The Scarlet Pimpernel Trivia Quiz

Leave your answers in a comment, and on Monday I shall publish the correct answers, and whoever won will receive honor, fame and glory.  You know how quizzes work.

Scoring is as follows: 1 point for each correctly answered trivia question about the books and movies, 2 points for each correctly answered quote question (identifying which movie or book it comes from)-- 1 point for identifying whether the quote comes from a movie or a book, but not specifying which one.   The quotes are things Sir Percy said.  So you needn't worry about identifying the character. :P

Please DO NOT use IMDb or any other source to find answers to the questions, especially as regards the quotes... just answer off the top of your head to the best of your ability.

Books and Movies

1. What color is Marguerite’s hair in the books?

2. What is the name of the actor who plays Chauvelin in the 1934 movie?

3. Sir Percy’s catchphrase “sink me!” only appears once in the original book series... do you know which book?

4. What is the name of Lord Tony’s wife? (she has a whole book named after her, but Baroness Orczy couldn’t be bothered to call her by her actual name...)

5. What is the name of the man who ends up "spiriting away" the dauphin at the end of the 1982 film?

6. What is the name of Sir Percy's yacht?

7. Who does Suzanne de Tournay end up marrying at the end of the first novel?

What distinctive article of clothing (other than his always-flawless cravat) is Sir Percy wearing in the scene where he attempts to rescue Armand and Louise in the 1982 film?

BONUS QUESTION

8. Who is older, Marguerite St. Just or her brother Armand St. Just?  (This question is harder than it seems. :P)

Quotes

1. "This little revolution of yours is monstrous intolerable."

2. “Believe me, I have enjoyed life so much these past two years, I would not give up those pleasures even for that of seeing you and your friends have a bath or wear tidy buckles on your boots."

3. “M’dear chap, I never would have dreamt of depriving you of your moment of triumph. Alas, a moment was all that I could spare.”

4. "Approval, sir, in my opinion, demands the attainment of perfection. And in that sense, you rather overrate the charms of your society. I'faith, for one thing, it does seem monstrous ill-dressed for any society, even a new one.

5. "Help you, my dear fellow? Of course, we'll all help you, if you want us. What are we here for but to help each other, as well as those poor wretches who are in trouble through no fault of their own?"

6. "Open up your sleeves, man. Let your ruffles take the air. Let them flow. Let them ripple."

Masked Cast Interviews: Isabella Rovirosa

Isabella Rovirosa plays Suzanne James in Masked.   (Suzanne's character, for the curious, is based partly on Armand St. Just and partly on Suzanne de Tournay in the original novel.)

From her bio on our website--

A high school student and drama queen extraordinaire, Isabella has had many varied roles in plays over the years.  Masked marks her screen debut, following appearances in such productions as Ms. Scrooge, Pajama Party and It's a Wonderful Life: The Musical, etc.  Isabella has been a devoted fan of The Scarlet Pimpernel since 2012 when she first saw the film starring Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour, and she is overjoyed to be a part of reinventing this classic story for a modern audience.

When she's not acting, singing or orchestrating shenanigans (a hobby at which she excels), Isabella enjoys fangirling over Doctor Who and Sherlock, dabbling in art, reading good books, dancing anywhere and everywhere, making her famous pancakes and doing flawless impressions of Miranda Sings and Martha Mahinsky.  She's a little bit bonkers... but then, all the best people are.  

Isabella (Belle, or Martha, or the child... or whatever I choose to call her as the fancy strikes me) is kindly joining me here today for an interview! I've known Belle since she was... um, a good bit younger than she is now... and I'm proud to call her my friend as well as my colleague in putting together this show!  She's extraordinarily talented, basically born to play the role of Suzanne, and I'm really thrilled to have her as part of this project.  (Also, she has the most utterly amazing hair I have ever had the privilege of seeing in real life.  Seriously what even.  Like Rapunzel or something.)

Now, without further ado, The Interview.

How’d you get interested in acting?

Well I originally fell in love with acting around three or four, but (besides being a little four-year-old diva at home ;)) my family and I performed for three years solid all over the U.S. Then I joined a drama group a year or two back and did plays with that group. Then I moved on to community theater, did plays there and others here and there, but mostly community theater. And of course Masked. :) And then on the side projects...

What was your favorite scene to shoot?

Honestly any scene where I can eat cake, pretzels, etc. I get so hungry while on set, I don't know what it is. :)

What do you like best about Suzanne's character? What do you find the most interesting?

Suzanne's character has definitely developed a lot since when I was first cast for her. She relates to me a lot I think, and I relate to her. I like the independent vibe she has and how she strives to make everything right and encourage people to follow their dreams. She's a very big believer in that.

What’s been the biggest challenge for you with this role?

Understanding the characters and trying to bring them to life on screen.

How’d you find out about The Scarlet Pimpernel? Have read any of the books or seen the films prior to this project? 

Well, the 1982 movie was a girls' night classic in our family, and I have read the first book.  Very good book, very much recommend.

If you could play any role in any movie, play, TV show, etc., ever, who would it be?

Probably the villain or misunderstood character, it would be so much fun building layers to those kind of characters. I would definitely love to be in a movie based off of a really good book for sure! But probably more of an adventure type book. :)

What do you hope people will take away from your performance in the show? 

