40 Films in Robotech: The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) ...and a Shout Out in Robotech Novels Universe's The Symphony of Fight: Battle Royale

 

I must fess up: I drifted a bit watching this movie until the Merle Oberon (as ‘Lady Blakeney’) faux fainting scene and then, suddenly, I was very interested in this movie…

 ROBOTECH MENTION:  

Jack McKinney loaded the 1987 Robotech book Metamorphosis with oodles of film references. In this little bit, McKinney has New Generation resistance fighter Lancer defending his flair by referencing The Scarlet Pimpernel…

Excerpt From Jack McKinney’s Robotech novelization of Metamorphosis – page 82.

 SYNOPSIS:  

I got this charming old book at my local library ‘Bag O’ Books’ sale called Feature Films on 8mm, 16mm and Videotape – Sixth Edition: A Directory of Feature Films Available for Rental, Sale, and Lease in the United States and Canada (1979). This was pre-streaming and even pre-video house rental stores. It lists simple facts about a film and codes on which companies sell, rent or lease various types of media copies (film or videotape). Here’s the short write-up on The Scarlet Pimpernel: “SCARLET PIMPERNEL, THE (Britain-1935-95min-16mm sound-b/w) Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon (d) Harold Young.”(p. 262).

 AWARDS & KUDOS:  

Leslie Howard, for his portrayal of Sir Percy Blakeney/The Scarlet Pimpernel, won the Best Actor Gold Medal in the 1936 Picturegoer Awards.

I also got a nice Thank You from our friends at Robotech Novels Universe in their last LIVE event - The Symphony of Fight: Battle Royale -  posted on YouTube. In case it doesn't cue up, skip to 8.27 on the timeline to hear me and my son get a shout out:

 OTHER COOL FACTS:  

The #classicfilmreading book The Rough Guide To Cult Movies: Your Guide To The Good, The Bad And The Weird (2004) lists some interesting facts about The Scarlet Pimpernel’s leading man Leslie Howard: “Although Howard is remembered (to his disgust) as Ashley Wilkes in Gone With The Wind, he is the perfect incarnation of foppish British aristocrat Sir Percy Blakeney, leading a double life in 18th-century France. Howard started acting as therapy for shell shock but when World War 2 began he quit to help the war effort, dying in 1943 when his plane was shot down.” (p.14).

 ROBOTECH REASON:  

Pimpernel is an expert in disguise capable of infiltrating enemy ranks as a bearded old man or poor woman of the street. Likewise, Robotech rebel Lancer can portray not only rockstar Yellow Dancer but a cowpoke honeymooner or New York City street bum. Lancer also has Pimpernel’s gifts for theatrics and wordsmithing.

To read my ⭐⭐⭐ (out of a possible 5 star) rating for The Scarlet Pimpernel on Letterboxd, click here.