"Pimpernel" Smith 1941

Overview

Pimpernel Smith is a 1941 British anti-Nazi thriller produced and directed by its star, Leslie Howard. The film, which was released in the United States under the title Mister V, updates the themes of the 1934 production The Scarlet Pimpernel by shifting the setting from Revolutionary France to pre-Second World War Europe. The narrative follows an eccentric Cambridge archaeologist named Horatio Smith, played by Leslie Howard, who travels to Nazi Germany accompanied by a group of British and American archaeology students to conduct excavations. His research receives support from the Nazi regime because he claims to be searching for evidence regarding the Aryan origins of German civilization. Beneath this academic facade, Smith maintains a secret agenda to rescue inmates from concentration camps. The cast includes Francis L. Sullivan, who portrays the character of General von Graum. The film is categorized as an adventure, drama, and thriller, and it features a runtime of two hours. It received a United States release date of February 12, 1942.