratic Of Brit
ish actors untangle the skeins Of
q brisk intrigue. Seeking to fill that
gap in curr mt film fare, London
Films Productions, Ltd, has created
1.-THE Scarlet Pimpernel," glitter
ing costume melodrama revealed to
Washington cinema addicts last night
for the first time at a midnight
screening in R-K-O Keith's.
In combining the lace and pomp
which distinguished Berkeley Square"
and the deep-dyed plots of British
Agent" Mr.. Howard's latest opera
has struck a happy note. That the
melody fingers overlong and is played
with less verve than Hollywood might
have contrived, detracts little from
its pleasant rendition.
It Is only fair to tell you that 1.-THE
Scarlet Pimpernew derives its outre
title from tiny red flower which was.
according to the saga bearing its
kldluC, I11C cytklbOl VI q 6lOuR Vi ddk
ing young Englishmen adventurously
engaged in rescuing French aristo-
Gratis during the Revolution. Shocked
and grieved by the dispatch with
which Madame Guillotine was popping
heads off their blue -blooded friends
across the channel, these fancy gen.
tlemen devoted themselves to break
ing up the executioner's party by
whisking to British safety his intend
ed victims The leader of their reck-
less band was one Sir Percy Blakeney,
trivial fop in London, but a bold and
dangerous conniver when bent on
the duties of true pimpernel.
Sir Percy's passion for keeping
worthy Gallo heads where they be-
longed was inspired by the knowledge
that his French wife had betrayed
to the dread tribunal three friends,
the Marquis de st. Cyr and family.
Since he had carelessly neglected to
inquire just why his hausfrau had
essayed this bit of treachery, the dis
enchanted Percy believed it his duty
to atone for the evil she had wrought.
With his earnest army of 10 con-
federates, he ventured therefore into
Paris, disguised himself variously as
an old hag with putty nose. priest.
French guardsman, spirited away
every available comteSse, marquis and
whatnot.
To the French Ambassador to Great
Britain, a chap named Chauvelin,
jovially known to his inmates as
The Butcher" was assigned the task
of ensnaring the Scarlet Pimpernel
and all the little pimpernels who we're
so blatantly robbing liberte, egalite ct
fraternite of their prey. Since Lady
Blackeney had accommodated his
government in the matter of the st.
Crys, THE Butcher" sought her as
sistance again in this enterprise, both
of them unaware that her own hus-
band was the quarry. Promised as
a reward the life of her brother, under
arrest for treason in Paris the fair
Lady B. became Chauvelin's ally until
she learned the identity of him he
sought to betray. Then-ah, but
you may learn of all that more ex-
citingly at Keith's
Mr.. Howard's gift for light comedy
sparkles gaily when he plays Sir
Percy. The few moments when
he reveals the man behind the
zany are infused with warmth
and human appeal rarely found
in the characters of melo-
drama. Supporting the hero's talents
are the valid impersonations rendered
by Raymond Massey as Chuavelin,
Nigel Bruce as the Prince Regent,
and Merle Oberon, a beautiful but
tepid actress, who is Lady Blakeney.
These principals are in turn sus-
tanned by a large and competent
auxiliary troupe Of Britons.
r. B. p, jr,