MGM's Mutiny on the Bounty was not only the best film from 1935. It was also a box office smash. Warner Bros. kingpin Jack Warner decided to make a sailing adventure of his own.
Captain Blood was the result. It was a pirate movie and swashbuckler adapted from Rafael Sabatini's novel, and a remake of the silent version from 1923.
Robert Donat was originally cast for the lead. But he backed out of the project, and was replaced with little known Errol Flynn. Flynn, an Australian from Tasmania, had previously appeared in only a handful of Hollywood films, all in supporting roles.
Flynn, of course, had the charming personality and dashing, athletic appearance necessary for the role. He would have a lengthy career making adventure film classics, such as The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Sea Hawk. It was the success of Captain Blood that made him a star.
Captain Blood also made a star of Olivia de Havilland. She played Flynn's love interest, and was second billed. Still in her teens, she was a radiant beauty, and had good chemistry with Flynn. They would eventually make eleven films together.
While the casting seems obvious in hindsight, Jack Warner took a considerable risk in having relative unknowns as the leads in an expensive action film.
Hungarian-born Michael Curtiz directed Captain Blood, as well as eleven other films with Flynn in the cast. Curtiz is best known today for Casablanca and Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942).
The story begins in England circa 1685. There is a rebellion against 'tyrannical' (i.e. Catholic) King James II. Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) is a doctor who treats an injured rebel. He is captured by the king's soldiers, and put on trial with the rebels. They're all found guilty, and sent as slaves to a plantation in Jamaica.
Blood quickly makes enemies with cruel, pompous Colonel Bishop (Lionel Atwill). Fortunately, Bishop's lovely young niece, Arabella, saves him from death in the mines. Blood becomes doctor to the gout-ridden, comic relief governor (George Hassell). A Spanish ship attack Jamaica, and Blood leads the slaves in a successful capture of the ship. Blood becomes a Caribbean pirate, with his loyal crew including Pitt (Ross Alexander) and Hagthorpe (Guy Kibbee).
Blood becomes partners with amoral pirate Levasseur (Basil Rathbone, again playing a baddie). Levasseur captures an English ship carrying Arabella and sympathetic blueblood Lord Willoughby (Henry Stephenson). Conflicts arise between Blood and Levasseur over the fate of Arabella.
Ever since its release, Captain Blood has been considered to be a great action film. Certainly it has historical importance, with its starmaking roles for Flynn and de Havilland.
But I feel that the film is overrated. The comic relief is dubious. For example, a sailor shoots off his toe to collect a bounty. Another sailor always recites a biblical quotation after slaughtering an opponent in battle. Portly, white-haired Guy Kibbee makes an unlikely pirate.
All the characters are shallow defined, almost cartoonish. Flynn's character is his stereotypical gallant rogue action hero, undistinguishable from his roles in other adventure films such as The Adventures of Robin Hood. de Havilland is again the virtuous noblewoman whose heart will inevitably be conquered by Flynn.
After a slow start, there's plenty of action. If you turn off your brain, you may enjoy the formula swashbuckler. Better yet, see the film's inspiration, Mutiny on the Bounty. The 1935 version, not the unintentionally comic Marlon Brando vehicle from 1962.
Allegedly, Flynn caught malaria during the production of Captain Blood. Although the action scenes are convincing, no full sized ships were used. Large models were built, and ship battle footage was lifted from old silent films.
Captain Blood was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Picture and Best Sound. (54/100)
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