Last night I re-watched the Andrews/Seymour Scarlet Pimpernel. I was hoping Percy’s league would help me make sure the band of aides-de-camp in my Waterloo book are properly differentiated (which it did). I love the banter among Percy, Tony, Andrew, and Timothy Hastings. It has a tone I’d love to capture in some scenes in my book. Even though I practically know the dialogue to the film by heart (I actually had a tape recording of it before I saw it, because when it first aired I was at a rehearsal, and my family didn’t have a VCR yet, so my mom tape recorded it), the magic still works.
This seemed a good time again post one of my favorite scenes from Vienna Waltz which I’m sure many of you will recognize it as an homage to the scene in El Dorado where Marguerite visits Percy in prison and to the wonderful depiction of that scene in the Andrews/Seymour Scarlet Pimpernel. I originally posted this excerpt a year ago, but it’s changed a bit since in the revision process. It occurs fairly late in the book, but other than the fact that Charles is in prison, it contains no real spoilers. It’s one of those moments where dire circumstance break down their barriers and force them to reveal their feelings (it takes a lot for Charles and Mel to reveal their feelings, even–perhaps especially–to each other).
Also, be sure to check out this week’s Fraser Correspondence addition. It’s a letter Raoul leaves for Charles, a corollary to his letter last week. This one is meant for him to receive only if he’s learned the truth about Mélanie. Let me know what you think of the letter and the excerpt.
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Charles stared at the cloudy light trickling through the barred window set high in the wall of his cell. Mildew clung to the rough stone walls and clogged the air. A single tallow candle burned on a three-legged table beside a narrow bed covered with a gray blanket.
He’d known worse. Mud huts in Spain. Field tents that leaked like a sieve. Patches of snow-covered ground with only his greatcoat for a blanket. On more than one occasion he’d known his odds of death were more than even. Several times he’d not been sure he cared very much. But he’d never been deprived of his liberty by his supposed allies. And he’d never had so much leisure to dwell on the sins of his past and their implications for his future.
A key rattled in the iron lock. Hinges groaned.
“Charles?”
He turned toward the familiar voice. His wife stood just inside the open door. She wore a dark hat and spencer, but the meager light clung to the white stuff of her gown. The jailer pulled the door to behind her and slammed the bolt home.
Charles stood frozen. Less than twenty-four hours and he was parched with longing for the sight of her. And for all the reasons that had been echoing through his head since he’d been brought to the prison, she had never seemed more out of his reach.
She hesitated a moment. He could feel her gaze moving over his face. Then she rushed forward. His arms closed about her with a need stronger than any qualms. He slid his fingers into her hair, pushing her hat and half her hairpins to the floor, and sought her mouth with the hunger of one who’d feared he might never touch her again.
When he lifted his head, she took his face between her hands. Her fingers trembled against his skin. “Darling. Are you–“
“I’m treated much better than the poor bastards in Newgate.”
“I was afraid–“
He covered one of her hands with his own. “Odd the tricks one’s mind can play.”
“Frightful.” She gave a quick defensive smile, and he knew she felt as awkward as he did at their unwonted display of emotion.
February 7, 2011 at 1:29 am
*Wibble* on the Malcolm/Suzanne scene.
I love the Scarlet Pimpernel! But I’ll confess to what some think is sacrilege – I don’t love the Seymour/Andrews version. Although I do agree that it is, costume and scenery-wise – gorgeous.
I HOPE the new version will be somehow truer to the story. I want a LOVE story.
And as someone else posted in livejournal, it would be good to see a version that shows Margot as a protagonist.
February 7, 2011 at 9:50 am
I HOPE the new version will be somehow truer to the story. I want a LOVE story.
JMM, the new film has been shelved for a few years, because of a change in European copyright/public domain laws.
I’m not sure there will ever be a film adaptation that perfectly suits fans of the books, because the focus is always on Percy and the League, not Lady Blakeney. Even the new film was going to be given the Sherlock Holmes treatment.
February 13, 2011 at 8:19 pm
Too bad the film has been delayed. It’s interesting how the film versions tend to focus on Percy and his band rather than Marguerite. But I would still love to see an new adaptation!
