CAPTAIN BLOOD (Warner Bros. 1935) Warner Home Video
A new and inscrutable film star of the first magnitude
was born when Errol Flynn marked his Hollywood debut in Michael Curtiz’s Captain
Blood (1935) – a rollicking adventure yarn in which Flynn, already having
lived a man’s life ten times over before arriving in Tinsel Town, cut a swath of
virility on the screen that sent most every female patron in the audience into
instant heart palpitations. Flynn’s spectacular rise as a film star belies
Bette Davis’ (who costarred with Flynn several times) claim he was ‘not’ an
actor. “He would be the first one to admit it,” Davis once nonchalantly
suggested in an interview. And yet, even Davis was to reassess her general
contempt held for the man she deemed a ‘pretty boy’ in a cod piece (and
violently belted across the cheek with a jewel-encrusted ring on the set of
1939’s The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex) decades later;
regrettably, after Flynn had already died. “My God, wasn’t he marvelous?”
Flynn’s life and times, before and after Hollywood came into focus, has been
the subject of much debate, criticism and consternation. He was, in fact, and
in spite of the image he conveyed on the screen as the epitome of confident
masculinity, a very complicated fellow.
Falsely accused as being a Nazi sympathizer, embarrassed
by his rejection for ‘active duty’ during WWII – due to ill-health (Flynn had
contracted malaria decades earlier, and had suffered a heart attack on the set
of 1942’s Gentleman Jim – quietly hushed up by the studio) and mortified
in a very public ‘rape’ scandal that forever branded him with the moniker, ‘In
like Flynn’, the true merits of Flynn’s wildly popular run in the movies
continues to be mildly obfuscated by conflicting assessments of his talent.
Flynn’s charm carried him an awfully long way. Arguably, it also led to his
premature downfall. But before this deluge came the glory years. And oh, what
spectacular years they were; Flynn, discounted by pundits of his time, failing
to take notice of his genuine art beneath the garb as he managed to convey that
tights and pirate shirts could make any man sexy. Richard Dreyfuss once wisely
asserted that to put most any guy in such effete accoutrements “he’s going
to look like a pharmacist.” Indeed,
there have been enough hilariously bad attempts by Hollywood – then, as now -
to glorify the male form in such form-fitting costumes.
But Flynn was the real/reel deal – or rather, seemed
to embody it as though he had lived in such highly romanticized times. Having
begun his life’s prospects far removed from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood
(his early years in Tasmania, Australia, and New Guinea were fraught with allegations
he partook of the local slave trade, had actually killed a man, and was caught
pilfering funds from one of his employers), Flynn would take his instant stardom
in stride, but increasingly regard it as purely superficial – his on-screen
image, concocted by the studio, denying him the right to prove he could be a
very fine actor. This eventually led his adventuresome spirit astray on self-destructive
diversions – strong drink and carousing, steadily eroding his health and
professional reputation. The notion that Hollywood destroys people is largely a
myth. While its Benzedrine-driven lifestyle is undeniably divorced of most
reality and, thus, provides for every asset and extravagance one could imagine,
on the flip side, it offers only mere chance for those with their own inbred
streak of sadomasochism to further explore their baser nature. Arguably, Flynn,
who left home at an early age, despised his mother, and again, arguably, lacked
in self-restraint, having proven himself prone to bluer tastes and temptations
before landing in this American Sodom and Gomorrah, was ripe for annihilation of
his already waning mores and morals. Thus, Hollywood did not destroy Errol
Flynn. He inflicted this madness upon himself.
But, let us be perfectly clear herein: there will
never be another Errol Flynn. Others have tried to ‘swash’ and ‘buckle’ their
way into screen immortality, and, with varying degrees of success, have made
admirable inroads into this sub-genre. None have ever come close to rivaling
Flynn for his sheer animal magnetism and devilish nonchalance; a natural bon vivant,
as celebrated for his startling handsome looks as his inimitably sly class, dashing
presence and ruggedly unique style. The role of Dr. Peter Blood had been
shopped around Hollywood since the early 1920’s; Warner Bros. acquiring the
rights to Raphael Sabatini’s roguish adventurer in 1934, but thereafter,
sitting on the property while they searched for the right fellow to cast in the
part. As no headliners in their formidable roster of players stood out from the
crowd, the property languished at the studio until Flynn’s arrival. His
introduction to Hollywood came by way of a shrewd – if tempestuous – marriage
to actress, Lili Damita. And while Warner’s
billed him publicly as an “Irish leading man of the London stage” –
Flynn’s first two film appearances at the studio – The Case of the Curious
Bride, and, Don’t Bet on Blondes (made a few months prior to Captain
Blood) – showed little promise, as he teetered on the precipice of instant
fame and stardom.
