The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel

Last updated

The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel
The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel Titles screenshot.jpg
Genre Swashbuckler
Based onBook by Baroness Orczy
Directed by
Starring Marius Goring
Composers
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes18
Production
Executive producer Harry Alan Towers
Producers
  • Anthony Gilkison
  • Dennis Vance
  • David MacDonald
  • Marius Goring
Cinematography Lionel Banes
Running time23-26 mins
Production companyTowers of London
Original release
Network ITV
Release28 September 1955 (1955-09-28) 
22 June 1956 (1956-06-22)

The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel is a British television series based on the 1905 adventure novel of the same name by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. The series was created by writer Michael Hogan and produced by the Towers of London for Incorporated Television Programmes. It was first screened in Britain in 1955 to 1956 in an eighteen-episode run beginning on 28 September 1955. It was one of the first drama series shown on the fledging network, which had only begun transmission in London the week before.

Contents

Cast and characters

Production notes

Guest stars

Many guest stars appeared in other ITC series, BBC series and films:

Episode list

Dates are for the first broadcast on Independent Television in London (Associated-Rediffusion), Midlands and Northern.

TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"The Hostage" Michael McCarthy Ralph Gilbert Bettinson28 September 1955 (1955-09-28)
The Scarlet Pimpernel rescues a Baroness from Chauvelin, but she is reluctant to leave because Chauvelin is holding her son as a hostage. The Scarlet Pimpernel must rescue the boy and not give away his identity as Sir Percy Blakeney. Guest stars Yvonne Furneaux and Robert Shaw.
2"Sir Percy's Wager" Dennis Vance Joel Murcott,
R.G. Bettinson
5 October 1955 (1955-10-05)
Outwardly foppish and simple and always ready to make a wager Sir Percy bets with Countess la Valliere, Chauvelin's agent at court, that the Pimpernel can rescue Lady Caroline Wells and almost loses his freedom. Guest stars Cyril Shaps.
3"The Princess" David MacDonald Ralph Gilbert Bettinson12 October 1955 (1955-10-12)
The Pimpernel rescues the Marquise de Manton and returns to Paris disguised as Pierre, a peasant, to rescue her maid, Ginette, and in making their escape from prison Sir Percy imagines what might have been if he was not an aristocrat. Guest stars Susan Lyall Grant and Michael Collins.
4"A Tale of Two Pigtails" David MacDonald Angus MacPhail,
Diane Morgan
19 October 1955 (1955-10-19)
Princess Melanie de Monsantes is rescued by the Pimpernel and Chauvelin goes to the court of the Prince Regent determined to find The Pimpernel but reckons without the Pimpernel's ability to disguise himself as a visiting Chinese designer who has been hired by the Prince of Wales. Kissing Melanie's hand would be remembered in the episode "Something Remembered". Guest stars Maureen Connell, Dennis Edwards and early appearance by Peter O'Toole
5"The Lady in Distress" Dennis Vance Ralph Gilbert Bettinson26 October 1955 (1955-10-26)
The Pimpernel plans to free a woman from the guillotine but it is a trap by Chauvelin and Cecille, who holds the Pimpernel responsible for her brother's death. In the rescue, the Pimpernel is shot and wounded by a sword in his left arm. Guest stars Cyril Shaps, Alfie Bass and Ingeborg Wells
6"Something Remembered" David MacDonald Joel Murcott,
R.G. Bettinson
2 November 1955 (1955-11-02)
Sir Percy, with his wounded left arm in a sling, is asked by Princess Melanie de Monsantes, whom the Pimpernel once rescued, to aid her brother, Jacques Fleury. The aid wanted is weapons to fight Chauvelin, but the Pimpernel remembers wars fought between Britain and France and only agrees to destroy the weapons. Guest stars William Franklyn, Maureen Connell and Robert Cawdron.
7"The Elusive Chauvelin" Dennis Vance Ralph Gilbert Bettinson9 November 1955 (1955-11-09)
Chauvelin comes to England with a plan to capture the Pimpernel but takes the wrong man. Sir Percy must travel to France to rescue the young man but can only accomplish it disguised as Chauvelin. Guest stars Thea Gregory. Uncredited speaking part as, Louis, the chief executioner by Christopher Lee
8"The Sword of Justice" Dennis Vance Ralph Gilbert Bettinson16 November 1955 (1955-11-16)
