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= The_Scarlet_Pimpernel =
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Introduction
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'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 (co-authored with her husband Montague
Barstow) enjoyed a long run in London, having opened in Nottingham in
1903.
The novel is set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the
French Revolution. The title is the 'nom de guerre' of its hero and
protagonist, a chivalrous Englishman who rescues aristocrats before
they are sent to the guillotine. Sir Percy Blakeney leads a double
life: apparently nothing more than a wealthy fop, but in reality, a
formidable swordsman and a quick-thinking master of disguise and
escape artist. The band of gentlemen who assist him are the only ones
who know of his secret identity. He is known by his symbol, a simple
flower, the scarlet pimpernel ('Anagallis arvensis').
Opening at the New Theatre in London's West End on 5 January 1905, the
play became a favourite of British audiences, eventually playing more
than 2,000 performances and becoming one of the most popular shows
staged in London. Published after the success of the play, the novel
was an immediate success, gaining Orczy a following of readers in
Britain and the rest of the world. The stage play and subsequent
novel, with their hero and villain, were so popular that they inspired
a revival of classic villainy at the time.
Orczy's premise of a daring hero who cultivates a secret identity
disguised by a meek or ineffectual manner proved enduring. Zorro,
Doctor Syn, the Shadow, the Spider, the Green Hornet, the Phantom,
Superman and Batman followed within a few decades, and the trope
remains a popular one in serial fiction today. Read by Stan Lee as a
boy, the Marvel co-creator called The Scarlet Pimpernel "the first
character who could be called a superhero."
Plot
======================================================================
In 1792, an early stage of the French Revolution, Marguerite St. Just,
a beautiful French actress, is married to wealthy English fop Sir
Percy Blakeney, baronet. Before their marriage Marguerite took revenge
upon the Marquis de St. Cyr, who had ordered her brother beaten for
his romantic interest in the Marquis' daughter, with the unintended
consequence that the Marquis and his sons were guillotined. When Percy
found out, he became estranged from his wife. Marguerite, for her
part, became disillusioned with Percy's shallow, dandyish lifestyle.
Meanwhile, the "League of the Scarlet Pimpernel", a secret society of
twenty English aristocrats, "one to command, and nineteen to obey", is
engaged in rescuing their French counterparts from the daily
executions of the Reign of Terror. Their leader, the mysterious
Scarlet Pimpernel, takes his 'nom de guerre' from the small, wayside
red flower he draws on his messages. Despite being the talk of London
society, only his followers and possibly the Prince of Wales know the
Pimpernel's true identity. Like many others, Marguerite is entranced
by the Pimpernel's daring exploits.
At a ball attended by the Blakeneys, Percy's verse about the "elusive
Pimpernel" becomes an instant success. But Marguerite is being
blackmailed by Citizen Chauvelin, the wily new French envoy to
England: Chauvelin's agents have stolen a letter proving that her
beloved brother Armand is in league with the Pimpernel. Chauvelin
offers to trade Armand's life for her help against the Pimpernel.
Contemptuous of her seemingly witless and unloving husband, Marguerite
does not go to him for help or advice. Instead, she passes along
information which enables Chauvelin to learn the Pimpernel's true
identity.
Later that night, Marguerite finally tells her husband of the terrible
danger threatening her brother and pleads for his help. Percy promises
to save him. After Percy unexpectedly leaves for France, Marguerite
discovers to her horror (and simultaneous delight) that 'he' is the
Pimpernel. He had hidden behind the persona of a dull, slow-witted fop
to deceive the world. He had not told Marguerite because of his worry
that she might betray him, as she had the Marquis de St. Cyr.
Desperate to save her husband, she decides to pursue Percy to France
to warn him that Chauvelin knows his identity and his purpose. She
persuades Sir Andrew Ffoulkes to accompany her, but because of the
tide and the weather, neither they nor Chauvelin can leave
immediately.
