I was always surprised to read about what a disaster this movie was - it seemed to have an incredible amount of ingredients: David Niven, Powell and Pressburger, Korda and Goldwyn, the Scarlet Pimpernel, colour, location shooting, terrific support cast.
And while it's no masterpiece, it's actually pretty fun. The story is strong as ever, it looks amazing (a feast for the eyes), it has a playful good nature that is infectious. I don't necessarily think it would have worked as a musical (as originally envisioned) but it's a great shame Americans didn't get to see the film for so long, and that it's been out of circulation for so long.
David Niven isn't as believable playing a fop as Leslie Howard was, but he tries, and he's superb as "straight", brave Pimpernel - smart, tough, wryly humorous, skillful at disguise, etc. Margaret Leighton felt a little old and cold for the part of his wife (I always think this role needs to be played by someone very passionate) but she is a good actor and is more of an "equal" to Niven.
Very strong support cast including Cyril Cusack (scary and different as an all-white-makeup Chevalier), Jack Hawkins (not quite well cast as George IV but I got used to him), always-reliable Robert Coote, a very old John Longden and a very young Patrick Macnee.
There are bizarre scenes like the one in the steam bath where Niven recites the famous poem - leaping about in a loin cloth with jump cuts, Hawkins dancing (these two are where it felt like a musical), Cusack sneezing and seeing fireworks. It's got that touch of magic for which Powell and Pressburger were known and the film should be more widely distributed.
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