February 7, 2011 at 1:43 am
Glad you like the scene, JMM!
What don’t you like about the Seymour/Andrews TSP? (Not being defensive, genuinely curious). It does change some thing from the novel, but I like how they wove together TSP and Eldorado (the more complicated stories are the better I like them :-)). But I do think of it as love story. In any case, I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts.
I’m very excited about the new version as well. And it would be nice to see the story from Marguerite’s eyes (as in the novel). Do you like the Oberon/Howard version? I haven’t seen it in a while, but as I recall it’s closer to the book.
February 7, 2011 at 2:05 am
I wasn’t impressed with the “Big Mis”. In the book, and the 1934 version, Margot KNEW why Percy was cold towards her. She was angry about it.
(I know, it was the same way in the musical, too. And I liked the musical!)
I think it’s just… chemistry. In the musical, I felt the love that Percy had for Margot. I didn’t feel that in the 1982 version.
February 7, 2011 at 2:43 am
That’s a good point. I too prefer the story without any misunderstanding. But I did feel love between Percy and Margot in the 1982 version. And always in the musical, which is so much fun. (I was listening to the score yesterday). But a lot of chemistry is in the eye of the viewer/reader, I think. It’s fun to compare!
February 7, 2011 at 4:48 am
I’ve only seen the Andrews/Seymour version, so I have nothing to compare it to. I enjoyed it. I’ve also only read the one book, so I don’t even know how it compares to the El Dorado book.
I remember the exerpt from last year. Looks like a good scene. I am looking forward to seeing it in its place in the story.
February 7, 2011 at 5:39 am
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by joann, Tracy Grant. Tracy Grant said: New blog post – #viennawaltz excerpt – An homage to The Scarlet Pimpernel & Eldorado -http://wp.me/p4JVv-eW […]
February 7, 2011 at 6:50 am
Thanks, Susan! I remember, you made some lovely comments when I posted the exceprt a year ago. The part of the Andrews/Seymout TSP about the rescue of the Dauphin and Armand’s romance with Louie (Jeanne in the book) is in Eldorado. Percy is also imprisoned in the book. Marguerite goes to see him in prison, and there’s a scene very similar to the one in the movie (except of course that she’s long since learned he’s the Scarlet Pimpernel).
February 7, 2011 at 9:45 am
I could see that scene from the film in my head while reading! Thank you for reminding me why I love TSP – I’ve been meaning to re-read the books (TSP and Eldorado) for a while now, so this has spurred me on!
February 7, 2011 at 10:42 am
I’m with JMM – The ’82 SP is glorious to look at, but I never felt there was any passion between Percy & Marguerite.
For me Leslie Howard IS the Scarlet Pimpernel, the man was born to play the part, both in the 1934 classic, & in the wonderful Pimpernel Smith (1941).However, the finest Marguerite has to be Margaret Leighton in the Elusive Pimpernel. She brings to the role a fantastic balance of imperiousness, vulnerability & bravado that is often lacking in other portrayals
February 7, 2011 at 6:23 pm
Thanks, Sarah, glad I’ve inspired a re-read!
February 7, 2011 at 6:26 pm
It’s weird Cate, because I find the 1982 TSP intensely romantic. However I do also love Leslie Howard in the role–he brings more of a tortured intellect to, whereas Anthony Andrews is more of a young adventurer. Both work for me on their own term. I really need to see The Elusive Pimpernel. I didn’t realize it had Margaret Leighton!
February 7, 2011 at 10:35 pm
Not only Leighton, but David Niven as Sir Percy( oddly enough not his best role!),& Jack Hawkins as a fabulous Prinny.
It’s a Powell & Pressburger film and looks appropriately OTT & gorgeous, but again, not one of their finest films
February 8, 2011 at 2:38 am
Definitely would like to see it! Is it on DVD?
February 8, 2011 at 2:46 am
Don’t think so, my copy’s VHS that I did some years ago during a BBC Powell & Pressburger season. You might be lucky with netflix or youtube
February 8, 2011 at 2:55 am
Thanks! I’ll keep an eye out for it.
