The plot for "The Purple Mask" is very much the same as in "The Scarlet Pimpernel" though the story is set in France about a decade later. So, instead of the hero saving aristos from the chopping block of the Reign of Terror, in this case he's saving them from Napoleon...though I never heard anything about Napoleon killing and imprisoning these same folks.
Essentially, you have a guy named the Purple Mask (Tony Curtis) and a dedicated soldier is bent on finding and imprisoning him. But he needs to find out WHO he is, since the Purple Mask persona hides the real man. Sounds familiar....right out of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" except for one difference....this version is much more talky and dull. So, while I love the Pimpernel, the Purple Mask did little for me....and it did seem odd hearing that Brooklyn accent coming out of a Frenchman! Easy to skip, but if you do watch it, note the weird jungle bird sound effects you hear in a French forest early in the movie!
Essentially, you have a guy named the Purple Mask (Tony Curtis) and a dedicated soldier is bent on finding and imprisoning him. But he needs to find out WHO he is, since the Purple Mask persona hides the real man. Sounds familiar....right out of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" except for one difference....this version is much more talky and dull. So, while I love the Pimpernel, the Purple Mask did little for me....and it did seem odd hearing that Brooklyn accent coming out of a Frenchman! Easy to skip, but if you do watch it, note the weird jungle bird sound effects you hear in a French forest early in the movie!