At Calais, Percy openly approaches Chauvelin in the 'Chat gris', a
decrepit inn whose owner is in Percy's pay. Despite Chauvelin's best
efforts, the Englishman escapes by offering Chauvelin a pinch of
snuff, which turns out to be pure pepper. Through a bold plan executed
right under Chauvelin's nose, Percy rescues Marguerite's brother
Armand and the Comte de Tournay, the father of a schoolfriend of
Marguerite's. Marguerite pursues Percy right to the very end,
determined to either warn him or share his fate. Percy, heavily
disguised, is captured by Chauvelin, who does not recognise him, so he
is able to escape.
With Marguerite's love and courage amply proven, Percy's ardour is
rekindled. Safely back on board their schooner, the 'Day Dream', the
happily reconciled couple returns to England. Soon after, Sir Andrew
Ffoulkes marries Suzanne, the Comte de Tournay's daughter.
Characters
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* Sir Percy Blakeney: He is a wealthy English baronet who rescues
individuals sentenced to death by the guillotine. He soon reveals
himself to be a master of disguise, an imaginative planner, a
formidable swordsman and a quick-thinking escape artist. With each
rescue he taunts his enemies by leaving behind a card showing a small
flower--a scarlet pimpernel. The identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel
thus becomes a topic of widespread popular interest and the hero
himself becomes the subject of an international manhunt by the French
revolutionary authorities. To hide his true identity, Sir Percy
presents himself in everyday life as a dim-witted, foppish playboy.
His secret is kept by a band of friends known as the League of the
Scarlet Pimpernel. The league operates as an undercover team in
enacting Sir Percy's rescue plans.
* Marguerite Blakeney, née St Just: She is married to Sir Percy. She
leads London society with her beauty, style and intelligence. She was
an actress in Paris, where she held salons to discuss the issues of
the day. She was not an aristocrat in French society.
* Armand St Just: Older brother of Marguerite, who raised her after
their parents died. He is a gentleman and a republican in France, but
his views of the slaughter of the aristocracy do not match the times.
* Citizen Chauvelin: Newly appointed envoy to England from
Revolutionary France. He seeks the Scarlet Pimpernel, who is allowing
aristocrats to escape their fate under the new regime.
* Sir Andrew Ffoulkes: Friend of Sir Percy who aids Marguerite when
she realizes her mistake. He falls in love with an émigrée, a girl who
had been at school with Marguerite.
* Suzanne: Daughter of Comte de Tournay, also a friend of
Marguerite's; she is the love interest of Sir Andrew Ffoulkes.
Literary significance
======================================================================
The title character, Sir Percy Blakeney, a wealthy English fop who
transforms into a formidable swordsman and a quick-thinking escape
artist, established the "hero with a secret identity" in popular
culture, a trope that would be seen in subsequent literary creations
such as Don Diego de la Vega (Zorro), Kent Allard/Lamont Cranston (The
Shadow), Clark Kent (Superman), and Bruce Wayne (Batman). The Scarlet
Pimpernel exhibits characteristics that would become standard
superhero conventions, including the penchant for disguise, use of a
signature weapon (sword), ability to out-think and outwit his
adversaries, and a calling card (he leaves behind a scarlet pimpernel
at each of his interventions). By drawing attention to his alter ego,
Blakeney hides behind his public face as a slow-thinking, foppish
playboy, and he also establishes a network of supporters, The League
of the Scarlet Pimpernel, that aids his endeavours. A plot technique
from 'Pimpernel' also used by some superheroes is the spurious "love
triangle", where a woman is torn between attraction to her staid
husband and the dashing hero--although they are in reality the same
man. Marvel co-creator Stan Lee stated: "The Scarlet Pimpernel was the
first superhero I had read about, the first character who could be
called a superhero."
The popular success of the novel is considered to be based on the myth
of the aristocratic hero with a double life, along with the love story
and conflict of loyalties. Dugan says that "Behind the wigs and
Mechlin lace cuffs lies an enduring human story of love,
misunderstandings, conflict of loyalties, audacious bravery - and a
dramatic double life." and this is a major part of the story's
enduring popularity. Another aspect is the "Englishness" of the hero
in the era when the British Empire began to shrink.
Historical allusions
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As a writer, Orczy often alluded to historical events and figures but
adapted these freely in creating her tales.
