In the 1770s, Doctor Christopher Syn (Patrick McGoohan) is a vicar in a small town on the English coast. The town is known as a hotbed of smuggling and a masked villain called the Scarecrow leads this band of smugglers. Dr. Syn is the Scarecrow. King George III is so annoyed with the loss in tax revenue that he dispatched General Pugh (Geoffrey Keen) to crush the smuggling ring. Pugh knows his business and uses a variety of tactics to turn the smugglers against the Scarecrow. However, each of his strategies is countered by the clever Scarecrow. It is hardly any surprise that Dr. Syn is an excellent chess player.
This Disney feature is based on the novels by Russell Thorndike, though McGoohan's portrayal of the character makes him much less of the anti-hero from the source. Though most of his band of smugglers have no idea who the Scarecrow truly is, he has two confidants who do: Sexton Mipps (George Cole) and young John Banks (Sean Scully). Mipps has a roguishness about him and it is only thanks to Dr. Syn that his natural inclinations have been turned to noble use. Mipps is a regular at the local tavern and knows all the local gossip. John Banks is the teenaged son of Squire Thomas Banks (Michale Hordern), the kind-hearted magistrate of the town. As such, he provides vital news to the Scarecrow.
McGoohan is impressive in the dual roles of Syn and Scarecrow. Where Syn is serene and scholarly, Scarecrow is gruff and sharp. It reminded me of Christian Bale in Batman Begins. However, the personality and mannerism gap between Syn and Scarecrow is much greater than that between Bruce Wayne and Batman. Great job by McGoohan. It comes as little surprise that this was one of his favorite roles in his career.
Good popcorn fun and recommended. It is available on YouTube.
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