Sunday, May 10, 2009

Talk about good movies - Movie review and video redux

Captain Blood
based on the book by Raphael Sabatini
starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone


It's a known fact that I love a good pirate romance. Well - that goes for a good pirate movie too.
I posted this video a while ago. At the time I hadn't actually seen the movie, though I have read the book, but they had it on Turner Classic Movies tonight and I just finished watching it. Considering it was from 1935, it was a pretty darn good movie!!


Peter Blood is a young Irish doctor who is taken prisoner when he tries to save the life of a rebel. He is sentenced to hang but his sentence is commuted to serving ten years as a slave on the island of Port Royal. Once there he is purchased by Arabella Bishop. They are attracted to each other but Blood knows he can't live the life of a slave. He and a group of slaves escape and he becomes a pirate known and feared far and wide. The tables are turned when his French partner captures the ship Arabella is sailing home on after a trip to England and Blood buys Arabelle from the evil French captain. She doesn't realize he is doing it to save her and she lashes out at Blood in anger.

He is hurt as he is in love with her and returns to Port Royal to take her home. Just outside the island, he sees it is under attack from the French and when an emissary of a new king who was also on the ship offers him and his men a pardon, Captain Blood enters into battle to save the day. It was a very good scene and I was most impressed. And of course since Arabella is in love with him, in the end, they admit their feelings and well, I won't give the rest of it away.

This is a swashbuckling film at it's finest!!

And in an interesting bit of trivia, I found this on Wikipedia:
The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and, despite not being nominated, Michael Curtiz received the second-greatest number of votes for Best Director, solely as a write-in candidate. Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Casey Robinson also failed to be nominated and also received substantially more votes for their work on this film than most of the official nominees.

It also has some wonderful quotes!! From IMDB

Mrs. Barlow: You would think of geraniums when every other able-bodied man is out fighting!
Dr. Peter Blood: Hmm. It's out of favor I seem to be with you, my vinegary virgin.
Mrs. Barlow: Half the town is saying you're a Papist.
Dr. Peter Blood: Why? Because I've the sense to sleep this night instead of rushing to my ruin in a hopeless attempt to put this Duke of Monmouth on the throne? He'd be even worse than King James. Make haste with that cloak there, my pretty one.
Mrs. Barlow: And the other half of the town that defends you claims that you're just a coward.
Dr. Peter Blood: Mrs. Barlow, me darlin', you can tell 'em if you like that I've been most everywhere that fighting was in evidence: I fought for the French against the Spanish and the Spanish against the French... and I learned me seamanship in the Dutch navy. And having had adventure enough in six years to last me six lives, I came here. Hung up the sword and picked up the lancet; became a man of peace and not of war... a healer, not a slayer. And that I'm going to be as long as I'm on top of the sod and not under it.



Capt. Hobart: Who the devil may you be?
Dr. Peter Blood: Peter Blood, Medicinae Baccalaureate.
Capt. Hobart: Don't fling your French at me!
Dr. Peter Blood: Latin, my dull friend. It means I'm a doctor.
Capt. Hobart: Or a liar!
Capt. Hobart: If your wit were as big as your voice, me dear, it's the great man you'd be by this.
Capt. Hobart: You may find me great enough to hang you.
Dr. Peter Blood: Cretheus, I don't doubt it. You've the looks and manners of a hangman.
Capt. Hobart: Take him away. And the others, too.



[Arabella sees Peter leaving the Governor's house after treating him for gout]
Arabella Bishop: Oh, forgive me for not recognizing you, Dr. Blood. You're so changed... and for the better.
Arabella Bishop: The Governor tells me I have you to thank for that.
Arabella Bishop: You don't sound very grateful, Dr. Blood.
Dr. Peter Blood: Do you suppose I'd be grateful for an easy life, when my friends are treated like animals? Faith, it's they deserve your favors, not I. They're all honest rebels. I was snoring in my bed while they were trying to free England from an unclean tyrant.
Arabella Bishop: I believe you're talking treason.
Dr. Peter Blood: I hope I'm not obscure.

And.... I hear they are doing a remake of it.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5



And your point it you are wondering? Well - it's not really connected but Orannia has a most excellent challenge going. I urge those who haven't yet to pick up the gauntlet she's thrown down. (and once you check out her challenge you might see a bit of a connection)

(hee hee hee hee hee - in a wicked witchy laugh)

12 comments:

orannia said...