I hope they can really relate to Suz and the other characters on the show, and be able to relate the story to the TSP story for sure! I also really hope they enjoy the modern aspects to it.

What was the hardest scene to shoot?

There were no extremely hard scenes to shoot that I was a part of, but we did have some difficult ones. There was one difficult one that comes to mind... but that would be giving away the story ;)

(note from Amy: I know what she's talking about and just wait until you see the footage. ;))

What are you most looking forward to in the future of the show?

Developing the characters into the characters we all see in our heads and watching them grow through the series. I'm also excited to see what happens in the later episodes and what the final product is, and of course hoping everyone enjoys it.

(I made her promise not to give away any spoilers... so yes, that last answer is purposefully vague!)

You can follow Isabella on Twitter, and check out her character Suzanne's Tumblr if you care to!

Six days till the pilot premieres!

The Scarlet Pimpernel Blog Party Tag

Really, what is a blog party without a tag, eh?  Please feel free to copy these questions onto your own blog, and leave a comment below with the link to your answers.  That way we can all see everyone's contribution! 

1. The obvious question... how'd you get introduced to the Scarlet Pimpernel?

2.  If you could meet any of the characters in real life, who would you choose and why? (you can use the obvious answer of Sir Percy if you really want to, but this is your chance to get creative. ;))

3.  What are your top 3 favorite quotes from the books or movies? (yes, just three)

4. Who is your favorite supporting character in the books? (Percy and Marguerite are ineligible)

5. Which film versions have you seen and which do you like best?

6. What's your top-absolute-favorite scene in the first book? (if you've read it-- if not, what's your favorite scene in whichever movie you prefer?)

7. If you could dream-cast a new adaptation of the book (a period piece, that is) who would you choose to play the roles of Sir Percy, Marguerite and Chauvelin?

8. Do you think the Scarlet Pimpernel does his rescue work purely for "the love of sport," as the narrative would tell us (and as he would often claim) or does he have more noble motives that he won't admit?  Explain your answer.  Show your work.

9.  Second to Chauvelin, who is the worst villain in the book series, and why?

10.  What's your favorite novel in the series (if you've read more than one)?  If not, which one are you most excited to read?

11.  If you could change one thing about your favorite version of the movie, what would it be?

12.  Lastly... how would you convince a skeptical friend to read/watch TSP?  What is it that you love about it?

Don't forget to leave a comment below with your answers!

The Scarlet Pimpernel Blog Party: An Introduction

Welcome to the party, fellow humans! The blog party, that is.  Online.  The internet kind.  Virtual, you know.  There aren't actually refreshments or anything like that.  Apologies.

This party, in case you weren't aware, is of purpose twofold.  The first is that any excuse to have a blog party is generally a good one. The second is that I and several friends (quite a lot of people, actually) have been working hard for the last year and a half on a new film adaptation of The Scarlet Pimpernel, which will premiere one week from today, and a blog party focused on TSP and all things related might be an excellent way to get people excited.  Because, y'know, shameless self-promotion and All That.

What is the Scarlet Pimpernel, exactly? If you're a newcomer to this blog or just a newcomer in general to that term I've been throwing around somewhat extravagantly, let's take just a moment to explain.  (If you already know who and what the Scarlet Pimpernel is, and are a fan, take this moment as an enjoyable refresher course.  If you already know and are NOT a fan... why are you reading this. :P  Well, perhaps I can convince you.  At any rate, please do stay and be comfortable.)

In 1903, a former Hungarian baroness (formerly a baroness, that is, not formerly Hungarian-- she stayed Hungarian all her life but had to leave her baronessy estate in Budapest because of peasant uprisings and the like) fallen on hard times wrote a play about a man who rescued French aristocrats from the guillotine during the Reign of Terror.  Emma Magdolna Rosalia Maria Jozefa Borbala Orczy (that is a MOUTHFUL right there-- she usually went by "Emmuska") had published a few short stories before her play about this dude calling himself the "Scarlet Pimpernel," but had achieved little success.  Overnight, however, the play became a hit, soon moved to London's famed West End, and in response to public demand, Baroness Orczy turned it into a novel.  The Scarlet Pimpernel, published in 1905, became an immediate success and spawned both an entire series of books about the mysterious title character and a genre of literature, film and other media known as-- you might have heard of them-- "superheroes."  (No, seriously. The idea of a masked crusader with a secret identity began with the Scarlet Pimpernel and carried over to Zorro and Batman and Superman and all those guys.  Look it up.)

What happened next? Well, several movie adaptations, for starters.  Of the two best-known, one was made in 1934 and is considered by old-movie buffs to be a true classic (starring Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon) and another was made in 1982, considered by most fans of TSP to be the best (hey, we're not biased) and stars Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour.

*insert le sigh*

(screencap by Ashley)

There have been a LOT of other movie and TV adaptations as well-- sixteen, if Wikipedia offers correct information-- along with several parodies, a Broadway musical and the aforementioned really extensive book series, and as of September 8th there will also be a modern-day web series adaptation. (I wish I could say that was my last plug.  But, um, it's not and won't be and I don't believe in lying to you. :))

If you're interested in reading the first novel in the series, The Scarlet Pimpernel, you probably need look no further than your local library. It's a classic and there are a ton of different editions.  You can also check out Blakeney Manor, the original Scarlet Pimpernel fan site, for e-texts of ALL the books!  Librivox.org also has several free audio recordings of Scarlet Pimpernel books-- I highly recommend those read by Karen Savage, as she "does all the voices" and reads all the French stuff quite Frenchily.  (I don't speak much French. Full disclosure. So I could be really wrong there.  But it sounds pretty authentic to my limited experience.)