February 8, 2011 at 2:20 pm
I have ‘The Elusive Pimpernel’ on video too – surreal would be the best word for it! Marguerite’s accent is terrible and Chauvelin looks like the Prince of Darkness. Oh, and there’s a scene set in a sauna which is not for the faint hearted 😛
Only a dedicated fan would look it up 😉
February 8, 2011 at 7:12 pm
Well, I think I count as a dedicated fan :-). It definitely sounds intriguing!
February 9, 2011 at 3:45 am
Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon. Leslie is so wonderful… in that scene where he’s laughing and tells a man he’s in love with his own wife… he just glows. As much as a guy can on a rather hard to see DVD. (Admittedly, it’s not the BEST transfer)
And Merle is wonderfully… exotic. I see her that way, the bright colorful bird in a group of sparrows. 🙂
Tracy, if you can, you MUST buy “The Black Book” with Arlene Dahl. Admittedly, it’s not a great transfer (you have to turn the sound up LOUD to hear) but it’s great.
French spy and shady lady (ex-lovers) plot to topple Robespierre. It’s “Scarlet Pimpernel does film-noir”. I love this movie.
I wish both movies would be restored properly.
February 9, 2011 at 5:53 am
JMM, the Howard/Oberon movie was my TSP introduction. I was it a revival movie house with my parents when I was six or seven. I remember being really impressed that it wasn’t sweet Suzanne who was the heroine but the exotic Marguerite with her shady past. I still like the Andrews/Seymour version, though. They’re just different (much as I like different Pride & Prejudice adaptations).
I’ll definitely look or “The Black Book.” It sounds great. Oddly, though I love old movies, I’ve never heard of it.
February 9, 2011 at 8:56 pm
I look so much forward to Vienna Waltz! Tracy, I really appreciate so much the way you are inspired by my favourite authors (Orczy/Sayers) and translate that inspiration into your own original literary universe!
About the SP variations. I must say that I too am a big fan of the Leslie Howard/Merle Oberon version. I thought it was interesting that they had apparently had a deep relationship before their estrangement (“Months after we were married we were still happy”). It added levels of pain and passion to their relationship, and those two actors really got that across.
February 9, 2011 at 11:38 pm
Great to hear from you, Dorthe! Thanks for the lovely words. I’m always fascinated by “literary” heritage of how authors inspire other authors (for instance, I know Dorothy Dunnett mentioned both Orczy and Sayers among her inspirations for the Lymond Chronicles).
I’d forgot that line from the Howard/Oberon movie though I do remember the depth of their relationship. I think it adds an interesting layer for them to have had more time to be happy together before the distance set in.
February 13, 2011 at 2:59 am
Tracy,
I am so pleased to know that an author whom I admire shares a love for The Scarlet Pimpernel. In today’s culture I often feel alone in this appreciation of Orczy’s work. I can’t say that I love one depiction more than any other, although it was the Andrews/Seymour version that got me hooked. Have you read any of the other Pimpernel novels? They are all wonderful. I actually stumbled across Beneath a Silent Moon when I was searching for something similar. It’s wonderful to know that others are continuing to produce work that evoke that same kind of feeling.
February 13, 2011 at 7:34 am
Thanks so much, Anna! How wonderful that someone who discovered my books also loves TSP! Yes, I have read some of the other novels including Eldorado. I was delighted to find them in the Stanford Library when I was in college and more recently I’ve found them online. Have you read the other TSP novel? Do you have any particular favorite? Very cool that you found Beneath a Silent Moon when looking for something similar!
February 13, 2011 at 7:50 pm
I have to ask; you’ve probably answered this before. Will the later books follow the plotlines in DOTG and BSM? I’m hoping to see a book set in after DOTG, even if the characters are named Malcolm and Suzanne.
BTW – I’ve been reading!
February 13, 2011 at 8:04 pm
Tracy, I’ve read most of the Pimpernel books. And although I love them all, I was particularly moved by A Child of the Revolution. If you haven’t read that one, please do! It’s one of the books that almost never mentions the Pimpernel, but it is such a beautiful story. I’m currently reading another Pimpernel novel, The Laughing Cavalier. I’m trying to pace myself until Vienna Waltz is out. I love good stories, but I love good characters even more. Did you intend for Charles to be like Percy, or are their similarities coincidental?