An Englishman murdering French aristocrats is impersonating the Pimpernel. Sir Percy engineers a plan that allows his capture and execution by Chauvelin. Guest stars Brian Wilde and Thea Gregory
9"Thanksgiving Day" David MacDonald Michael Hogan22 November 1955 (1955-11-22)
An American woman is arrested as the Pimpernel and her brother, Frank Rawlinson, sanctioned by John Adams, needs the Pimpernel's help to rescue her, as he had recently been wounded in a duel with Sir Percy. Guest stars Phil Brown, William Abney, Arnold Diamond and Dennis Edwards
10"Sir Andrew's Fate" Wolf Rilla Ralph Gilbert Bettinson6 December 1955 (1955-12-06)
While smuggling aristocrats out of France Andrew and Richard are pursued by Chauvelin's agents. Andrew is shot and wounded forcing Richard to leave him behind. Sir Percy returns to France to find Andrew and the only clue to his whereabouts is a girl Collette and her friend Madame Tussaud. Guest stars Balbina, Susan Richmond, and Ivor Dean
11"The Ambassador's Lady" David MacDonald Joel Murcott,
R.G. Bettinson
13 December 1955 (1955-12-13)
Chauvelin, to Sir Percy's amazement, appoints Jacques Fleury as French ambassador and Richard's eye for Fleury's wife becomes the talk of the court. Fleury's wife is complicit in Chauvelin's plan to kill Jacques Fleury and blame Richard so France can declare war on Britain. Guests stars William Franklyn, Simone Lovell and Robert Cawdron.
12"The Christmas Present" David MacDonald Ralph Gilbert Bettinson20 December 1955 (1955-12-20)
Mrs. Burton, Sir Percy's housekeeper, laments Christmases past when many children lived in the house. She is upset when Sir Percy leaves her alone to go to France to rescue four aristocrats that, to his astonishment, are small children. In his effort to save them he collects a donkey and a dog, despite pursuit by Chauvelin's soldiers, and brings them home, much to Mrs Burton's pleasure.
13"The Flower Woman" David MacDonald Marius Goring 27 December 1955 (1955-12-27)
The Comtesse la Valliere, a spy of Chauvelin, has known for sometime Percy is the Scarlet Pimpernel and when she hears one of her friends, an imprisoned leader of the revolution, is to be executed by the Committee of Public Safety, she enlists his help. He, dressed as a blind man and she as a flower woman, try to save the prisoners in an event known as the September Massacres but only 30 are saved and they find that her friend has already been executed. Guest stars Peter Halliday and Michael Collins.
14"The Imaginary Invalids" David MacDonald John Moore10 January 1956 (1956-01-10)
Sir Percy discovers that Chauvelin is blackmailing the banker Rothstein by holding his daughter captive. Rothstein is ill with worry, Chauvelin is ill with gout, Rothstein's daughter is also ill. Sir Percy disguised as Chauvelin's doctor effects her rescue. Guest stars John Laurie
15"Antoine & Antoinette" David MacDonald Angus MacPhail,
Diane Morgan
24 January 1956 (1956-01-24)
Antoine and Antoinette are waiting to be married when Chauvelin arrives and arrests them. Elise, the younger sister of Antoinette, who has a crush on the Pimpernel, escapes to try to reach England when she meets Sir Percy and his two associates, Sir Andrew and Lord Richard on the road. Sir Percy, disguised as the local judge, rescues them and brings all three to England narrowly escaping capture by Chauvelin.
16"The Winged Madonna" Wolf Rilla Joel Murcott,
R.G. Bettinson
7 February 1956 (1956-02-07)
The Winged Madonna is an icon from one of France's dissolved monasteries. A girl trying to sell the icon to raise money for the monks and nuns draws Sir Percy and Hastings into devising not one but two plans of rescue when the Father Guardian refuses to leave so he can attend a pregnant woman. Disguised as an undertaker the Pimpernel visits Chauvelin to arrange a funeral. Guests stars Walter Rilla
17"Gentlemen of the Road" David MacDonald Ralph Gilbert Bettinson15 June 1956 (1956-06-15)
When a beautiful woman shows an unusual interest in the Prince of Wales's affairs, Sir Percy uncovers a plot to assassinate the Hanoverian Prince George using highwaymen, and restore a Stuart King to the throne of Great Britain. The Scarlet Pimpernel becomes a gentleman of the road to thwart the plan. Guest stars Conrad Phillips and Celia Hewitt.
18"The Farmer's Boy" David MacDonald John Moore22 June 1956 (1956-06-22)
The Pimpernel rescues one of his agents and has to find the man's daughter before Chauvelin does. Disguised as a farm worker, he seeks a job at a farm owned by the girl's miserly uncle and meets the farmer's boy. Guests stars Elvi Hale, Roger Delgado, Ivor Dean, and Michael Ripper