Hence, Captain Blood gets the nod for launching
Errol Flynn’s career as a larger than life swashbuckling hero. Not that anyone
at Warner Bros. anticipated the fervor Flynn, or the film, would generate with
movie audiences. Nevertheless, men thrilled to the manly antics of Raphael
Sabatini's naughty buccaneer, while women were quick to plug into Flynn's
natural - and rather transparent - sex appeal.
He became an immediate matinee idol. It is easy to reflect on the
picture today and Flynn’s participation in it as the ‘obvious choice’. But actually,
right up until the start date, Jack Warner had petitioned aggressively to
secure Brit-based Robert Donat for the lead. Even after it became apparent
Donat was a no show, Warner next turned to stock player, Brian Aherne to take
his place. However, as luck would have it Aherne turned the part down. So did
Leslie Howard, and Warner heavy, James Cagney, leaving the virtually unproven Flynn
to step into screen immortality as everyone’s favorite rapscallion in tights. Despite
the studio’s rather curious decision to put Flynn in a flossy wig that curled
about his fine-boned features, Flynn’s devilish allure reigned down and shone
through as studly grace; enough to entice even the haughty and exclusive, Arabella
Bishop (played with exquisite panache by 19-year-old Olivia de Havilland) into
his muscular arms.
Over the next few years, Flynn and de Havilland would
be costarred in some of Errol’s greatest adventures, and, cut their cuffs on a
private affair that studio PR sincerely hoped would eventually blossom into one
of those trademarked dynamic duos off screen too. For a brief wrinkle in time,
it looked as though de Havilland and Flynn would become one of the industry’s
reigning couples. Alas, a rift in their passion occurred when de Havilland
discovered all Flynn was really after out of life was fame. “That wasn’t
enough,” de Havilland later mused, “I wanted acknowledgement for good
work too.” And thus, the pair parted amicably after 1941’s They Died
With Their Boots On – the romanticized tale of Gen. George Custer. Budgeted
at an impressive $1.242 million, Captain Blood would ring registers
around the world, pulling in the lion’s share of profits for the year and
easily to convince Jack Warner he had found a new leading man he could exploit
for many years yet to follow. After a rollicking main title by Erich Wolfgang
Korngold, Captain Blood is set in 17th-century England; Dr.
Peter Blood (Flynn) summoned to attend Lord Gildoy, wounded in the Monmouth
Rebellion. Arrested for performing his duties as a physician, Blood is
convicted of treason against King James II and sentenced to death by the
infamous Judge Baron Jeffreys (Leonard Mudie). The
King’s intervention sends Blood and surviving rebels to be sold into slavery in
the West Indies.
In Port Royal, Blood is bought by Arabella Bishop (de
Havilland), the exquisite and ambitious niece of military commander, Colonel
Bishop (Lionel Atwill). Drawn to Blood's rebellious nature, Arabella does her level
best to advance his prospects, recommending Blood as personal physician to the
colony's Governor Steed (George Hassell) who periodically suffers from excruciating
gout. Ostensibly indignant, yet quietly grateful for Arabella’s efforts on his
behalf, Blood plots an escape from this bondage for himself and his fellow
slaves. The plan is almost exposed by the mistrustful Bishop, who flogs and
interrogates one of Blood’s men. Mercifully, Blood is spared after a Spanish
man-o-war assaults Port Royal. During this raid, Blood and his cohorts seize a
Spanish galleon and steal away into the night, launching their careers as
swarthy pirates. Blood and his men ascend to their infamy; Bishop, appointed Port
Royal’s governor to deal with their advancing menace. Sending Arabella to
England, presumably for an extended holiday, her return to the Caribbean, along
with royal emissary, Lord Willoughby (Henry Stephenson), is thwarted when
Blood's traitorous companion, French buccaneer, Captain Levasseur (Basil
Rathbone), elects to capture and hold the pair for a King’s ransom. Blood
forces Levasseur to sell Arabella and Willoughby to him, relishing the
opportunity to ‘own’ the woman who once owned him. As Levasseur fervidly refuses
to comply with this request, Blood is forced into a duel in which Levasseur is
killed. Aside: Basil Rathbone frequently sparred with Flynn on screen, their
swordplay a point of constant consternation for Flynn who recognized Rathbone as
his superior with a sword.