Citizen Chauvelin, the recurring villain of the 'Scarlet Pimpernel'
series, is based to some extent on the real-life Bernard-François,
marquis de Chauvelin, who survived the Revolutionary period to serve
as an official under Napoleon. He was a noted liberal Deputy under the
Bourbon Restoration.
Other historical figures who appear in Orczy's 'Pimpernel' series
include:
* Maximilien Robespierre
* Louis Antoine de Saint-Just
* Jean-Lambert Tallien
* Thérésa Tallien
* Georges Danton
* François Chabot
* Fabre d'Églantine
* The Prince of Wales (later, King George IV)
* Claude Basire
* Jean, Baron de Batz
* Jean-Paul Marat
* Paul Barras
* Georges Couthon
* Bertrand Barère
* Éléonore Duplay
* Collot d'Herbois
Initial publication
=====================
Orczy wrote the original manuscript for 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' in
five weeks during what she described as "The happiest time of her
life". It was rejected by most publishing houses in London, despite
her previous successes with her armchair detective stories, primarily
'The Old Man in the Corner' which first appeared in 'The Royal
Magazine' in 1901 in a series of six "Mysteries of London". Eventually
a friend put Orczy in contact with the actors Fred Terry and Julia
Neilson who wanted a new romantic drama. 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' was
produced and adapted by Neilson and Terry and the play opened on 15
October 1903 at Nottingham's Theatre Royal, but it was not a success.
Terry, however, had confidence in the play and, with a rewritten last
act, took it to London's West End where it opened at the New Theatre
on 5 January 1905. The premiere of the London production was
enthusiastically received by the audience, but critics considered the
play "old-fashioned". In spite of negative reviews, the play became a
popular success, running 122 performances and enjoying numerous
revivals. 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' became a favourite of London
audiences, playing more than 2,000 performances and becoming one of
the most popular shows staged in the United Kingdom. The stage play
(and subsequent novel), with their hero and villain, were so popular
that they inspired a revival of classic villainy at the time.
The novel 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' was published two years after the
play opened and was an immediate success. Orczy gained a following of
readers in Britain and throughout the world. The popularity of the
novel encouraged her to write a number of sequels for her "reckless
daredevil" over the next 35 years. The play was performed to great
acclaim in France, Italy, Germany and Spain, while the novel was
popular across the former British Empire and translated into 16
languages. Subsequently, the story has been adapted for television,
film, a musical and other media.
The commercial success of 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' allowed Orczy and
her husband to live out their lives in luxury. Over the years, they
lived on an estate in Kent, a bustling London home and an opulent
villa in Monte Carlo. Conceiving the character while standing on a
platform on the London Underground, Orczy wrote in her autobiography,
'Links in the Chain of Life':
I have so often been asked the question: "But how did you come to
think of 'The Scarlet Pimpernel?'" And my answer has always been: "It
was God's will that I should." And to you moderns, who perhaps do not
believe as I do, I will say, "In the chain of my life, there were so
many links, all of which tended towards bringing me to the fulfillment
of my destiny."
Sequels
=========
Orczy wrote numerous sequels, none of which became as famous as 'The
Scarlet Pimpernel'. Many of the sequels revolve around French
characters whom Sir Percy has met and is attempting to rescue. His
followers, such as Lord Tony Dewhurst, Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, Lord
Hastings, and Armand St. Just (Marguerite's brother), also take their
turn in major roles.
In addition to the direct sequels about Sir Percy and his league,
Orczy's related books include 'The Laughing Cavalier' (1914) and 'The
First Sir Percy' (1921), about an ancestor of the Pimpernel's;
'Pimpernel and Rosemary' (1924), about a descendant; and 'The Scarlet
Pimpernel Looks at the World' (1933), a depiction of the 1930s world
from the point of view of Sir Percy.
Some of her non-related Revolutionary-period novels reference the
Scarlet Pimpernel or the League, most notably 'The Bronze Eagle'
(1915).