Home media

Alpha Home Entertainment released Volume 1 of The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel on DVD in 2006. Volume 2 was released in 2007. Each volume contains four episodes from the television series. The cover art used on these releases, however, erroneously used photos of Marius Goring in his character as Conductor 71 from his 1946 film A Matter of Life and Death .

Network (UK) released the entire 18-episode series on a three disc DVD set on 30 July 2012 with some extras included: a behind the scenes photo gallery.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i> 1905 novel by Emma Orczy

The Scarlet Pimpernel is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title enjoyed a long run in London, having opened in Nottingham in 1903.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald Howard (British actor)</span> British actor

Ronald Howard was an English actor and writer. He appeared as Sherlock Holmes in a weekly television series of the same name in 1954. He was the son of the actor Leslie Howard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baroness Orczy</span> Hungarian-born British novelist and playwright

Baroness Emma Orczy, usually known as Baroness Orczy or to her family and friends as Emmuska Orczy, was a Hungarian-born British novelist and playwright. She is best known for her series of novels featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel, the alter ego of Sir Percy Blakeney, a wealthy English fop who turns into a quick-thinking escape artist in order to save French aristocrats from "Madame Guillotine" during the French Revolution, establishing the "hero with a secret identity" in popular culture.

<i>The Adventures of Robin Hood</i> (TV series) British television series

The Adventures of Robin Hood is a British television series comprising 143 half-hour, black and white episodes broadcast weekly between 1955 and 1959 on ITV. It starred Richard Greene as the outlaw Robin Hood, and Alan Wheatley as his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The show followed the legendary character Robin Hood and his band of merry men in Sherwood Forest and the surrounding vicinity. While some episodes dramatised the traditional Robin Hood tales, most were original dramas created by the show's writers and producers.

<i>Blackadder the Third</i> Third series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder

Blackadder the Third  is the third series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 17 September to 22 October 1987. The series is set during the Georgian Era, and sees the principal character, Mr. E. Blackadder, serve as butler to the Prince Regent and have to contend with, or cash in on, the fads of the age embraced by his master.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marius Goring</span> English actor

Marius Re Goring, was an English stage and screen actor. He is best remembered for the four films he made with Powell & Pressburger, particularly as Conductor 71 in A Matter of Life and Death and as Julian Craster in The Red Shoes. He is also known for playing the title role in the long-running TV drama series, The Expert. He regularly performed French and German roles, and was frequently cast in the latter because of his name, coupled with his red-gold hair and blue eyes. However, in a 1965 interview, he explained that he was not of German descent, stating that "Goring is a completely English name."

<i>The Elusive Pimpernel</i> (1950 film) 1950 film

The Elusive Pimpernel is a 1950 British period adventure film by the British-based director-writer team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, based on the novel The Scarlet Pimpernel (1905) by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. It was released in the United States under the title The Fighting Pimpernel. The picture stars David Niven as Sir Percy Blakeney, Margaret Leighton as Marguerite Blakeney and features Jack Hawkins, Cyril Cusack and Robert Coote. Originally intended to be a musical, the film was re-worked as a light-hearted drama.