For more discussion of the Scarlet Pimpernel in general, you might want to visit The Day Dream, a Scarlet Pimpernel fan blog.  Full disclosure again, I'm an author on that blog. :P It doesn't get a lot of buzz these days, as most of the authors have moved on to busier lives, but there are piles of archives to comb through if you're looking to learn more about this fandom.
ALSO. Do you know what else is cool?  Well, lots of things, but the one I was going to tell you about is the fact that there have been several people in real life who were directly inspired by the Scarlet Pimpernel to do some very dangerous rescue work during WWII.  Raoul Wallenberg is perhaps the most famous (my friend Maribeth can tell you more about him than I can), but you might also care to look up Donald Caskie, Hugh O'Flaherty and Varian Fry.  I think there have been others as well, but that's a start.  The movie Pimpernel Smith, starring Leslie Howard (again...) tells the story, too, of a man who rescued inmates of German concentration camps (and was the film that inspired Raoul Wallenberg to do similar work in Hungary).  Cool beans.

Okay, thus ends this very ramble-y post, and thus beginneth the blog party.

(Oh, and here is a preview for the pilot for Masked which is airing in one week.  And no, I am not going to shut up about that.)

"I thought... a picnic." (In Other Words, a Blog Party)

Original illustration by Adelaide Rovirosa, commissioned for Masked (2015)

Masked premieres in less than two weeks.  Which is why I've been so scarce around here of late. (Well, that and a few other things. More on that later.)

(If you haven't heard about Masked before this, it's a new literary web series based on The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy.  You can check out our website here, visit our IMDb page here, follow us on Twitter and Tumblr, or like our Facebook page.  Oh, and we're also on Pinterest.  Was that a sufficient social media dump? :P)

In light of this exciting news (I feel like I should have inserted a few more exclamation points in that opening sentence....), I thought it might be fun to have a Scarlet Pimpernel themed blog party in preparation for the premiere.  The pilot episode of Masked will air on YouTube on September 8th, and beginning September 1st, I'll be hosting a myriad of fun stuff here on this blog!  Watch out for trivia quizzes, movie reviews, production stills from the upcoming modern-day adaptation of The Scarlet Pimpernel (cough cough... this is all about shameless product placement) and even some interviews with the cast of said modern adaptation!  And possibly a giveaway... one never knows...

If you're interested in participating, please grab the HTML code for the button below in the handy little box that's below THAT.  Paste it on your blog in a post or on the sidebar to spread the word, and then check back here on September 1st for the party launch! See you then!

<center> <a href="http://miss-dashwood.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Yet Another Period Drama Blog" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpSR3L-rbihLOIpIT5R_5HD-ZjI5cYVVP2Mnfjy5Dk4xXCw8CzJ8TCwQ6n9x_Spzq_kMWcbbHg1WgsGdp2qy1dhlW4v-ckI9s5SaAEpjDOB26VIIfGgT8TNuNYEqy2KtNyNdzzkZKTRc/s349-Ic42/blogparty.jpg"/></a></center>

(Oh, and just in case you haven't seen the trailer yet...)

"Nobody's talking to me except a bunch of dead French politicians who I'm pretty sure are just in my head."

Remember Masked?

That project I talked about back in October and have brought up occasionally on here since then, but haven't gone into a whole lot of detail about?  Yeah, that one.

Turns out I've been working pretty steadily on it all this time, and it's getting pretty close to what they call actual production.  That is, pre-production's almost over.  Filming will begin soon.  (Then comes post-production.  Yip yop yoop.  ...I have no idea what that means. It's supposed to be a Noise of Apprehension, I guess.)

But anyways! Things are progressing pretty well now and I'm pleased to inform you (if you didn't know already) that we've already cast almost all of the lead roles!  We haven't announced all their names yet... there's one particular chap who's being kept in reserve as of now, muwahahaha... but if you're curious about the few who are Out and About already, here they are.  (Just for fun, see if you can figure out who these characters' counterparts are in the novel, and leave a comment with your deductions. :D)

Alexandra Rovirosa is playing Margot James 

Isabella Rovirosa is playing Suzanne James

Jacob Funke is playing Drew Ffoulkes

Kristian Jett is playing Angelo St. Cyr

Michael Reiser is playing Tony Dewhurst

Maggie O'Neal is playing Julie Denman

(Julie is a character with a difficult-to-discern counterpart, as she's a blend of several different novel characters, haha. So don't bother trying to figure hers out.  ;))

Bonus puzzle-- the quote in the post title is an actual line from one of the scripts and it's spoken by one of the characters pictured here.  Care to guess which one?

To read more about the cast and the creative team, visit our website (oh yeah! we have a website!) and check out the Cast & Creative page.

Also we're on Twitter and Tumblr and Facebook and Pinterest.  Just so ya know.