Novels
========
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (1905)
* 'I Will Repay' (1906)
* 'The Elusive Pimpernel' (1908)
* 'Eldorado' (1913)
* 'Lord Tony's Wife' (1917)
* 'The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel' (1922)
* 'Sir Percy Hits Back' (1927)
* 'A Child of the Revolution' (1932)
* 'The Way of the Scarlet Pimpernel' (1933)
* 'Sir Percy Leads the Band' (1936)
* 'Mam'zelle Guillotine' (1940)
Collections of short stories
==============================
* 'The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel' (1919)
* 'Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel' (1929)
Omnibus editions
==================
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel etc.' (1930) collection of four novels
* 'The Gallant Pimpernel' (1939) collection of four novels
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel Omnibus' (1952) collection of four novels
Related books
===============
* 'The Laughing Cavalier' (1913) (about an ancestor of the Scarlet
Pimpernel)
* 'The First Sir Percy' (1920) (about an ancestor of the Scarlet
Pimpernel)
* 'Pimpernel and Rosemary' (1924) (about a descendant of the Scarlet
Pimpernel)
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel Looks at the World' (1933) (Sir Percy viewing
the world in the 1930s)
Members of the League
======================================================================
'The Life and Exploits of the Scarlet Pimpernel', a fictional
biography of Percy Blakeney published in 1938, named the nineteen
members of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
* The original nine league or founder members who formed the party on
2 August 1792: Sir Andrew Ffoulkes (second in command), Lord Anthony
Dewhurst, Lord Edward Hastings, Lord John Bathurst, Lord Stowmarries,
Sir Edward Mackenzie, Sir Philip Glynde, Lord Saint Denys, and Sir
Richard Galveston.
* Ten members enrolled in January 1793: Sir Jeremiah Wallescourt, Lord
Kulmstead, Lord George Fanshawe, Anthony Holte, John Hastings (Lord
Edward's cousin), Lord Everingham, Sir George Vigor, Bart., The
Honorable St. John Devinne, Michael Barstow of York and Armand St.
Just (Marguerite's brother).
Three members of the League have betrayed their oath of loyalty:
* In the short story "The Traitor" in 'The League of the Scarlet
Pimpernel', in November 1793 while accompanying the League on a
mission to rescue "some women of the late unfortunate Marie
Antoinette's household: maids and faithful servants, ruthlessly
condemned to die for their tender adherence to a martyred queen", Lord
Kulmstead seduces a young girl into helping set a trap for the Scarlet
Pimpernel, but the Pimpernel escapes and an unrepentant Kulmstead is
captured and sent to Paris (presumably for trial and execution). In
the radio series episode "The Traitor" (30 November 1952), Kulmstead
is attempting to betray the League when he is shot and killed by
League member Robert Kent.
* St. John Devinne's betrayal of Sir Percy forms an important part of
the novel 'Sir Percy Leads the Band', but Devinne later regrets and
repents his actions, and his treachery is forgiven by Sir Percy. While
his treachery is never revealed to the other members of the League, it
is hinted that to regain his lost honor he will join the British Army
when England and France finally declare war.
* In the novel 'Eldorado', Armand St. Just betrays Sir Percy to
Chauvelin in order to save the life of Jeanne L'Ange, with whom he has
fallen in love, not knowing that Sir Percy has already rescued her and
transported her to safety. Like Devinne, Armand is tormented by what
he has done, but Sir Percy also forgives him.
Marguerite, Lady Blakeney, is also named as a member of the League in
the book 'Mam'zelle Guillotine', but it is not known when she was
formally enrolled. The Prince Regent is rumored to also be a member of
the League, but in the original novel he refuses to confirm or deny
this, saying "My lips are sealed!"; in the novel 'The Elusive
Pimpernel', Sir Percy tells Marguerite that he has had to report to
the Prince before joining her at the village gala.
Chronology of novels in the series
======================================================================
Orczy did not publish her Pimpernel stories as a strict chronological
series, and in fact, the settings of the books in their publication
sequence may vary forward or backward in time by months or centuries.
While some readers enjoy following the author's development of the
Pimpernel character as it was realised, others prefer to read the
stories in historical sequence. Taking into account occasional
discrepancies in the dates of events (real and fictional) referred to
in the stories, the following is an approximate chronological listing
of Orczy's Scarlet Pimpernel novels and short stories:
!**Published**
Book Title Setting Notes
'The Laughing Cavalier' January 1624 |1914
'The First Sir Percy' March 1624 |1921
'The Scarlet Pimpernel' September-October 1792 |1905
'Sir Percy Leads the Band' January 1793 |1936
'Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel' 1793 |1929 each short story is
set in a different month of 1793.
