The Elusive Chauvelin
- Episode aired Nov 9, 1955
- 30m
In his strangest mission yet, the Pimpernel must rescue a young man accused of being the Pimpernel - and discover whether Chauvelin was behind a plot to plant the false avenger in France.In his strangest mission yet, the Pimpernel must rescue a young man accused of being the Pimpernel - and discover whether Chauvelin was behind a plot to plant the false avenger in France.In his strangest mission yet, the Pimpernel must rescue a young man accused of being the Pimpernel - and discover whether Chauvelin was behind a plot to plant the false avenger in France.
- Barmaid
- (uncredited)
- Major Domo
- (uncredited)
- Footman
- (uncredited)
- Party Guest
- (uncredited)
- Prison Sergeant
- (uncredited)
- Louis
- (uncredited)
- Party Guest
- (uncredited)
- Citizen
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Michael McCarthy
- Dennis Vance(uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode features Christopher Lee in an uncredited speaking role as Louis, the official executioner of the Republic of France.
- GoofsThe closing credits misidentify actor Patrick Troughton's character as "Lord Anthony Dewhurst". This particular character appeared only in the first episode of the series and was played by actor Robert Shaw. Patrick Troughton's character throughout the series was Sir Andrew Ffoulkes.
- Quotes
Christine Hobson: You know, sometimes I wonder about you.
Sir Percy Blakeney: Oh?
Christine Hobson: I wonder if a lot of what you say and do isn't just a pose.
Sir Percy Blakeney: What on earth makes you say that?
Christine Hobson: I'd like to think that you're not really lazy and only interested in trivialities.
Sir Percy Blakeney: More like the Scarlet Pimpernel, eh? Seems to have turned the heads of all the girls at court. Most fatiguing character.
Christine Hobson: You may think so but I don't. And nor does my brother, George. He'd do anything to be able to join the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel. In fact, he's on his way to do something about it now.
Sir Percy Blakeney: What?
Christine Hobson: He's gone to the Traveller's Rest at Rochester. He thinks the Pimpernel will go too and he'll meet him there.
Sir Percy Blakeney: Most fatiguing character, your brother George. Listens to his heart more than his intelligence.
Christine Hobson: As the poet says, the heart is a small thing but desireth great matters.
Sir Percy Blakeney: Never had much use for poetry myself.
Christine Hobson: No, but my brother follows his heart, Sir Percy, and that's something you will never do.
Sir Percy Blakeney: No, my dear, I wouldn't.
First up is a pre-fame Lee's uncredited but brooding portrayal of Louis, the "giant" Executioner of Paris at the time of the French Revolution in his first of 18 participations in a Harry Alan Towers production. He comes face to face with the titular hero (Marius Goring) and his acolytes (including Patrick Troughton – who would later suffer memorably at the hands of Lee's Dracula in Hammer Films' SCARS OF Dracula {1970}) – who are dressed up as carousing French citizens in a doomed (due to his imposing height) attempt to abduct and impersonate him so as to rescue their friend wrongly imprisoned in Goring's stead.
Interestingly, the previous film adaptation of the popular literary classic was The Archers' maligned but colourful THE ELUSIVE PIMPERNEL (1950); indeed, as if to cheekily emphasize that connection, the episode in question is entitled "The Elusive Chauvelin" and the hero even gets to impersonate his nemesis (officially played by a rather unsympathetic Stanley Van Beers) at one point! Actually, Goring is well-cast as the foppish British aristocrat-cum-avenger but, perhaps owing to the sheer modesty of the originating medium, the most action he gets to indulge in here is the afore-mentioned impersonation in a jail and some fencing with sparring partner Troughton earlier on.
Incidentally, this fourth of 18 episodes in total is the first I have watched from this obscure TV adaptation of Baroness Orczy's swashbuckling novel I recall reading as a teenager and forms part of a similar small-screen trend of its day that included THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1955-60; starring Richard Greene and often helmed by Hammer regular Terence Fisher) and IVANHOE (1958-9; starring Sir Roger Moore, and to which Lee also lent his services). For the record, Lee and Goring would soon be reunited for The Archers' final film, ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT and, Lee only, with the official director of this very episode, Michael McCarthy, in THE TRAITOR (both 1957).
- Bunuel1976
- Jun 15, 2015
- Permalink
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1