Captain Blood

My husband read this 1922 book by Rafael Sabatini and was so enchanted by the language that he wanted to see the film. Never seen Errol Flynn? This is a great introduction (as it was for me) to the definitive cinematic swashbuckler. I think his legend has done him a disfavor -- billed as so naughty off the set, he has a rep like Rudolph Valentino but is leaps and bounds beyond that silent screen star's abilities. It's surprising that he ever had difficulty finding a niche in Hollywood, particularly as he could have just as easily been a Shakespearean actor, with his method of delivery and subtle expressivity. If this were filmed today, the visual effects spectacle would overwhelm the story. Not so in a 1930s film, and it gives it a hokey quality (check out those fake ocean backgrounds!), but if you can look past that, sit back, and watch Flynn and the interplay between him and the lovely, spunky Olivia de Havilland, you'll have as much fun watching this as any popcorn film today.

year: 1935
length: 119 min.
rating: 2.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026174/combined