<i>Climax!</i> American anthology TV series

Climax! is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS programs of that era to be broadcast in color, using the massive TK-40A color cameras pioneered and manufactured by RCA, and used primarily by CBS's rival network, NBC. Many of the episodes were performed and broadcast live, but, although the series was transmitted in color, only black-and-white kinescope copies of some episodes survive to the present day. The series finished at #22 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1955-1956 season and #26 for 1956-1957.

<i>The Adventures of Sir Lancelot</i> British television series

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot is a British television series first broadcast in 1956, produced by Sapphire Films for ITC Entertainment and screened on the ITV network. The series starred William Russell as the eponymous Sir Lancelot, a Knight of the Round Table in the time of King Arthur at Camelot.

Dennis Vance was a British television producer, director, and occasional actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Jackson</span> English actor, singer, musician and writer

Neil Jackson is an English actor, singer, musician and writer who has appeared in several television series and films, but is probably best known for his role as Marcus on Blade: The Series and Sasha on Make It or Break It.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daphne Anderson</span> English actress, dancer and singer

Daphne Anderson was an English stage, film, and television actress, as well as a dancer and singer. She made her London theatre debut in 1938 at the Windmill Theatre. Anderson appeared in such films as The Beggar's Opera, Hobson's Choice and The Scarlet Pimpernel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucie Mannheim</span> German singer and actress

Lucie Mannheim was a German singer and actress.

<i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i> (1934 film) 1934 British adventure film directed by Harold Young

The Scarlet Pimpernel is a 1934 British adventure film directed by Harold Young and starring Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, and Raymond Massey. Based on the 1905 play by Baroness Orczy and Montagu Barstow and the classic 1905 adventure novel by Orczy, the film is about an eighteenth-century English aristocrat (Howard) who leads a double life, passing himself off as an effete aristocrat while engaged in a secret effort to rescue French nobles from Robespierre's Reign of Terror. The film was produced by Alexander Korda. Howard's portrayal of the title character is often considered the definitive portrayal of the role. In 1941, he played a similar role in "'Pimpernel' Smith" but this time set in pre-WWII Germany.

<i>Sherlock Holmes</i> (1954 TV series) American TV series or program

Sherlock Holmes was a detective television series syndicated in the autumn of 1954, based on the Sherlock Holmes stories of Arthur Conan Doyle. The 39 half-hour mostly original stories were produced by Sheldon Reynolds and filmed in France by Guild Films, starring Ronald Howard as Holmes and H. Marion Crawford as Watson. Archie Duncan appeared in many episodes as Inspector Lestrade. Richard Larke, billed as Kenneth Richards, played Sgt. Wilkins in about fifteen episodes. The series' associate producer, Nicole Milinaire, was one of the first women to attain a senior production role in a television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swashbuckler film</span> Subgenre of the action film genre

Swashbuckler films are a subgenre of the action film genre, characterised by swordfighting and adventurous heroic characters, known as swashbucklers. While morality is typically clear-cut, heroes and villains alike often follow a code of honour. Some swashbuckler films have romantic elements, most frequently a damsel in distress. Both real and fictional historical events often feature prominently in the plot.

The scarlet pimpernel is a very common small annual plant with red or orange flowers.

<i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i> (1982 film) 1982 British film

The Scarlet Pimpernel is a 1982 British romantic adventure television film set during the French Revolution. It is based on the novels The Scarlet Pimpernel (1905) and Eldorado (1913) by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, and stars Anthony Andrews as Sir Percy Blakeney/the Scarlet Pimpernel, the protagonist, Jane Seymour as Marguerite St. Just, the love interest, and Ian McKellen as Chauvelin, the antagonist.

<i>The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel</i> 1937 film

The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel is a 1937 British 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 The Scarlet Pimpernel based on the stories by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.

Motley Theatre Design Course is a one-year independent theatre design course in London. It was founded at Sadler's Wells Opera in 1966.

References

  1. The Scarlet Pimpernel radio show on the Internet Archive