Never saw this film before and noticed it was one of the top box office film’s the year it came out. I watched it on YouTube and the image was not the greatest but 20th Century Fox always did a good job so I had to imagine a fine looking film. It was interesting to see another studios style from that era and some things were more modern and a bit more ruthless than the Flynn films. It also was more American and less British feeling which may have had to do with Power I don’t really know. All in all I enjoyed it but Mr Power was no where near the level of Mr. Flynn which I did not expect. I thought he would better since I remember seeing Zorro. I just wasn’t feeling it with him and her as far as chemistry so I wondered if anyone else has anything to say about Power and ever Miss O’Hara who was in her prime on this one for sure (she does a commentary track on the DVD). I know Tyrone can act as I have seen him in other things. Is this his top Swashbuckler? I wish I would have seen this on Blu Ray out of the gate instead of the way I did.
— twinarchers
Robert
May 24, 2014 at 5:20 am
Good post, twin, but I firmly believe we should have only the highest standards here on the blog and campaign to make fake-colored photos and movies a punishable crime!
P.S. Make it a personal promise not to watch movies on YouTube and you’ll not do a disservice to either you or the movie.
twinarchers
May 24, 2014 at 8:07 pm
So Robert, out of that your only comment is on the colored photo of M. O.?
Robert
May 24, 2014 at 8:20 pm
Yes, who else would (tongue-in-cheek)?! There are more than enough others who will, I’m sure, respond in depth to the interesting points in your post.
timerider
May 24, 2014 at 8:31 pm
For some reason Tyrone always let me down when I was young and wanted to see more of what I imagined one named Power to be! Oh well I’ll get over it. As for the curly wurly red head, any photo in whatever is OK by me, LOL!
Oh gawd, you tube video quality and lack of it! Hope you find a newer version to watch twin.
Gentleman Tim
May 25, 2014 at 3:02 am
I’m on your side of the aisle, tw & timerider. Power was powerless when it came to keeping up with The Mighty Flynn. But who really could? (Answer: Nobody) Errol was born for these roles. It was in hs DNA and he cut his teeth swashbuckling from the South Seas to Southhampton, before he ever set foot on a theater stage. Tyrone, on the other hand, came from a long line of thespians. Nice guy, but no street cred. Errol was the real deal.
… Oh, and yes, indeed. Miss O’Hara was one gorgeous creature. No doubt ’bout it! I thought she was beautiful in every movie she appeared, though I think she wore hair too long in one film:
[img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nd2iPbJyyD4/UjgugW9buNI/AAAAAAAAN9U/n0cTqvo8C48/s280/Maureen+O’Hara+as+Lady+Godiva+(4).JPG[/img]
errolsfan1130
May 27, 2014 at 11:25 pm
Sorry no matter how beautiful or whatever she is, she is not endearing to me.
I didn’t know her much before.
Then, I was reading the transcription of this particular lady being interviewed by Larry King (if you google, you could find it). Then I realized when being asked her of Errol, her words were judgmental and subtly mean.
Since then this lady is not my cup of tea. Period.
There are two reasons I don’t like her.
Obviously, first I am a loyal fan of Errol.
Secondly, no one should, even subtly, diminish someone else’s dignity publicly, especially if this someone is a dead public figure who cannot defend himself.
I am not a blind fan. I have read as much as about Errol and truly believe he had a honest and artistic soul. In short, he was a good guy. He had certain happy go lucky quality in him. In hindsight, he should have been a little bit discreet. Yes, he loved women. Was loving women a crime, especially because women loved him first? But unfortunately, he lived in a rigid time. He had been misinterpreted while he was still alive and he had suffered from it terribly, which hastened his death. Since his death, his “image” (not the real him) has been exploited so many times to an extent it is totally unfair to him.
Gentleman Tim
May 29, 2014 at 1:05 am
Not my cup of (Irish) tea, either, errolsfan. So often seems so high-strung. Making matters worse, one of her husbands was such a bad alcoholic, she was unable or unwilling to fully & properly enjoy Errol. A lot of people found her too feisty & too much. Walt Disney, for instance, couldn’t stand her. I think she was probably a good woman, in a very tough and frequently abusive business. Heck, look what those Hollywood creeps did to a guy as strong as Errol.
One thing for sure, with her dramatically beautiful features & fiery red hair, she was perfect for Technicolor. And a sensationally good female swashbuckler.
twinarchers
May 29, 2014 at 1:30 am
Robert Osborne said Olivia said that Warner Brothers never thought of Flynn’s films as being nothing more than money makers which broke his heart she said. Or something to that effect. Too bad and that may have contributed to his self abuse going as far as it did?
ILIKEFLYNN
May 29, 2014 at 9:40 pm
I had the good fortune , in that the first time I saw “The Black Swan”, it was on the big screen at a retrospective theater here in my native New York. (As a matter of fact I think it was on a double bill with “Against All Flags”.) TBS is a change of pace from Errol’s “gentlemen pirates”, but I sure wish “The Sea Hawk” had been filmed in technicolor. TBS was definitely done with tongue firmly in cheek and for those who like this style like I do I find it great fun. Aside from the beautiful Maureen O’Hara. (Sorry guys I like fiery redheads and like Bruce Springstein says, “It takes a red headed woman to get the dirty job done!”) there is a great villain in George Sanders “Red Beard”! I find it interesting, (correct me if I’m wrong), in that Basil Rathbone, who was considered to be one of the best real-life swordsman in Hollywood, said that Tyrone was technically better at fencing than Errol. I think its also interesting that these rivals on the big screen along with the “other Lead Male star of his studio (Clark Gable) were all such good friends. At least Errol and Ty worked together. I think the reason Errol and Clark never worked together it would involve a woman having to choose between the two of them and Gable would not work in a picture where the woman could not make up her mind!–A. R.
errolsfan1130
May 29, 2014 at 9:57 pm
Could you inform me of where I can see these classic movies on big screen in NY? I am from NYC and I have never seen Errol’s movies on big screens. If anyone can tell me, it would be great.
Robert
May 29, 2014 at 11:15 pm
There aren’t the great revival theaters in New York as when I was frequenting them in the ’60s and ’70s, errolsfan1130, but the Film Forum is probably your best–and only–bet:
www.filmforum.org…
There are also outdoor summer screenings in Central Park. Check the local papers.
errolsfan1130
May 30, 2014 at 12:00 am
I went to Film Forum before. But I never saw they had Errol’s films though.
Robert
May 30, 2014 at 2:03 am
Contact them and request Flynn films.
Gentleman Tim
May 30, 2014 at 4:46 am
Rather than including the rather snappy swordplay featured below, you might ask the Film Forum to replace Sir Ravenhurst with a younger version of himself – in a duel with Dr. Peter Blood, or Robin of Locksley.
The Court Jester (9/9) Movie CLIP – Crossing Blad…: youtu.be/AfyZ1bWv7Ls…