...Yeah, this post is pretty shamelessly show-promoting.  But if you've stuck with it until now, thank you muchly, and here's a tidbit of Interestingness at the end.   Though most of our main roles are cast, we ARE still looking for at least two actors to play supporting roles... and we have a way in which you might be able to get involved, if you're interested.  So go check out this post on The Day Dream. Seriously, go do it.

(Also, while I'm at the business of self-promoting, go check out all the spring stuff in my Etsy shop, too.  Please.  Because all the proceeds from that are going toward Masked.  Worthy cause and all that. Just sayin'.)

(Also, I promise my next post on here will be an actual real thoughtful-and-intelligent piece of writing.  Like, a review or something.  Or a Musing.  Or something remotely intellectual.  But my brain's a little zapped right now. So I leave you.)

It's Kind of an Annual Thing

Percy Day has come 'round again, and though I feel I said pretty much all that I had to say about His Awesomeness last year, I can't let the day go unnoticed, now can I?

So I shall just share a few of my favorite Percy moments with you....

....and then I shall get off the computer so I can finish watching The Scarlet Pimpernel.  :D

Mr. Collins and Disguises

First of all-- today is the lovely Miss Laurie's birthday! Stop on over at her blog and wish her many happy returns, won't you?

Secondly, Miss Laurie happens to be hosting a delightful Jane Austen caption contest.  (You can find out more by clicking on the link.)  I adore period drama photos with funny captions (I do run a blog for that specific purpose, after all) and so I had great fun coming up with two entries for her "Funny" category.

Picture: Frewen Warne in Miss Potter.

Quote: Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice (the book).

Picture: The Old Hag Sir Percy Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Quote: Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice 

(the movie-- he says this in the book as well but this exact wording is from the film.  Because I was too lazy to look up the quote in the book).

The contest runs until Friday the 27th, so there's still time to enter!

Defending Sir Percy

The Scarlet Pimpernel did not take it upon himself to punish the guilty; his care was solely of the helpless and of the innocent. For this aim he risked his life every time that he set foot on French soil, for it he sacrificed his fortune, and even his personal happiness, and to it he devoted his entire existence. [...] The Scarlet Pimpernel was a personality of whom an entire nation might be justly proud.

~El Dorado by Baroness Orczy

Being the unashamed word geek that I am, I find puns hilarious (even those that cause everyone around me to groan and roll their eyes) and take great delight in oxymorons.  If you don't know what an oxymoron is, let me enlighten you: it's a phrase that contradicts itself, like "jumbo shrimp", "chilled hot chocolate," "boring Jane Austen" or "defending Sir Percy".

Because, you know, Sir Percy doesn't need anyone to defend him.  Seriously.  If there's going to be any defending going on here, Percy's the one who does the defending.  Are we clear on this?

All that said, it has come to the attention of one Miss Amy Dashwood that Sir Percy Blakeney, Baronet, has been getting a bad rap lately.  There seem to be two kinds of people in this world: those who appreciate the Scarlet Pimpernel (spoiler alert: Percy is the Scarlet Pimpernel. All my apologies in advance) and those who don't know what they're missing.  The ones who appreciate Percy as he is meant to be appreciated go by many names, but my favorite term is one coined by the staunchest of them all: the Leaguettes.   The Leaguettes (female members of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel) are faithful fans of the books, the movie, and the man himself (and his lovely wife, but unfortunately she gets forgotten occasionally, especially when we're being jealous of her. Ahem).  Then there is the other camp, the people who think Sir Percy is nice enough and even heroic, but nothing to write home about.  They seem to be laboring under the mistaken delusion that Percy is humorous and even gallant, but unrealistic.  (Technically there's a third group: those who know nothing about The Scarlet Pimpernel [TSP], but we can only hope that they will come out from under their rocks as soon as possible.)

In case you couldn't tell, I'm a Leaguette.  Anne-girl has declared today the Official Percy Day of Hero Week, and so I'm going to take this opportunity to refute the unfounded accusations against poor misunderstood Sir Percy.  (Disclaimer: I'm a huge TSP fan, but I'm not the Fan to End All Fans and therefore am not the ultimate authority on His Awesomeness.  If you want to read an explanation of Percy's greatness by the Greatest Fan herself, go here.)

First of all, I'd like to combat the theory that Percy is a goofball.  Ladies, puh-leeze.  Look, he's a hero in disguise.  And in this case, Mr. Darcy's famous quote about disguise of every kind being his abhorrence doesn't fit, because Percy's disguises have a heroic reason behind them.  He's putting his life on the line for the sake of helpless innocents.  For those of you who don't know, Percy's story takes place during the French Revolution, when Robespierre's Reign of Terror was sending hundreds of people to the guillotine every day.  Sir Percy Blakeney, Baronet, and his band of nineteen brave men pledged themselves to rescue as many French aristocrats as they could, working under the mysterious name of the Scarlet Pimpernel.  Since Percy would be immediately arrested if the French authorities knew who the Scarlet Pimpernel really was, it was necessary for his "public personality" to be as far removed from his real identity as possible, so that no one would ever know that the brainless fop was truly the bravest of heroes.  

