The Scarlet Pimpernel cover art

The Scarlet Pimpernel

Retro Audio

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Scarlet Pimpernel

By: Baroness Orczy
Narrated by: Leslie de Howard, Olivia Havilland
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £5.99

Buy Now for £5.99

About this listen

 Starring Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland - Leslie Howard plays Sir Percy Blakeney, and 18th century English aristocrat. Based on the novel by Baroness Orczy, follow the adventures of him as he leads a double life working as part of an underground effort to free French nobles from the reign of terror of Robespierre!! One of the classic Radio Theatre Productions you will want to listen to over and over again!Public Domain (P)2008 Entain8 Entertainment & Performing Arts Entertainment Theatre
All stars
Most relevant
In today's society it's sometimes difficult to understand the power that radio had and especially - dramatised story hours! Here we have a glimpse into the world of 1939. Three of the biggest stars in Hollywood (in their day) Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland unite (Ashley and Melanie also in the 1939 epic Gone with the Wind) to perform one of literature's classics - Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel set in 1792. Directed and introduced by Cecil B DeMille. The story has it all - intrigue, romance, adventure, blackmail, espionage and of course the triumph of good over evil, showing that one man (or woman) can always make a difference. What makes this performance so special however is of course the performances by Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland and the narration by Cecil B DeMille. It is wonderful that these old Radio Theatre productions have been saved for future generations to enjoy. I confess the recording is not clean and crisp as we're used to today and it seems very strange to hear these legendary actors and producer tell us that we should be using Lux flakes to wash our stockings. But my recommendation is to embrace the ads and the slight crackling as it adds to the ambience and makes you feel as if the clock has turned back and it's 1939 all over again.

Classic Story with Vintage Holywood Movie Stars

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.