'The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel' July 1793 |1919
'A Child of the Revolution' July 1793-July 1794 |1932
'I Will Repay' August-September 1793 |1906
'The Elusive Pimpernel' September-October 1793 |1908
'Lord Tony's Wife' November-December 1793 |1917
'The Way of the Scarlet Pimpernel' late 1793 |1933 concurrent with
preceding 2 or 3 novels
'Eldorado' January 1794 |1913
'Mam'zelle Guillotine' January 1794 |1940 concurrent with 'Eldorado'
'The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel' April-July 1794 |1922
'Sir Percy Hits Back' May-June 1794 |1927
|In the Rue Monge (short story) |1790s |1931 |unknown when set as no
dates are mentioned
|'Pimpernel and Rosemary' 1922-1924 |1924
Adaptations
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Hollywood took to the Pimpernel early and often, although most of the
Pimpernel movies have been based on a melange of the original book and
another Orczy novel, 'Eldorado'. The best known of the Pimpernel
movies is the 1934 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' starring Leslie Howard,
which is often considered the definitive portrayal and adaptation.
Films
=======
In 1923, Fred Terry and Julia Nelson bought the sole performance right
to a stageplay based on 'The Scarlet Pimpernel'. Orczy sued the two in
an attempt to claim a separate right of performance for films, but was
unsuccessful. As a result of the case, people who controlled a stage
performance right under the English Copyright Act were entitled to
create films with the same right.
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (1917; silent) starring Dustin Farnum,
Winifred Kingston and William Burress
* 'The Elusive Pimpernel' (1919; silent) starring Cecil Humphreys,
Maire Blanche and Norman Page
* 'I Will Repay' (1923; silent) starring Holmes Herbert
* 'The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel' (1928) starring Matheson Lang
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (1934) starring Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon
and Raymond Massey
* 'The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel' (1937) starring Barry K.
Barnes, Sophie Stewart and Francis Lister
* 'The Elusive Pimpernel' (1950), a.k.a. 'The Fighting Pimpernel' in
the US, starring David Niven, Margaret Leighton and Cyril Cusack
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982 film)'
Stage
=======
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (1903), a play co-written by Baroness Orczy
and Montague Barstow; produced in England, opening in Nottingham in
1903, then moving to London; revived ten times between 1905 and 1985
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (1910), Broadway production of the
Orczy/Barstow play; ran for only 40 performances
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (1997), a Broadway musical composed by Frank
Wildhorn and written by Nan Knighton; the production starred Douglas
Sills as Sir Percy, Christine Andreas as Marguerite and Terrence Mann
as Chauvelin
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (2008), a Broadway-style Japanese
adaptation, performed by the popular all-women's Takarazuka Revue in
Hyogo and Tokyo, Japan
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (2011), Cawthra Park High School of the
Performing Arts, Mississauga, Ontario.
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (2016), the Broadway 1997 version translated
into Japanese, performed by Umeda Art's Theatre in Osaka and Tokyo,
Japan
Television
============
* 'BBC Sunday Night Theatre' - three performances, in 1951, 1952 and
1953, based on the stage play co-written by Baroness Orczy and
Montague Barstow
** Season 1 episode 6, 5 February 1950 starring James Carney as Sir
Percy, Sydney Tafler as Chauvelin and Margaretta Scott as Marguerite
** Season 2 episode, 2 14 January 1951 starring James Carney as Sir
Percy, Terence de Marney as Chauvelin and Margaretta Scott as
Marguerite
** Season 6 episode 38, 18 September 1955 starring Tony Britton as Sir
Percy, Douglas Wilmer as Chauvelin and Harriette Johns as Marguerite
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (1955-1956 British ITV television series)
starring Marius Goring as Sir Percy, Stanley Van Beers as Chauvelin
and Patrick Troughton as Sir Andrew
* 'DuPont Show of the Month' Season 4 episode 4 ("The Scarlet
Pimpernel"), 18 December 1960 starring Michael Rennie as Sir Percy,
Maureen O'Hara as Marguerite and Reginald Denny as Chauvelin
* 'Den Røde Pimpernell' (1968), Norwegian television series, broadcast
by NRK
* 'The Elusive Pimpernel' (1969), a ten-part BBC One serial starring
Anton Rodgers as Sir Percy, Diane Fletcher as Marguerite and Bernard
Hepton as Chauvelin
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (1982), starring Anthony Andrews as Sir
Percy, Jane Seymour as Marguerite, and Ian McKellen as Chauvelin.