February 13, 2011 at 8:10 pm
Glad to know you’re reading, JMM :-). Yes, unless I can get the Charle & Mélanie books picked up as is (in which case I would wrap up Malcolm & Suzanne and move back to Charles & Mel), my plan is to move Malcolm & Suzanne to the point where they are where Charles & Mel are post Daughter/Secrets (obviously with some differences; I probably wouldn’t have Colin abducted again), so I can continue the series on in the post Daughter/Secrets world, which I too am eager to write about.
February 13, 2011 at 8:18 pm
Anna, I haven’t read Child of the Revolution–thanks so much for the recommendation!
I think the idea for Charles & Mel was born (over a decade before I started the book) when I was watching the Andrews/Seymour TSP and, in the scene where Percy begins to grow suspicious of Marguerite, I thought “it would add an interesting layer of complication if she really was spying on him.”
So, though I wasn’t consciously modeling Charles on Percy or Mélanie on Marguerite, I was very much aware of the parallels (I also saw the Broadway musical while I was writing the book; at intermission, after “The Riddle,” my friend Penny said “Well, that’s definitely your book” :-).). Oddly, I’d forgot, until I recently reread TSP, about Percy’s parents. His mother’s mental illness has a certain similarity to Elizabeth Fraser, though his father sounds very unlike Kenneth Fraser. But Percy and Charles certainly share a rather lonely childhood.
February 13, 2011 at 8:42 pm
[…] in which Elizabeth/Arabella appears. Oddly, it wasn’t until some comments AnnaT made on last week’s post that I realized Elizabeth’s problems carry an echo of Percy Blakeney’s mother. An echo […]
February 13, 2011 at 8:44 pm
Out of curiosity, any idea why Marguerite is always cast as a brunette? If I remember correctly, Orczy states that she is a blonde. I’ve always wondered why there isn’t a single interpretation that noticed that. And I’m glad I wasn’t imagining the similarities! They were so striking, and honestly one of the reasons why I fell so hard for the Frasers.
February 13, 2011 at 8:49 pm
Does Suzanne share the same… secret that Melanie does? Will there be a Raoul?
February 13, 2011 at 8:53 pm
I’m pretty sure Marguerite as red-blonde hair in the books. Not at all sure why she’s always a brunette in the movies. Merle Oberon, Jane Seymour, and Elizabeth McGovern all brunette. I don’t know if it’s just coincidence that they cast brunette actresses? What color hair does she have in The Elusive Pimpernel? (Margaret Leighton is naturally blonde, I think).
Glad you noticed and enjoyed the TSP similarities! It sounds as though you read BENEATH first? Did you notice the similarities there are as well? I think they’re present but even more obvious in SECRETS OF A LADY/DAUGHTER OF THE GAME.
February 13, 2011 at 8:55 pm
Yes, Suzanne’ backstory is the same as Mélanie’s (ditto for Charles/Malcolm). One reason I write the books with their original names is to make sure I keep the backstories consistent. And yes, Raoul is a major character in the Waterloo book. When I mentioned on Facebook yesterday that I thought he should be more devastated/tormented post-Waterloo, I was working on his scene with Suzanne/Mel immediately after the battle.
February 13, 2011 at 9:08 pm
Well, Merle was certainly exotic – and the movie was black and white.
Jane S. is gorgeous, I’ll give her that. But I like a Margot who is a stranger in a strange land.
Elizabeth? Eh. She did well in some areas, but the whole mini-series didn’t do it for me.
The play Margots were red-headed.
I usually prefer to read books in order – but reading DOTG, and then BSM and VW is an enjoyable experience. Knowing Suzanne/Melanie’s past and secrets certainly make the prequels interesting. As did reading “Rightfully His” before “Shadows”.
February 13, 2011 at 9:15 pm
I did read Beneath first. And honestly, I rather like the dynamic that order created. It introduced the characters and settled the relationship between Charles and Mélanie before introducing the back story. Which is one of the reasons I felt like it mirrored SP. In The Scarlet Pimpernel, you don’t hear much about their pasts. The situation is given, worked out, and Percy and Marguerite reconcile. It isn’t until later that you get more details. Anyways, I can’t wait to see where you take your characters next.
