|
By
NICK ZEGARAC
"Captain Blood" (1935) gets
the nod for launching Errol Flynn's enduring big
screen persona as the epic hero in tights. Not
that anyone at Warner Bros. anticipated the fervor
of sexual tension such a move would ultimately
generate. They originally wanted stoic British
pretty boy, Robert Donat for the lead. And even
after it became apparent that Donat was a no show,
the Warner brass next turned to stock player Brian
Aherne to take his place. But, as luck would have
it, Aherne turned the part down.
As far as plot is concerned, this one's a
rollicking trollop of easy virtue made pure by the
love of a good woman. After tending to the wounds
of a traitor to the monarchy, Dr. Peter Blood
(Flynn) is convicted of treason and sentenced to
death. But a last minute reprieve of sorts has him
shipped into slavery at Port Royal. There the
sultry Arabella Bishop (Olivia de Havilland)
purchases him for a mere twenty pounds. Aside: I
suspect that most women in the audience would have
paid twenty million for a piece of Errol.
But an escape plan concocted by Flynn and his
accomplice goes awry when a battle ensues and the
vessel full of convicts is sunk. They manage to
swim to a nearby Spanish galleon, take over the
crew and hence, the legend of Capt. Blood is born.
But Blood's success as a stock and trade terrorist
of the high seas takes an unexpected turn when
Arabella is discovered to be the prisoner of a
rival sea pirate. With his feelings of strange
indebtedness mounting, Blood launches a full-scale
assault, rescues Arabella and returns to Port
Royal. But wait, don't touch that dial yet. Port
Royal is losing a bitter war to the French,
leaving Blood no choice but to go to work and
fight on the side of the British once again. Can
you say "royal pardon"? I know you can.
Screenwriter Casey Robinson ably adapted Rafael
Sabatini's swashbuckler for the big screen, while
director Michael Curtiz keeps both the action and
the melodrama moving at breakneck speeds. The
battle sequences of this high seas adventure yarn
are probably among the most thrilling you are
likely to ever see.
Warner's DVD is rather middle of the road.
Although film grain is often obvious, the
grayscale has been very nicely rendered with deep,
solid blacks and very clean whites. Some fading is
obvious during scene transitions. But it is
remarkable how much dirt, grain and scratches are
persistently present throughout the transfer.
Really, they just won't let up. The audio has been
very nicely cleaned up and is presented at an
adequate listening level. |