* 'The Scarlet Pimpernel', two TV series of three episodes each (1999,
2000). starring Richard E. Grant as Sir Percy and Martin Shaw as
Chauvelin. Elizabeth McGovern starred as Marguerite in the first
series; the character did not appear in the second.
Radio
=======
* An adaptation of the 1934 film, featuring Leslie Howard in his
original role and Olivia de Havilland as Marguerite, was produced in
1938 as part of the Lux Radio Theatre series.
* A radio series based on the novels starring Marius Goring as
Blakeney was produced and syndicated 1952-53 on NBC under the
direction of Harry Alan Towers through his Towers of London production
company. This series did not include the character of Marguerite and
promoted the character of Lord Antony "Tony" Dewhurst to Blakeney's
second-in-command, while the novels' second-in-command, Sir Andrew
Ffoulkes, became a lesser character.
* A two-part adaptation for BBC Radio 4 with James Purefoy as Sir
Percy Blakeney was broadcast in December 2017.
Parodies and media references
======================================================================
The novel has been parodied or used as source material in a variety of
media, such as films, television, stage works, literature, and games:
* It was parodied as a 1950 Warner Bros. cartoon short featuring Daffy
Duck, 'The Scarlet Pumpernickel'. An action figure of the Scarlet
Pumpernickel was released by DC Direct in 2006, making it one of the
few--if not the only--toys produced based on the Pimpernel.
* In 1953, following Jack Kyle's performance for the Ireland national
rugby union team against France in that year's Five Nations
Championship, sportswriter Paul MacWeeney adapted lines from the work
to salute Kyle.
* The Scarlet Pimpernel was parodied extensively in the 'Carry On'
film 'Don't Lose Your Head', which featured Sid James as the Black
Fingernail, who helps French aristocrats escape the guillotine while
hiding behind the foppish exterior of British aristocrat Sir Rodney
Ffing. It also features Jim Dale as his assistant, Lord Darcy. They
must rescue preposterously effete aristocrat Charles Hawtrey from the
clutches of Kenneth Williams' fiendish Citizen Camembert and his
sidekick Citizen Bidet (Peter Butterworth).
* The Kinks 1966 song "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" contains an
allusion ("they seek him here, they seek him there") to a line from
the book; these lyrics also appear in the 1993 film 'In the Name of
the Father' when Gerry Conlon (played by Daniel Day-Lewis) returns
home to Belfast in hippie-style clothing that he got from London's
Carnaby Street.
* In the third series of 'Blackadder', 'Blackadder the Third', the
episode "Nob and Nobility" revolves around Blackadder's disgust with
the English nobility's fascination for the Pimpernel. Tim McInnerny
reprises a version of his "Sir Percy" character from the previous two
series, who is the alter ego of the Pimpernel, who acts a bit like
James Bond.
* In 'The Desert Song', the heroic "Red Shadow" has a milquetoast
alter ego modelled after Sir Percy.
* The character was parodied in a lengthy comedy sketch on 'The Benny
Hill Show' (series 11, episode 1, 1980). Portrayed by Hill himself,
the "Scarlet Pimple" spends just as much of his time unsuccessfully
pursuing women as he does rescuing people. When one woman repeatedly
shuns his advances, he leaves in a huff and refuses to rescue the next
woman being sent to the guillotine.
* The Canadian comedy team of Wayne and Shuster created a comedy
sketch in 1957 based on the Scarlet Pimpernel called "The Brown
Pumpernickel", in which, instead of a red flower as his calling card,
the hero would leave behind a loaf of pumpernickel.