Blood attempts to ingratiate himself to Arabella,
offering her the spoils of his previous conquests; rare jewels and other
luxuries she defiantly refuses to accept. Calling Flood out as a thief and a
pirate, Blood is wounded by her rejection and orders his men to set sail for
Port Royal immediately; determined to deliver Arabella and Lord Willoughby to
their original port of call, despite placing himself and his crew in grave
peril if they are intercepted. Alas, Port Royal lay under siege by two French
warships. In his singular pursuit of Blood, Bishop abandoned the citizenry to
this deluge. As England is at war with France, Lord Willoughby pleads with
Blood to spare the colony. Blood, however, refuses to engage in battle for a ‘corrupt
king’. But when Willoughby reveals James II has been deposed in the Glorious
Revolution, and, England's new monarch, William III, has sent Willoughby to
offer Blood and his men full pardons and commissions in the Royal Navy, Blood
and his men regroup and prepare to invade the overrun Port Royal on the crown’s
behalf. After ferrying Arabella ashore, Blood and his crew sail into port under
French colors, replacing that ensign with the British Union Jack. A ship-to-ship
mêlée results in furious hand-to-hand combat on deck. Blood and his men decimate
the French frigates and save the colony. Alas, their own vessel is lost.
Nevertheless, Blood is appointed the new governor of Port Royal. Free to choose
for herself, Arabella confesses her love for Blood at last. Blood derives great
pleasure after Bishop is taken in a pirate hunt and placed under arrest for
dereliction of duty. As Arabella implores Blood to be merciful, Blood reveals
to Bishop his intent to be benevolent, generously greeting him with. “Good
morning, Uncle.”
Captain Blood is one of those entertainments, so perfectly pitched
in virtually every facet of the picture-making process, it appears effortless
and monumentally satisfying as pure escapist fantasy. Today, it remains justly
celebrated as a thoroughly engrossing adventure yarn and, indeed, a movie to steer
Warner Bros. away from its ‘ripped from the headlines’ edict, into competition
with the venerable Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, then producing the most lavish costume
epics in Hollywood. No stranger to seduction, by the end of filming, Flynn had
fallen madly for his costar. De Havilland reciprocated wholeheartedly – at
least for a time; Flynn’s desire for ‘success’ above all else, proving the deal
breaker in their relationship. Despite the many alterations made to Sabatini’s
original text, screenwriter, Casey Robinson ably updates this literary
swashbuckler for the big screen. Anton Grot’s art direction, luminously
photographed by Ernest Haller and Hal Mohr, affords the picture a gorgeous
gloss, to capture the sumptuousness of its tropical locale; also, showing off
Milo Anderson’s costume design to its very best advantage. Robinson’s script is
a roller coaster – peppered in emotional interludes that afford Flynn every
opportunity to exercise the full breadth of his cinematic muscle. Given Flynn's
relative inexperience in the movies his performance herein is shockingly good.
It is easy to see why Captain Blood made him an instant star - perfectly
cast as this avenging hero from another time. Director Curtiz keeps the action
and melodrama moving at the studio’s usual breakneck speed. The battle
sequences are intense and thrilling, while the romantic sparks between de
Havilland and Flynn are unmistakable and as exhilarating. In as much as we are immersed
in the passion between Arabella and Blood, we are watching two real people fall
in love.
By now, one would have hoped for Captain Blood
to make the leap to hi-def. Alas, it’s 2020 and we are still left with Warner
Home Video’s original Blu-ray release from 1999. Mercifully, the results, while
lacking all the bells and whistles available in a digital restorationist’s tool
box circa today, are not all that far off the mark. Age-related artifacts are
present, but greatly tempered. The gray scale herein has been adequately
balanced. We get solid contrast, a light smattering of film grain, looking indigenous
to its source, and some acceptable tonality. The 1.0 Dolby Digital mono is
superb with no discernible hiss or pop. Extras are limited to a few short
subjects and theatrical trailer. Still, Captain Blood could seriously
use a Blu-ray upgrade. It has been one of my sources of regret that the Warner
Archive – although achieving impeccable results with their catalog releases, continues
to blend their output from a goodly sampling of lesser known – and far less
well-received clunkers, mixed in with some genuine bona fide classics from
Hollywood’s golden age. The studio’s defense in denying us such golden oldies
on Blu-ray is that some movies need more care (and therefore, more money to be
spent) to properly bring them to hi-def. And thus, executive decisions are
made, based on surviving elements, time and capital to be annually invested on
such preservation and restorations. That said, Blu-ray is well past its debut
and, arguably, its prime, with far too many of Warner’s vast archival assets,
spanning 3 studio libraries (MGM, RKO and their own) still MIA in hi-def, even
as original film elements continue to deteriorate at an alarming rate. For now,
we will recommend Captain Blood on DVD. But our fervent hope is to see
this classy Flynn classic mark its debut in hi-def someday soon. Keep the
faith, but buy for now. The film is very highly recommended!
FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)
5+
VIDEO/AUDIO
3.5
EXTRAS
0
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