recently had great success with the actor Charles Laughton in the film The Private Life of Henry VIII, so he asked Laughton to play the role of Sir Percy. When the announcement went out to the press, the reaction from the Pimpernel's many fans was negative; the pug-nosed Laughton was thought a poor choice to play the suave Sir Percy. Korda thus gave the role to Leslie Howard. Reception Andre Sennwald wrote in The New York Times that "'The Scarlet Pimpernel' is stirring to the pulse and beautiful to the eye, and it weaves the richly textured background of those tingling months of the French Revolution into an enormously satisfying photoplay. ... Did the narrative seem a trifle leisurely in places? No matter. It was a leisurely age and here is a succulent and captivating entertainment." He also praised Leslie Howard's performance. The Scarlet Pimpernel was the sixth most popular film at the British box office during 1935–36. References External links 1934 films 1930s adventure drama films Films set in 1792 Cultural depictions of George IV British adventure drama films British black-and-white films London Films films Scarlet Pimpernel films Films directed by Harold Young (director) Films based on French novels Films produced by Alexander Korda United Artists films Films based on works by Emma Orczy Cultural depictions of Maximilien Robespierre 1934 drama films Films shot at Imperial Studios, Elstree 1930s British films