Here is a double feature that is obvious. The film that made a 26 year old Errol a star and the film that launched his 20 year old son’s European movie career.
What can be said about “Captain Blood” that has not been already said. Every one on this blog should have this film in their collection or they are on the wrong blog. This film is available in its original B & W version, although I personally enjoy the computer colorized version. (Yes I know it’s sacrilege to prefer colorization, but this version was done so well and let’s face it, if color was not so expensive and had been perfected at the time the movie was made it would have been made in color.)
When Sean made his starring debut, he had trained with stuntman and actor Jock Mahoney. Also stuntman extraordinaire Yakima Canutt had acted as second unit director on this film. While he excelled in the stunt work he did in TSOCB, his acting showed his inexperience in front of the camera. In a review of the film that appeared in “Variety” (5/18/64), it was said, “that when he learns to act he could be a popular screen personality.” Aside from that, the film has plenty of action and a lovely female lead in the form of Alessandra Panaro. It is also timely with the early civil rights movement because of its depiction of slavery. While it is not available on DVD, here in the U. S., it is available to watch on YouTube in English in a pan and scan version and also in Spanish with fan produced English subtitles. The Spanish version is in a wide screen aspect that shows off its original Dyaliscope aspect. (The wide screen process that was popular in Europe in the sixties.) So here is a fine double feature to enjoy while you are at home.–A. R.
— ILIKEFLYNN
Gentleman Tim
May 16, 2020 at 7:22 am
Thanks again, A.R. Your presenting Sean’s films in this way is really terrific. Not only fun, but educational, too.(e.g. Dyaliscope!!) Thank you.
Anazingly, Sean may have been even more handsome than Errol himself. At only 20, especially with only very limited training as an actor, he was surely far too young and inexperienced to match Errol’s performance in Captain Blood. If only he had had a few more years… Is there any record of how Lili felt about Sean going into films? Did she encourage it? Oppose or warn against it? The photos below certainly make it appear he was very happy in the beginning
[img]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/XjAAAOSwb9hdcpjN/s-l400.jpg[/img]
[img]https://iv1.lisimg.com/image/5350799/734full-sean-flynn.jpg[/img]
ILIKEFLYNN
May 16, 2020 at 11:41 am
Thank you, Gentlemen Tim! As for your question re: how Lili felt about Sean’s acting career, I will refer to his biographers’ Jeffrey Meyers and Perry Deane Young, who both stated that initially Lili was dead set against him becoming an actor. Especially as Sean at age twenty was considered under age and would need her approval on any movie contract. According to Perry Dean Young, the agent Hy Seeger, who was also George Hamilton’s agent, explained to Lili that if she prevented Sean from pursuing this career path, he would resent her for the rest of his life. She acquiesced and Sean had his contract. But to quote Jeffrey Meyer, “…Sean got his film contracts through Lili who paid a lot of money to keep him in movies and out of Vietnam.” She was always fearful that something terrible would happen to him if he went to Vietnam and she was totally devastated when she learned of his disappearance. –A. R.
R.H
May 16, 2020 at 9:21 am
I have all of Sean’s films,and I also prefer Captain Blood in color.and also have the Sea Hawk in color.
ILIKEFLYNN
May 16, 2020 at 4:55 pm
Well, R. H. I too have the colorized version of “The Sea Hawk” as well as the colorized versions of “Charge of the Light Brigade” & “They Died with Their Boots On”. BTW do you have English language versions of “Temple of the White Elephant” & “Dos Pistolas Gemelas”? –A. R.