Rating: 4/5
England 1685 Dr. Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) is a former Navy man who had enough adventure, he put down his sword and became a healer. But when the king’s men find Blood treating a rebel, they take him in to be tried
Endless court marshals deaden the spirit of the people. Blood claims innocence but the court will not hear it — he is chattel sold into English slavery, doomed for the mines until Arabella Bishop (Olivia de Havilland) outbids the slaver, granting him an easier time than his suffering fellows treating an old man’s gout
From this favored position, Blood works with the other men to plot an escape. But when things are looking their grimmest, Spanish pirate ships attacks the island, taking control and holding it for ransom. The men commandeer one of them, taking out the Spaniards and head out to sea, leaving the heartbroken Arabella Bishop behind
And thus Captain Blood began his career of piracy... with a ship, a handful of men, and a brain... carving crimson career... until his name became the terror of the Caribbean... until his hame became the pride and toast of every buccaneer of the brotherhood of the coast... Blood! Blood! Blood!
The next hour is a romping pirate adventure — if swashbuckling could be used anywhere, it would be here. It’s not as compelling from a narrative standpoint, but it has its fun moments
Also Blood and Jeremy are lovers, and I refuse to hear otherwise
The film that launched Errol Flynn into stardom. Flynn’s Captain Blood is so dang charming — he brought the costume dramas out of the silent era as the Douglas Fairbanks of talkies
This film also introduced the world to the inimitable Olivia de Havilland, perhaps my favorite Golden Age actor — she gets little more to do here than swoon or stare off longingly, but I’m happy to see her all the same
This is the most fun I’ve seen Basil Rathbone! I love him in the horror stuff he did later, but heMs so stiff-lipped in those
The film utilizes regular text overlays to explain situations or plot elements too laborious to spend time on — these days the text would be given to a narrator that rarely shows up but the text on screen works for me
The script is full of quips, funny characters, adventure and romance — this is Golden Age Hollywood at its most crowd-pleasing. I had a blast