* In 'The Huckleberry Hound Show' episode "The Unmasked Avenger",
Huckleberry Hound dons a masked avenger identity called the "Purple
Pumpernickel", an obvious spoof of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Coincidentally during the episode's opening narration, the Scarlet
Pimpernel was seen among the different masked avengers like the Green
Gadfly and the White Crusader. After Huckleberry Hound as the Purple
Pumpernickel defeated the evil lord (voiced by Don Messick) that
oppressed the land, he revealed his identity to the people where he
will bring about changes upon the lords defeat even though it may
cause some taxes to handle the new roads, free schools, and old age
pension. He is then confronted by a masked avenger known as the Blue
Bouncer (voiced by Don Messick) who rights wrongs and is chased by him
as Huck quotes that taxes get folks all riled up as the episode ends.
* In 1972, Burt Reynolds portrayed the "Lavender Pimpernel" in a
season 5 episode of 'The Carol Burnett Show'.
* Sir Percy and Marguerite are mentioned as members of an 18th-century
incarnation of 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' in the graphic
novels of that title by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill and make a more
significant appearance in 'The Black Dossier', in the accounts of both
Orlando and Fanny Hill, with whom Percy and Marguerite are revealed to
have been romantically involved.
* A series of novels by Lauren Willig, beginning with 'The Secret
History of the Pink Carnation' (2005), chronicle the adventures of the
Scarlet Pimpernel's associates, including the Purple Gentian (alias of
Lord Richard Selwick), spies in the Napoleonic era.
* Steve Jackson Games published 'GURPS Scarlet Pimpernel', by Robert
Traynor and Lisa Evans in 1991, a supplement for playing the milieu
using the GURPS roleplaying game system.
* In "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)", a 1999 episode of 'The Simpsons', the
Scarlet Pimpernel appears as the antagonist in the fictional film 'The
Poke of Zorro'.
* The 2003 film 'Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World' is
set in 1805 and features a boy named Blakeney, whose father is named
Sir Percy Blakeney, suggesting he is the son of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
* Writer Geoffrey Trease wrote his adventure novel 'Thunder of Valmy'
(1960; US title 'Victory at Valmy') partly as a response to Orczy's
Pimpernel novels, which he argued were giving children a misleading
image of the French Revolution. 'Thunder of Valmy' revolves around the
adventures of a peasant boy, Pierre Mercier, during the start of the
Revolution, and his persecution by a tyrannical Marquis.
* Famed British barrister Sir Desmond Lorenz de Silva, QC, is often
referred to by Fleet Street papers as "the Scarlet Pimpernel", because
of his uncanny penchant for saving clients facing the death penalty
outside the UK.
* Writer Diana Peterfreund took inspiration from the Scarlet Pimpernel
for her book 'Across the Star Swept Sea'. The main character, Persis
Blake, pretends to be a shallow aristocrat while actually being the
notorious spy "The Wild Poppy".
* In the 2014 videogame 'Assassin's Creed: Unity', protagonist Arno
Dorian may encounter a man known as the "Crimson Rose", the leader of
the "Crimson League", a royalist organization which saves aristocrats
from the guillotine. However, it is later discovered that Crimson Rose
is a Templar, and he and the League are wiped out by Arno.
* Dewey Lambdin includes an homage to the Scarlet Pimpernel in his
book 'King, Ship, and Sword', in the character of a foppish Sir
Pulteney Plumb who was known as "The Yellow Tansy".
* Philip José Farmer's 'Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord
Greystoke' includes the Scarlet Pimpernel as a member of the Wold
Newton family. Farmer suggests that Sir Percy was present when the
Wold Cottage meteorite fell near Wold Newton, Yorkshire, England, on
13 December 1795. Win Scott Eckert wrote two Wold Newton short stories
featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel, both taking place in 1795: "Is He in
Hell?" and "The Wild Huntsman." Eckert also constructed a "fictional
genealogy" for the Pimpernel in his essay "The Blakeney Family Tree."
* In the 'Phineas and Ferb' episode "Druselsteinoween", multiple
characters dress as the Scarlet Pimpernel for a Halloween party in a
castle. This is used for comedic effect as one of the Pimpernels uses
the others as decoys to avoid his father, who disapproves of his son's
girlfriend because she is the daughter of his sworn enemy.
