The Scarlet Pimpernel

Synopsis: During the French Revolution, a mysterious English nobleman known only as The Scarlet Pimpernel (a humble wayside flower), snatches French aristos from the jaws of the guillotine, while posing as the foppish Sir Percy Blakeney in society. Percy falls for and marries the beautiful actress Marguerite St. Just, but she is involved with Chauvelin and Robespierre, and Percy's marriage to her may endanger the Pimpernel's plans to save the little Dauphin.
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance
Director(s): Clive Donner
Production: Franco London Films
  Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 2 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.7
NOT RATED
Year:
1982
142 min
2,401 Views


[UNLOCKING AND OPENING OF CELL DOOR]

THE FORMER DUKE AND DUCHESS DE GRENOBLE.

THERE THEY ARE!

[MOANS AND CRIES]

THE FORMER BISHOP OF ARLES.

[THE TUMBREL BRINGS A LOAD

OF ARISTOCRATS TO THE GUILLOTINE]

[DRUM ROLLS]

[SOUND OF GUILLOTINE DROPPING

AND CROWD CHEERING]

[DRUM ROLLS]

OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN.

[DRUMS ROLL...BLADE DROPS...CROWD CHEERS]

DEATH TO THE ARISTOCRATS!

[CROWD YELLS]

DEATH TO THE ARISTOS!

LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC!

LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC.

[DRUM ROLLS]

'ERE, WHAT'S THIS?

YOU GOT YOURS ALREADY.

THESE IS EMPTY, CITIZEN.

YOU WOULDN'T BEGRUDGE A MAN

HIS FAIR SHARE, NOW, WOULD YOU?

ALL RIGHT.

GIDDAP.

THE FORMER COUNT DE BEAULIER,

AND FAMILY.

HERE THEY ARE!

I BEG OF YOU, MONSIEUR.

FEAR NOT, MY SON.

IF YOU WILL LOOK AT THE

PASSAGES THAT I HAVE MARKED,

YOUR SPIRITS WILL

BE UPLIFTED.

IT'S NOT FOR MYSELF,

I FEAR, FATHER,

BUT MY WIFE,

AND THE BOY.

THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING!

THEY ARE INNOCENT!

INNOCENT? HA!

SHOW ME ONE ARISTO

THAT IS INNOCEN:

AND YOU CAN SPIT IN MY FACE.

SURELY THE CHILD

IS TOO YOUNG TO DIE.

EVEN SO, HE WILL LIVE ON...

THROUGH THE MERCY OF OUR LORD.

LOOK HERE, MY SON.

[MARK OF THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL.]

TAKE THEM AWAY!

FORMER MARQUIS CETTERAIS.

THERE HE IS!

WE'VE COME TO HELP YOU.

QUICKLY.

BE BRAVE:

MY DARLING.

HUH!

HO THERE!

SERGEANT BEAVO.

YES SIR.

COUNT DE BEAULIER AND HIS FAMILY

HAVE ESCAPED FROM THE TEMPLE PRISON.

WE'VE JUST RECEIVED WORD

THAT THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL

WAS AT LARGE IN THE CITY.

COULD BE HE'LL TRY TO

SMUGGLE THEM OUT OF THE COUNTRY

BY WAY OF THIS,

OR ONE OF THE OTHER GATES.

BE ON THE ALERT,

AND KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN.

ALL RIGHT, LADS.

SEARCH EVERY:

CART THAT COMES THROUGH.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S SEE

YOUR PAPERS.

OH, EVERYTHING IN

ORDER, SERGEANT.

LET ME SEE:

INSIDE THOSE COFFINS.

WHAT, OPEN THE COFFINS?

YOU HEARD ME.

ALL RIGHT.

YEAH!

DO AS HE SAYS.

BEST BE WARNED, SERGEANT, AYE.

MADAME LE GUILLOTINE'S

HANDIWORK IS NOT A PRETTY SIGHT.

UH..SEE FOR YOURSELF.

IF YOU GOT THE STOMACH.

[LAUGHTER]

TAKE IT BACK.

WHAT'S THE MATTER, SERGEANT.

IT MUST HAVE BEEN PRETTY BAD.

GET OUT OF HERE.

GO ON. CLEAR OUT!

THE OTHER TWO:

ARE EVEN PRETTIER!

