Going Through the Era's {Matinee Saturday} - 1930's

I'm linking up to Bramblewood Fashion's Going Through the Era's event!

This week {March 4th-10th} is the 1930s.

Today's theme is...Matinee Saturday!

{do movie reviews of movies from the era. share your favorite Actors/Actresses, fun movie trivia, etc....}

Oh goodness!  

There are so many wonderful films from the 30s, and I had an understandably difficult time deciding which movie to review...

Mr. Smith Goes to the Washington

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Captain Blood

You Can't Take It With You

Little Women

Dodge City
Gone With The Wind

Not to mention the lovely films starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers!

I finally decided on one that is less well known...

The Scarlet Pimpernel

{1934}

It's 1792, at the pinnacle of the French Revolution's Reign of Terror.  Paris is in the hands of a mob - a bloodthirsty, vengeful mob - who rejoice at the sound of the guillotines blade descending on the necks of men, women and children.  Those "cursed aristos", the innocent victims of a bloody revolution.   But there is hope.  Rescuing aristocrats from beneath the very blade of madame guillotine, a secret league of twenty men is at work, lead by one brave man.  

"One to command, and nineteen to obey."

That man is The Scarlet Pimpernel.

While not the first or last adaptation of Baroness Orczy's thrilling adventure novel, this is quite possibly the best of them all.  Full of daring adventure and romance, it captures the spirit of The Scarlet Pimpernel.

With a simply outstanding performance by Leslie Howard as the Scarlet Pimpernel, the daring master of disguise, and his alter ego Sir Percy Blakeney, the fop whose chief concern is that his cravats be properly starched and tied.  The transformation from one personality to the other is seamless, flawless and fascinating to behold.

Beautiful, charming and clever Lady Blakeney, formerly Marguerite St. Just, is delightfully portrayed by Merle Oberon.

Creepy and cold, sneaky and slimy, and, above all, treacherous.  Raymond Massey's Citizen Chauvelin is all of that and more.  The character you love to hate is quite hate-able, I assure you.

"Sink me! what a mess."

 I hadn't watched this movie in a while, so I re-watched it today.  Goodness!  I'd forgotten how wonderful it is!  The characters...the witty dialog...the suspense. 

It's, quite simply, a masterpiece.

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The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) is in the public domain and available to watch for free in it's entirety here.

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Have you ever watched this film?  What were your thoughts on it?

Happy Trails, y'all!