Welcome to the Jane Austen Movie Club!

Here at Risky Regencies, we get together the first Tuesday of every month to discuss a Regency-interest movie or TV show.

This month: the 1982 SCARLET PIMPERNEL, starring Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and Ian McKellen!

To aid the discussion, here are the major credits, including a few “you’ve seen him here (you’ve seen him there)” tidbits in italics.

DIRECTOR: Clive Donner

SCREENPLAY: William Bast, based on the novels by Baroness Orczy

CAST:

Anthony Andrews: Sir Percy Blakeney

Jane Seymour: Marguerite Blakeney

Ian McKellen: Chauvelin

James Villiers: Baron de Batz

Eleanor David: Louise

Malcolm Jamieson: Armand St. Just

Jamieson played Colonel de L’Eclin in SHARPE’S RIFLES.

Denis Lill: Count de Tournay

Ann Firbank: Countess de Tournay

Firbank played Anne Elliot in the 1971 BBC PERSUASION.

Richard Morant: Robespierre

Julian Fellowes: The Prince Regent

Fellowes also played the Prince Regent in SHARPE’S REGIMENT, and played Major Dunnett in SHARPE’S RIFLES.

Gordon Gostelow: Duval

Carol MacReady: Mme. Duval

Tracey Childs: Suzanne

Childs played Marianne in the 1981 adaptation of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY.

Dominic Jephcott: Sir Andrew Ffoulkes

Christopher Villiers: Lord Anthony Dewhurst

Villiers played Colonel Horace Bampfylde in SHARPE’S SIEGE, and Tom Bertram in the 1983 MANSFIELD PARK.

Geoffrey Toone: Marquis de St. Cyr

Mark Drewry: Lord Timothy Hastings

Richard Charles: The Dauphin

So: what did you think?

Do you love this version, hate it, admire the costumes, want to recast it?

All answers welcome!

And be sure to stop back the first Tuesday of April, when we’ll be discussing THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE, and the first Tuesday of May, when we’ll be discussing SHARPE’S RIFLES.

Cara
Cara King, who seeks those french fries everywhere