Percy is a consummate actor, and his foppish (I do like that word, it's such fun), dandified alter ego succeeded in fooling nearly everyone.  Obviously, it's fooled some of you too.  A dear friend who shall remain anonymous to protect her identity (heehee, shall I refer to her as Madame Pimpernel?) said that she felt his funny way of acting annoys her too much.  "Okay, so, in the movie it's funny... but first time is funny, second time is silly, and third time is a spanking, y'know? He seems to act that way much more than he really needs to."  Now, I'm of the firm opinion that everyone is entitled to her own opinion (just as long as it's the same as mine--- KIDDING, I'm KIDDING) but I have to respectfully disagree with Madame here.  Since I would never be able to say it half so well in my own phraseology, I'll just give you a few words from the man himself.

If we are to succeed, we must maintain our anonymity, mask our identities, even if it means suffering the mockery of others. Being taken for fools, fops, nitwits, even cowards. (from the 1982 movie)

I'm trying my hardest not to just quote Alexandra for this entire post :D but I can't resist it here.  In her recent guest post on Scribblings, she said:

It takes a lot of guts to sacrifice your reputation when with one flick of the eyeglass you could declare that you are The Scarlet Pimpernel and instantly have a nation falling at your feet. A Real Hero doesn’t do his good deeds to get a pat on the back. He often works behind the scenes so as to not get credit. Because credit isn’t the point for him. It’s doing what is right.   

Are you convinced yet? In this day and age, a man's reputation is not what it once was.  Years ago, a man's honor and good name were his most precious possessions.  As Shakespeare famously said, "Who steals my purse steals trash... but he who filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him and makes me poor indeed."  (Be proud of me, Anne-girl-- I wrote that entire quote from memory.)  Sir Percy, like any other respectable gentleman, puts great stock in his honor... yet he's willing to give it up for the sake of something far more important.  If others want to think that he truly is an idiot, he's willing to let that slide because there's something so much greater at stake.

If you still aren't convinced, then listen very closely to what I'm about to say:

Go read El Dorado.

It's unquestionably the best TSP novel ever written, and I firmly believe that I didn't know how much of a hero Sir Percy was until I read that book.  (At the risk of my life at the hands of the other Leaguettes, I should mention here that I heartily disliked Sir Percy at the beginning of the first book.  *ducks broadswords*  Needless to say, I'd changed my tune by the end, once I'd realized that the idiocy was only a mask.)

Brief El Dorado synopsis: Percy and his men are on a mission to rescue the young Dauphin of France, but a series of insanely stupid acts of disobedience on the part of Marguerite's unworthy brother Armand (pardon me while I do a Mr. Knightley-esque ERRRRMMM!) land Percy in prison, captured by his archenemy Citizen Chauvelin.  Chauvelin is seriously one of the worst villains in literature, and I guess you could say that he gets his finest hour in El Dorado. Percy is in his hands, and Chauvelin literally stops at nothing--not even torture--to get Percy to give up the Dauphin.  I could go into a long discourse about the merits of this wonderful book, but I'll save that for an e-mail to Ally and instead just provide you with one of the most beautiful passages in the novel.  Marguerite has just come to  visit Percy in prison (he's being starved to death and deprived of sleep, peoples) and begged him to do what Chauvelin asks, but he refuses.

She understood that long ago he had mapped out the course of his life, and now that that course happened to lead up a Calvary of humiliation and of suffering he was not likely to turn back, even though, on the summit, death already was waiting and beckoning with no uncertain hand; not until he could murmur, in the wake of the great and divine sacrifice itself, the sublime words: "It is accomplished."

Kleenex, please.  Also smelling salts, if you happen to have any handy.  (Why does no one carry smelling salts anymore?  Let's bring back smelling salts!)

Naturally, it all turns out okay in the end (oops, I just spoiled THAT for you) but trust me, this is a book you should not miss.  (Yes, Melody, I'm talking to you.)

One last point before I wrap this up: Percy and Marguerite's relationship at first struck me as being sappy and overdone.  You must remember that I was only twelve when I read TSP, and so excuses must be made.  By the time I saw the movie, however (at sixteen) I was completely won over.  See, the true romance in the Blakeneys' relationship doesn't really come into effect until after the honeymoon.  And for a girl who always wanted to know what came after the happily ever after, that's the best part of the love story.  I firmly believe that Marguerite and Percy were in love when they got married-- but not completely, not yet.  Soon after the wedding, they both began to have (not unfounded) doubts about the other that led to a huge rift in their marriage.  It wasn't until they'd been through various fiery trials that showed each of them just how worthy the other was that they really and truly realized their love for each other.

In my humble opinion, that is.

I should like to also take this time, while I still have your attention (you are paying attention, right? Right?  Hey! Wake up!) to point out some other important elements of Sir Percy's character; namely, his fashion sense (for though clothes are not really his only waking thought, he does know how to dress and who doesn't appreciate that?), his gift for poetry (if a rhyme rhymes, it makes a poem, if you follow me), his inexhaustible wit (sink me, your tailors have betrayed you), his ultimate adherence to fair play (m'dear chap, never would have dreamt of depriving you of your moment of pleasure) and last but not least, his monocle-eyeglass-thingie.

Sink me, if I haven't come to the end.  Are you convinced yet?  If not... *tosses copy of El Dorado* Yours, I believe.

PS: For more about Sir Percy, check out The Day Dream, a blog devoted to this hero and his stories.

You've Got To Be Kidding Me

So... I took the Scarlet Pimpernel Personality Quiz over at Blakeney Manor, after finding the link on Beautiful Blank Pages, and my result was...

