Hollywood is hardly the only one to crank out unnecessary sequels. Britain was also guilty of it, and early on, too. "Return" is essentially a rehash of the first movie, made a couple of years earlier. It even reuses footage and sets from that classic. The leads have changed, but not the basic plot, which has Sir Percy forced to go back to France one last time, in this case to rescue his wife from the clutches of the sinister Robespierre. It clearly is a trap, but nothing will keep the good old Pimpernel from carrying out his mission. He is up against the usual clods and dolts, after all. A young James Mason has a small role. This is no worse, I suppose, than "Son of Monte Cristo" or "Son of Robin Hood." Mercifully, there was to be no third Pimpernel film.
Review of The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel
