In this swashbuckling adventure series, a seemingly foppish English aristocrat leads a double life rescuing innocents from the French Revolution.
To the high society of Georgian London, Sir Percy Blakeney (Marius Goring) is a preening fop, obsessed with little more than fashion and poetry. This persona is a carefully constructed disguise for his secret identity as the Scarlet Pimpernel, a daring hero who, with his league of gentlemen, undertakes perilous missions into Revolutionary France. Operating under the noses of the authorities, he snatches condemned aristocrats from the guillotine and spirits them to safety in England. His principal adversary is Chauvelin (Stanley van Beers), the dogged and ruthless agent of the French Republic, who is determined to unmask and capture the elusive Pimpernel. Episodes follow Blakeney as he balances his two identities, often with the support of the Prince of Wales (Alexander Gauge).
As one of the earliest swashbuckling adventure series produced for the fledgling ITV network, The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel helped establish a template for British television’s most successful export genre. Though constrained by studio sets and modest budgets, the production successfully captured the romantic peril of Baroness Orczy’s novels. The series is defined by the central performance of Marius Goring, whose interpretation of the dual role is considered by many to be definitive. He perfected the contrast between the effete, pithy baronet and the steely, resourceful hero, creating a characterisation of genuine wit and dimension. His work elevated the material beyond simple adventure into a compelling character piece.
Broadcast: ITV – Towers of London / ITP, 18 Episodes, 24 February 1956 – 22 June 1956
Based on the characters created by: Baroness Orczy
Producers: Anthony Gilkison, Dennis Vance, Marius Goring
Directors: Michael McCarthy, Dennis Vance, David MacDonald, Wolf Rilla
Principal Writer: Ralph Gilbert Bettinson
Main Cast: Marius Goring (Sir Percy Blakeney), Stanley van Beers (Chauvelin), Alexander Gauge (The Prince of Wales), Patrick Troughton (Sir Andrew Ffoulkes), Anthony Newlands (Sir Richard Hastings)