You are Citizen Chauvelin!

You are quiet, diplomatic, and methodical.
You have a thorough understanding of human nature
which you always use to your own advantage. You are
mean-spirited, nasty, vengeful, and generally evil.
You always hold a grudge.
You are a great follower of Machiavelli,
and you HATE the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Cool beans!This test brought to you by Blakeney Manor.

Find out:Which Scarlet Pimpernel character are you?


Inaccurate test.  Silly thing. :P Silly thing? What am I saying? That's too mild.

What do you mean, I hate the Scarlet Pimpernel? You'll eat those words, Blakeney Manor.  YOU WILL EAT THOSE WORDS.

Quotes of the Week 19

I can't do it.  I simply can't do it.  This nonsensically long-winded girl can't restrain herself enough to post just one favorite quote per week.  It simply can't be done.  So Quote of the Week is changing a little.  Instead of posting just one favorite quote, I'll post three or four, with accompanying pictures and a comment or two. Then at the end I'll post one mystery quote, and it will be up to you to guess where that mystery quote comes from.  Make sense?

(At this point you are supposed to say, "As if it were crystal clear... my dear!")

When people speak of great men, they think of men like Napoleon - men of violence. Rarely do they think of peaceful men. But contrast the reception they will receive when they return home from their battles. Napoleon will arrive in pomp and in power, a man who's achieved the very summit of earthly ambition. And yet his dreams will be haunted by the oppressions of war. William Wilberforce, however, will return to his family, lay his head on his pillow and remember: the slave trade is no more.

~Lord Charles Fox, Amazing Grace (2006)

(Please tell me I'm not the only one who burst into unashamed sobs at this point in the movie... doesn't just reading this quote give you chills?)

Gilbert Blythe: Anne Shirley. What in heck are you doing here?

Anne Shirley: [with great dignity] Fishing. For lake trout.

Gilbert Blythe: [skeptically] For lake trout?

Anne Shirley: Mm-hmm.

~Anne of Green Gables (1985)

(This scene never ceases to make me laugh my head off.  I think I've seen it at least a dozen times, and it does NOT get old.)

Apologies for picture quality... I took this screencap myself and am not good at it yet...

Sir Percy Blakeney: Odd's fish, m'dear, the man can't even tie his own cravat.

Marguerite St. Just Blakeney: Really, Percy.  Is that all you can think about? Why aren't you the kind of man a woman can look up to, and turn to in trouble?

Sir Percy Blakeney: Trouble, m'dear? Are you... in trouble?

~The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)

(That sound you heard? That was me slamming my head against the wall.  YES, SHE'S IN TROUBLE, PERCY. Stop being an idiot and do something about it! She's your wife, not Mrs. Robespierre, for crying out loud! Percy, I dislike you temporarily! ... But this scene still makes me melt anyway.)

"From little _____, with her fondest love to her dear Uncle ____." There is no objection, I admit, to an aunt being a small aunt, but why an aunt, no matter what her size may be, should call her own nephew her uncle, I can't quite make out.

~The Mystery Quote 

Random Ramblings and a Reminder

I'm not going to waste your time with a million bazillion apologies for the lack of actual intelligent content on this blog, but I am going to tell you that the lack of actual intelligent content seems slated to continue, because I have a research paper due on FEBRUARY FIRST and I. Must. Finish. It.  

So this post shall be random and rambling and rather ridiculous.  Except for the parts where I inform you about various blog events, because as we all know blog events are Full of Fun.  First of all, I direct your attention to the Inkpen Authoress' "Heigh-Ho For A Husband" blog party.   Go to Rachel's blog and  check it out! I'm entering a frivolous little short story... what will you enter ?

Next on the list of events is Miss Laurie's birthday party for Mr. Charles Dickens.  Please pop over to Old-Fashioned Charm the week of February 7th to celebrate the birthday of the man who wrote the famous, fantastic, Little Dorrit... oh, and some other novels too. 

Also, Stephanie over at Eccentricitee is hosting a lovely Disney blog button contest, and I encourage you all to enter! (I have some rather fanciful ideas brewing for my entry...)
And now for some major randomness... Jemimah over at Beautiful Blank Pages has sweetly awarded me the...

And now for zee Rules of ziss Award... (ooh! more R's! And an F, because I'm being French, or at least attempting to sound French.  Has anyone else caught my alliterative R's and F's throughout this post? No? Never mind then.)
1. Share 7 things about yourself
2. Pass the award to 10 other bloggers

My seven foolish little things...

1) I am currently frighteningly obsessed with the musical Les Miserables.  I am also currently listening to "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" as I write this post and trying.... not... to... cry....
2) My sister and I are currently watching the amazing, the stupendous, the fantabulous, the shivers-down-your-spine Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Concert DVD.  I want Colm Wilkinson to sing at my wedding.  I also want Susan Boyle, Jackie Evancho, Julie Andrews, Michael Crawford and Finbar Wright to sing at my wedding, though, so I may have to narrow down the choices a little before I get married.
3) I am currently obsessed with the following songs: Do You Hear the People Sing?, Stars, Bring Him Home, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, I Dreamed a Dream, A Little Fall of Rain, On My Own, One Day More and Who Am I?.
4) I am going to do something drastic if  Hollywood doesn't do a good job with the upcoming Les Miserables movie.  Well, I'll refuse to watch it, at least.
5) *desperately tries to think of something that's not Les-Miz-related* I adore cake decorating and enjoy making movie-themed cakes for my siblings' birthdays (my brother loves Herbie the Love Bug, so I made this for his seventh birthday a couple of weeks ago.)
6) If I were stranded on a desert island and could take only one thing with me, I would take Jeeves because he would know how to get me off the island.
7) I love orange food: cantaloupe, clementines, sweet potatoes and carrots are at the top of my favorite foods list.  I'm not sure why.