GET OUT OF HERE.

GO ON.

AW RIGHT, AW RIGHT.

YOU DON'T KNOW

WHAT YOU'RE MISSING.

GET OUT!

NOW, NOW.

OPEN THE GATES.

GO ON.

WHAT ARE YOU:

LAUGHING AT?

[WHISTLES]

MY DARLING.

WHO IS THIS MAN:

THAT RISKS SO MUCH FOR US?

THAT, SIR, IS THE

SCARLET PIMPERNEL.

WITHIN THE HOUR,

THIS COUNTRYSIDE WILL

BE SWARMING WITH SOLDIERS.

GOD WILLING, YOU'LL

REACH THE COAS:

BEFORE THEY CAN:

CATCH UP WITH YOU.

DO YOU KNOW THE RENDEZVOUS?

UNCHANGED?

UNCHANGED.

MY SHIP WILL BE WAITING

TO TAKE YOU TO ENGLAND.

NOW, GO QUICKLY.

GOD'S SPEED.

AND WHAT ABOUT YOU, PERCY?

I'M BACK TO PARIS.

BUT I SHALL:

SEE YOU SHORTLY.

RIGHT.

'THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL,

BY SIR PERCIVAL BLAKENEY, BARONET.

'THEY SEEK HIM HERE.

'THEY SEEK HIM THERE.

'THOSE FRENCHIES SEEK HIM EVERYWHERE.

'IS HE IN HEAVEN?

'OR IS HE IN HELL?

'THAT DAMNED,

'ELUSIVE

'PIMPERNEL.'

[LAUGHTER AND CLAPPING]

OH, DO TELL US MORE ABOU THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, SIR PERCY.

ALL PARIS IS TALKING

ABOUT HIM.

NOTHING MORE TO TELL,

MY DEAR SUSAN.

EXCEPT, THAT HE AND HIS

BAND OF FRIENDS:

HAVE SWORN TO SAVE

AS MANY AS THEY CAN

FROM MADAME LE GUILLOTINE.

AT LEAST TELL US

WHO HE IS.

SINK ME, MADEMOISELLE, IF I KNEW THA I'D BE THE TOAST OF LONDON, WHAT!

THA:

WOULD SEEM TO BE

THE MYSTERY.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A SCARLE PIMPERNEL, SIR PERCY.

NOTHING MORE THAN A

HUMBLE WAYSIDE FLOWER.

RATHER COMMON:

IN POINT OF FACT.

STILL, WHAT'S IN NAME?

SURELY THE DEEDS OF A MAN

SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

I ONLY WISH THERE

WERE MORE LIKE HIM.

ODDS FISH, MY DEAR,

ONE IS QUITE ENOUGH.

THE FELLOW'S ALREADY MADE

LIFE DAMNED INCONVENIENT,

FOR THE REST OF US.

INCONVENIENT?

WHY, YES INDEED MA'AM.

BECAUSE OF THIS:

PIMPENEL CHAP EH...

YOUR REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS

SUSPECT ANYONE:

WHO LOOKS, OR EVEN SOUNDS,

SINK ME...

THIS WHOLE REVOLUTION OF YOURS

IS MONSTROUS INTOLERABLE.

PLEASE, DON'T CREDIT US

WITH THIS MADNESS.

THE REVOLUTION, ITSELF, MAY HAVE

STARTED AS A NOBLE ENTERPRISE.

THIS...

YET, WE DID BRING

IT ON OURSELVES, PAPA.

WE, THE FRENCH ARISTOCRACY,

WITH ALL OUR ARROGANCE

AND EXCESSES:

I FEEL MY DAUGHTER DOES

OUR CLASS AN INJUSTICE.

MOST OF US ARE DECENT MEN,...

QUITE INNOCENT.

IT IS ONLY A FEW, WHO ARE

GUILTY OF ANY SERIOUS OFFENSE.

YET, THE INNOCENT ARE BEING

DRAGGED DOWN WITH THE GUILTY.

THERE'S NO REASON

GIVEN OR NEEDED.

OUR WORLD IS TOPSY-TURVY,

SIR PERCY.

THEN WHY DO WE:

LOOK THE OTHER WAY,

AND PRETEND NOTHING

IS HAPPENING?

WHILE BRAVE MEN, LIKE THIS

SCARLET PIMPERNEL,

DO OUR WORK FOR US.