I LOVE Captain Blood. The sword-fighting scenes are amazing!

And I'm glad you like the challenge. I am so looking forward to reading Broken Wing!

Kristie (J) said...

Orannia: Like I said - I'd never seen the movie before tonight. But I LOVED it!!
And -lol- I'm looking forward to what you think of Broken Wing!

Miss K said...

Hi Kristie. I just wanted to let you know that I LOVED the review you and Amy did on The Madness of Ian Mackenzie so much that I've nominated you both for our weekly review award at Royal Reviews. You don't need to nominate anyone or do anything but you can check out your award here: http://theroyalreviews.blogspot.com/2009/05/inspirational-review-award_10.html

Your emails really made me smile and I've added a book to my TBR list that I wouldn't normally read.

SarahT said...

I've never seen this film. I usually love old films, so I must check this one out.

azteclady said...

:dreamy sigh:

Erroll Flynn... Captain Blood...

:sigh:

Happy Mother's Day, Kristie!

Kristie (J) said...

AL: Dreamy indeed!!! He was a fine looking guy wasn't he? And as a swashbuckling pirate - yuuuummmmers!!

SarahT: Oh you really must!! It took years before I finally saw it but now I'm hoping it's on DVD so I can add it to my collection.

Annie: Thank you so much!!! And I had a riot exchanging emails with Amy. I'm always up for a discussion on a book I've found that I love. And if we got more people adding this one to their list - than we accomplished our goal :-)

Lisa Marie Wilkinson said...

If you've never seen an old movie called "The Spanish Main," you need to check it out. Stars Paul Henreid and Maureen O'hara.

Great stuff!

Stacy~ said...

I've never seen this movie, but I loved "The Black Swan" with Tyrone Power. Now he could capture me anytime!

sula said...

I had such a huge crush on Errol Flynn when I was in junior high. *sigh* Robin Hood! And of course all those swashbuckling old flicks. Love the dialogue too.

KC in Fla said...

KristieJ-
Yes, it's out on DVD ( I have it!) And if you liked this one, try "Robin Hood" and "The Sea Hawk". Actually, all of his earlier films are just.. *drool*.. Erm, excuse me, good.

Kristie (J) said...

KC: I did try Robin Hood. It was playing before Captain Blood. I turned it on and it was the scene where Robin (in green tights) meets Little John (in yellow tights) at the river while they both try to cross and they have their famous staff fight, and (I think) Alan A’dale (in red tights) was standing on the shore singing along. Combine 3 men in tights with their silly feather elf hats and I feel awful – but I just couldn’t take it seriously. It would have been much better were it just a black and white movie where I didn’t have to see such a rainbow of colours
You have me curious about Sea Hawk though. Is that another Errol Flynn movie?

Sula: I think that’s why I loved the first Pirates of the Caribbean so much – lots of buckles were swashed. I’d just as soon though that they had stopped at 1. I didn’t care nearly enough for 2 and loathed PotC 3 with a passion.

Stacy: *gulp* And now my lack is really showing ‘cause I haven’t seen that one either!!! A trip to the DVD section of Amazon is now certainly in order!!

Lisa: Three!! Three Pirate Movies to add to my collection!!! HAH HAH HAH HAH
(channeling The Count)

BevBB said...

You know, it's not just the ending that's so bad on PotC 3 but it's just a confusing movie, too. I realized this when I caught the middle of it on STARZ awhile back. I was sitting there thinking, what in the world is going on and I've seen the dratted thing!

Just about any swashbuckler with Errol Flynn or Tyrone Powers in it is worth the money or the time. And there are many both on and off the seas.

Another one I love that's a newer one is Cutthroat Island. It didn't get a lot of critical acclaim but I could watch that movie over and over again. It's just fun.

Oh, and, while not exactly a "pirate" moview, don't forget Danny Kaye's Court Jester, if you want some humor with your swashbuckling. It has one of the best sword fights of all time in it with Basil Rathbone playing off Kaye in his usually role as the villain. Seems like he did a pirate movie, too, though, but Court Jester is the most well-known of his spoofs along that line.