The ten blogs I award: (I tried to pick people who, to the best of my knowledge, haven't yet received the award)

1) Rachel at The Inkpen Authoress
2) Gracie at It's A Beautiful Life
3) Melody at Regency Delight: Jane Austen, &c.
4) Anne-girl at Scribblings and Tappings
5) Anna at Maiden Voyage
6) Stephanie at Eccentricitee
7) Miss Laurie at Old-Fashioned Charm
8) Ella at The Door in the Air
9) Maria Elisabeth at Miss Georgiana Darcy
10) Lauren at Books, Fashion and Tea

And to fill out this ridiculously random post, I give you something that is guaranteed to make you Roar with laughter (if you're in the League, that is.)  And of course you should know that I do not endorse the Broadway musical Wicked, et cetera et cetera et cetera (did you or did you not just read that in King Mongkut's voice? Yes, you did) but this song is funny and it fits the video purrfectly.



Finally, in the words of Mr. Clennam Sr., DO NOT FORGET to vote in the Period Drama Button Polls if you have not done so already.  The poll closes at 11:59 EST tonight!

Contest Closed

The Period Drama Button Contest is now officially closed! A great big thank you to all the participants... your entries were amazing! I will be announcing the five finalists on Monday, and then you will all have one week to vote for best one.

Meanwhile, I made this one and it made me giggle, so I thought I'd share it with you.  I can't enter it in the contest (obviously) but I thought I would post it here anyway.  If you are at all acquainted with Peter Pan and The Scarlet Pimpernel, I hope you'll find it funny.

Toodles!

Random Silliness

When you connect an iDevice to your iTunes account, you have to give it a name.  Well, my iPod has always been called "[Miss Dashwood]'s iPod" on my iTunes account, but today I decided to rename it. I've heard of people calling their iPods "Titanic", so that the pop-up message says "syncing Titanic".  I always thought that was a little morbid, but a much funnier idea occurred to me today.

My iPod is now called "Sir Percy Blakeney," and my little pop-up message now tells me that iTunes is "syncing Sir Percy Blakeney."

Yes, I am far too easily amused, what?

The Scarlet Pimpernel Review

"The Scarlet Pimpernel. By Sir Percival Blakeney, Baronet."

*thunderous applause*

"No, no, no, that's just the title!"

How do I love this movie? Let me count the ways...

Well, sink me, I really don't know where to begin. Odd's fish, m'dears, this film truly does defy explanation. If you haven't seen it, get thee to the library or video rental store (or YouTube). If you have seen it, sit back and enjoy what I have to say. That is, if you watched the movie AND LIKED IT. Because if you didn't like it, just go away. We don't want you.

Kidding. Everyone's welcome here. (As long as you love the Scarlet Pimpernel.) I do half like people who don't like Sir Percy. But only half, right Melody?

I will warn you that this review probably won't make much sense if you haven't seen the movie (or at least read the book). If you want a clear and concise synopsis of the story, go to IMDB. (Spoilers will abound in this post, just so ya know.)

I suppose I'll begin with the Baronet himself, Sir Percival Blakeney. (Here's hoping I'll get through the review without sounding like a gushy swoony fangirl.)

I can't remember exactly, but I may have mentioned before that I'm a Sir Percy fan.

Anthony Andrews IS Sir Percy. Leslie Howard and whatever-the-dude's-name-is who played Percy in the miniseries just don't cut it. Okay, so I've never actually seen any other version of TSP, but neither do I want to. Anthony Andrews perfectly captures Sir Percy's appearance, manner of speaking, wit, foppishness, valor, et cetera et cetera et cetera. Plus, no one else can say "Sink meeeeh!" the way he does. Or do any of those hilarious facial expressions.

His rapport with Chauvelin is even funnier than in the book. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't include the famous pepper-in-the-snuff scene, much to my disappointment, but The Great Cravat Debate more than makes up for it. "And the disgraceful state of these cuffs! Tsk, tsk, tsk. Oh no no no. Such sleeves would not be tolerated in London for one tiny instant."

Ian McKellen makes an amazing villain as Paul Chauvelin. (He didn't have a first name in the book, btw.) In the book, Chauvelin resembles a weasel. He's rather old, very tiny, speaks in a nasal voice and has greasy hair. In the movie, he's much closer to Marguerite's age and was actually her love interest for a while. I was a bit shocked when I first found out that Chauvelin liked Marguerite, but I got used to it pretty fast. It adds an interesting element to the story. Chauvelin was a lot more likable in the movie--I felt sorry for him on more than one occasion. He seemed to be a man who started out with good intentions, and was quickly sucked into the evil of the Revolution. What began as a dream ended as a nightmare. Some causes can become warped and twisted, like some men....

