Captain Blood (1935)
Captain Blood on the IMDb
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Warner Brothers. Part of the
Errol Flynn Signature Collection
.
Errol Flynn,
Olivia de Havilland, Lionel Atwill,
Basil Rathbone. Just watched this one again as I write this, and
it lived up to
expectations all the way. One of the best action-adventure
movies of all time, despite Flynn not actually setting off to be a pirate until
48 minutes into the film (by my recollection this is, I had glanced up to the dvd player as this occurred) and Basil Rathbone not making his appearance until
about an hour and fifteen minutes into the film. Flynn is unbelievable
here and turns in perhaps my favorite performance in his first big leading role.
A line of dialogue that made me smile was early in the picture when he was
referred too as "a gentleman and a scholar." This is used later on in his
career in "Gentleman Jim" when an elderly woman sitting next to him on a train
refers to him as a gentleman and Flynn slips in with "...and a scholar."
The basics of the film are that it's set in late 17th century England (at
first), Flynn, a doctor, is convicted of treason when treating one of the King's
enemies and is sold off into slavery in the Caribbean where he is mercifully
purchased by young and beautiful Olivia de Havilland against the advice of her
evil uncle, played by Lionel Atwill, who gives a great performance as always.
Flynn leads a slave revolt when French ships attack the island and there his
piracy begins. Flynn and Rathbone have a great duel (check out Basil's
footwork!) on the beach. The climactic battle scene at sea is still
breathtaking and loaded with action. There's a documentary about the film,
its players, director Michael Curtiz, composer Erich Korngold, and the
set/special effects that lasts just under 20 minutes, plus Leonard Maltin's
Night at the Movies feature for 1935.