February 13, 2011 at 9:17 pm
I was the musical on Broadway both when it first appeared and then after they retooled it. The second Marguerite (Rachel York) was a red-headed, at least in the show, as was the Margot I saw on tour in the Bay Area, but the original Broadway Margot, Christine Andreas, was actually a brunette (her natural hair color, I think).
Very glad you’re enjoying going back in time and learning more about Charles/Malcolm and Mel/Suzanne. I try to structure the stories so even going back in time you learn new things about the characters.
February 13, 2011 at 9:22 pm
I’m always interested in hearing from readers who read Beneath first, Anna. I’m so glad you liked reading the books in that order. I too love stories, as both a reader and a writer, where you slowly unravel the past as the series progresses. Hope you enjoy unraveling more of their past in Vienna Waltz!
February 13, 2011 at 9:23 pm
That was supposed to be “saw the musical” in my response to JMM above, not “was the musical.” I’m always reversing letters.
February 14, 2011 at 9:59 am
Just chipping in belatedly that Margaret Leighton’s hair colour is probably the closest to Book!Marguerite’s than any other adaptation – she’s a sort of reddish-blonde (and in Technicolor!)
Oh, and I love Christine Andreas as Musical!Marguerite 🙂
February 14, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Reddish-blonde definitely sounds closest to the what’s described in the books. And that’s the color Rachel York (the second musical Marguerite’s) hair was. Not that it really bothers me if hair color doesn’t match what’s described in a novel, but it is interesting that she’s so often cast as a brunette.
February 14, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Auburn, wasn’t that how Marguerite’s hair was described in the books? Perhaps the film makers liked to have her as a visual contrast to blond Percy? Except that Richard E. Grant was a dark haired Percy.
I like that Marguerite and Melanie are two grown women with character and experience who challenge their husbands. Visually, of course that also needs to be addressed. Margaret Leighton had some of the diva quality – especially in her first scene at the Fisherman’s Rest, where she actually made quite an entrance – as in the novel.
February 15, 2011 at 2:46 am
I thought it was more red-blonde in the books, but it may be auburn (in which case Merle Oberon’s hair could be auburn since the film’s black-and-white).
I always liked that Marguerite is a woman with a past (not necessarily a romantic past just a life before she met her husband) who can stand up to and challenge her husband (as I’ve mentioned, when I first saw the Howard/Oberon movie as a young child, I was surprised and intrigued that Marguerite was the heroine rather than Suzanne who is more of a conventional heroine type). I definitely wanted Mélanie to have that same quality (on the hair issue, I made gave Mélanie “walnut brown hair” because my hair is reddish tinged, so I was staying away from that :-). It makes sense that both Marguerite and Mel are former actresses, with the ability to command a room.
I really want to see the Leighton/Niven film!
February 15, 2011 at 12:52 pm
One of the few details I liked about ‘The Elusive Pimpernel’ was that it added more/different scenes from the novel, as with Marguerite’s entrance at the Fisherman’s Rest. (Of course, there are also completely original and gratuitous scenes thrown in, like the sauna, but hey!)
It would probably make for a very boring film, solely of interest to fans of the book, but I would actually like to see an adaptation with more scenes from Orczy’s story – Marguerite and Armand’s goodbye on the cliffs, Percy kissing the ground Marguerite walks on, Marguerite stalking Chauvelin tracking Percy, etc.
And I’m actually sort of glad that most of the films have Marguerite as a brunette – if only because the actresses’ hair is naturally that colour – because red/auburn has become a cliched visual shorthand for ‘fiery’, passionate women. Also, a brunette heroine is a better visual contrast for a fair-haired hero, as Dorthe says.
(Sorry to keep tagging onto this post!)
February 15, 2011 at 1:11 pm
It’s great to have so many comments on the post, Sarah! I’ve often thought it’s particularly interesting that none of the film adaptations have the scene between Percy and Marguerite on the terrace at Richmond, since it’s such a powerful scene and quite visual.