'PIMPERNEL' SMITH is a delightful wartime adventure flick starring Leslie Howard as an updated version of the Scarlet Pimpernel. This time around, he's an archaeology professor who goes to Nazi Germany with a handful of students in order to do some studies. Secretly, he's helping enemies of the Nazis to escape from their oppressors. Howard is excellent in the mild-mannered lead role, delivering a surprisingly humorous performance with lots of character work and one liners. The Nazis are obviously depicted as bumbling idiots, which makes for plenty of funny situations, and the narrative works well with a mix of genre elements.
Review of 'Pimpernel' Smith