ONLY TODAY, FOR EXAMPLE,

OUR FRIENDS, THE COUN AND COUNTESS DE BEAULIEU

AS WELL AS THEIR ONLY SON...

NO,...NOT THE BEAULIEUS...

CALM YOURSELF, MY DEAR,

ALL THREE WERE SPARED

AT THE LAST MINUTE,

THANKS TO THE:

SCARLET PIMPERNEL.

OH, THANK HEAVENS.

GOD BLESS THIS SCARLET PIMPERNEL,

WHOEVER HE MAY BE.

SURELY, HE MUST BE AN

ANGEL IN DISGUISE.

AMEN.

PULL-UP, OVER THERE.

[SOUND OF FIGHTING]

MY DEAR, MARQUIS, CONSIDER

THE OFFENCE,

DON'T YOU THINK YOUR

METHODS ARE SLIGHTLY HARSH?

THAT REVOLUTIONARY SEDUCED

MY DAUGHTER, BARON DE BATZ.

DRIVE ON.

[FIGHTING CONTINUES]

I SAY.

AHHHH.

UH.

HA, HA.

IT WOULD SEEM YOUR FRIEND

IS IN DISTRESS.

TO THE RESCUE.

YOURS, I BELIEVE.

MY DEAR CHAP.

UGH.

A LITTLE COGNAC, I THINK

'I CALL UPON YOU NOW

'REVENGE MY WRONG.

'YOUR FAVORS WILL BE MEASURED

'BY YOUR RAGE.'

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

MARGUERITE, MARGUERITE,

IT'S ARMAND, HE'S BEEN HURT.

HURT?

THERE'S A MAN OUTSIDE

WITH A CARRIAGE.

HE WANTS US:

TO GO WITH HIM.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

WE MUST GO:

TO HIM, AT ONCE.

WHAT ABOU THE REST OF THE PLAY?

MY DEAR, LOUISE,

THIS IS THE CHANCE EVERY

UNDERSTUDY DREAMS OF.

NO, I CAN'T.

I'M NOT READY!

YOU'LL BE SUPERB.

[KISSING HER]

BUT NOT TOO SUPERB,

I TRUST.

WHY CAN'T YOU-?

NOW, TO ARMAND.

MARGUERITE!

MY POOR, ARMAND!

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?

TWO MEN,

OUT OF THE DARKNESS.

IF IT HADN'T BEEN

FOR THIS GENTLEMAN...

MY BROTHER AND I ARE

INDEBTED TO YOU, MONSIEUR.

MONSIEUR?

SIR PERCY BLAKENEY, MADEMOISELLE.

ALTHOUGH, ANYONE WOULD

HAVE DONE AS MUCH.

IF YOU THINK THAT, MONSIEUR,

YOU DO NOT KNOW:

PARIS, WELL.

WHO WERE THESE MEN

THAT ATTACKED YOU, MY DARLING.

THEY WERE SENT BY

THE MARQUIS DE ST. CYR.

I RECOGNIZED HIS CARRIAGE.

NO DOUBT, TO TEACH

ME A LESSON:

I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THIS.

ONE DAY, I WILL REPAY

THE MARQUIS FOR THIS.

COME, MY DARLING, WE'LL

GET YOU INTO BED.

DO YOU THINK YOU CAN?

THANK YOU.

I'M QUITE ALL RIGHT, NOW.

RATHER A HARSH LESSON.

I TRUST THE OFFENCE

WARRANTED THE PUNISHMENT.

MY BROTHER IS YOUNG

AND HOT-BLOODED, MONSIEUR.

HIS HEART TOO OFTEN

LEADS HIS HEAD.

I FEAR HE HAD THE IMPUDENCE

TO FALL IN LOVE WITH ST. CYR'S DAUGHTER.

IS LOVE, TOO, A CRIME

IN FRANCE THESE DAYS?

ONLY, IF THE LADY

IS AN ARISTOCRAT,

WHOSE FATHER INSOLENTLY THINKS THA WE'RE BOURGEOIS NOT FIT TO BREATHE

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William Bast

William Bast (April 3, 1931 – May 4, 2015) was an American screenwriter and author. In addition to writing scripts for motion pictures and television, he was the author of two biographies of the screen actor James Dean. He often worked with his lover Paul Huson. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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