* In the 'DuckTales' episode "Friendship Hates Magic," the Scarlet
Pimpernel is parodied as the Scarlet Pimperbill, whom Launchpad
McQuack mistakes for Darkwing Duck due to the very similar design of
the two characters.
* In the comic strip 'Doonesbury', the character called "the Red
Rascal" has a story line which parodies the original.
* In the 'Babar' episode "The Scarlet Pachyderm", the title character
is a parody of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
* In the book 'Scarlet' by Genevieve Cogman, the characters of the
Scarlet Pimpernel make appearances as both protagonists and
antagonists, with the Blakeneys being connected to some of the
vampiric aristocrats of the book's plot.
The Tartan Pimpernel (Donald Caskie)
======================================
Inspired by the title 'Scarlet Pimpernel', the Tartan Pimpernel was a
nickname given to the Reverend Donald Caskie (1902-1983), formerly
minister of the Paris congregation of the Church of Scotland, for
aiding over 2,000 Allied service personnel to escape from occupied
France during World War II.
The American Pimpernel (Varian Fry)
=====================================
Varian Fry was a 32-year-old Harvard-educated classicist and editor
from New York City who helped save thousands of endangered refugees
who were caught in Vichy France, helping them to escape from Nazi
terror during World War II. His story is told in 'American Pimpernel:
The Man Who Saved the Artists on Hitler's Death List'.
The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican (Hugh O'Flaherty)
========================================================
Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty was an Irish priest who saved thousands of
people, British and American servicemen and Jews, during World War II
while in the Vatican in Rome. His story is told in two books and a
film:
* J. P. Gallagher (1968), 'Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican', New
York: Coward-McCann
* Brian Fleming (2008), 'The Vatican Pimpernel: The Wartime Exploits
of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty', Collins Press
* 'The Scarlet and the Black', a 1983 made-for-television movie
starring Gregory Peck and Christopher Plummer
Harald Edelstam
=================
Harald Edelstam (1913-1989) was a Swedish diplomat. During World War
II, he earned the nickname 'Svarta nejlikan' ("the Black Pimpernel")
for helping Norwegian resistance fighters in escape from the Germans.
Stationed in Chile in the 1970s, he arranged for the escape of
numerous refugees from the military junta of Augusto Pinochet; this
brought him into conflict with the regime, and he eventually was
forced to leave the country.
Nelson Mandela
================
This name was also given to Nelson Mandela prior to his arrest and
long incarceration for his anti-apartheid activities in South Africa
due to his effective use of disguises when evading capture by the
police.
Walter Sisulu
===============
"Behind the scenes, Mandela worked very closely with Walter Sisulu,
who was now being pursued by the police. Z.K. Matthews told the Cape
ANC in June that Sisulu was operating behind the 'Iron Curtain' of the
Transkei as a Scarlet Pimpernel (before Mandela inherited the title):
'They sought him here, they sought him there, they sought him
everywhere. Quote cites: 'Karis & Carter', Vol.3, op. cit., p.128
Raoul Wallenberg
==================
Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat, was directly inspired by
'"Pimpernel" Smith', a 1941 British anti-Nazi propaganda thriller, to
begin rescuing Hungarian Jews during World War II. The film had been
banned in Sweden, but Wallenberg and his sister Nina were invited to a
private screening at the British Embassy in Stockholm. Enthralled by
Professor Smith (played by Leslie Howard), who saved thousands of Jews
from the Nazis, Nina stated, "We thought the film was amazing. When we
got up from our seats, Raoul said, 'that is the kind of thing I would
like to do. Wallenberg issued false passports identifying the Jews as
Swedish nationals, and is credited with rescuing at least 15,000 Jews.
He disappeared in Eastern Europe after the war, and is believed to
have died in a Soviet prison camp.
External links
======================================================================
*
*
*
*
* [
http://www.blakeneymanor.com/series.html Blakeney Manor],
additional information and digital copies of all books.
*
*
License
=========
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License URL:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scarlet_Pimpernel