So anyway, I felt that Chauvelin was made to be a more sympathetic character, but that wasn't a bad thing. Even during the (absolutely epic) sword fighting scene, I kept thinking, "Poor guy, he has NO IDEA what he's up against." I mean, seriously, he was fighting Sir Percy. Winning was not an option. "Oh, the English and their stupid sense of fair play!"

I'm forced to admit that Jane Seymour didn't fit my mental image of Marguerite St. Just, but she grew on me. I actually ended up liking her a little better in the movie than I did in the book. I liked how they changed the whole business with the Count and his family. Marguerite was much more... I don't know... likable, I guess. In the book, Baroness Orczy spent so much time telling us how beautiful Marguerite was, it got a little annoying.

But that's where the magic of the movies step in. Jane Seymour is beautiful and we can see that without having to be whapped over the head with it every other page. (Until TSP, the only movie I'd seen her in was the 1980-something version of Heidi, in which she played mean Miss Rottenmeier. It was interesting to see her as the heroine for a change. :P) Some of her dresses were just a little (okay, a lot) too low-cut for my taste, and her hair at times resembled that of Ms. Frizzle of the Magic School Bus, but on the whole I thought she captured Marguerite's air, if not the way she's supposed to look in the book. (This hat is one of my favorites!)

This brings me to another point in my oh-so-beautifully-structured narrative. TSP, the movie, is at the same time like and unlike TSP, the book. I'm really trying my hardest not to put too many spoilers in this post, but y'all know Sir Percy is the Scarlet Pimpernel, right? (And if you didn't... you do now.) In the book, the audience doesn't know this until about halfway through the novel. In the movie, we know right away. And to tell you the truth, I like it better that way. True, it took away a little of the mystery surrounding the enigma that is the Scarlet Pimpernel, but it also gave the audience a chance to really get to know (and like) Sir Percy. When I read the book for the first time, I was a little perturbed to discover that "that stupid guy I didn't like" was actually the Scarlet Pimpernel himself.

Yes, I, erm, didn't like Sir Percy at first when I read the book. *ducks to avoid rotten tomatoes*

I also liked how Marguerite and Percy's relationship was shown from the beginning. It gave you a real sense of what Marguerite was going through: "I have lost my husband's love and I don't know why."

The book is told entirely from Marguerite's perspective, but the movie gave us a lot of glimpses into Percy's take on things, and I liked that. "Ceased? I will love her to the day I die. That is the tragedy." Oh, and his various disguises were hilarious--my favorite was the old woman with the knitting (reminiscent of Madame Defarge?)

Also, the entire last ten or fifteen minutes of the movie were Absolutely Amazing.

So yes, the movie departed from the book. Especially at the end. But I found out that the ending scene with the fencing and the capture of Sir Percy was actually taken from another book by Baroness O, entitled "El Dorado". So it's all good. Note to self: lay hands on a copy of this book immediately.

In short, I liked that they made the movie a little different. I'm usually a stickler for sticking to the book, but in this case it was a good choice to change a few things. The movie gave us the story while keeping the characters real, and THAT is what makes a good adaptation. In letter, it wasn't all that faithful to the novel, but in spirit it was and that's good enough for me. (This viewer was enchanted, in case you couldn't tell.)

Sir Percy and Marguerite's romance is one of the sweetest in cinema history (if we're not counting anything by Jane Austen, that is.) I'm not really a big fan of the whole "love at first sight" thing that's been made cliche in Disney movies, but in this movie it didn't seem weird. Frankly, I think Percy and Marguerite's relationship didn't really develop fully until the end, when they each finally realized just what the other one was. Marguerite had always heard of this amazing superman who rescued aristocrats and risked his life daily so that other people could be safe--but she never dreamed he might be right there in her drawing room. So few movies show what comes after the wedding, and I liked how this one portrayed the struggles the Blakeneys went through "when the honeymoon was over", so to speak.

What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic. This movie touched me in a way that only very special films do. Pride and Prejudice was one of those, Anne of Green Gables was another. Yes, it's a 1980's TV flick with not-so-great lighting and so-so costumes. To some, it might seem cheesy. To me, it's amazing.

In Anne's House of Dreams, the fifth book in the Anne of Green Gables series, a character named Miss Cornelia Bryant speaks often of "the race that knows Joseph". If a person sees eye to eye with you and has pretty much the same ideas about things, and the same taste in jokes--why, that person is of the race that knows Joseph. Anne Shirley speaks of people like that as "kindred spirits".

For me, a kindred spirit--one of the race that knows Joseph--is one of the race that knows Sir Percy. That is to say, someone who is in the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel.

So. If you haven't seen this epic-ly outstanding film, do so at once. Perhaps the trailers below will whet your appetite. (Word of warning: there are two brief scenes that you may wish to fast-forward.) If you have seen it, enjoy the trailers and be inspired to watch the movie again.

You know me--I couldn't pick just one trailer! The first one is more exciting, but I love the music in the second one.

Conclusion: The Scarlet Pimpernel is a movie done well. What is it you Frenchies say? Tou-che? You see I'm a poet, and you didn't know it, what? Well, the pretty thing rhymes in two places, don't you see? And if a rhyme rhymes, it makes a poem, if you follow me.