Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

mark.waltz Technicolor could take history, alter it to serve its own purpose and still make it palatable. All you had to do was take a supposed law-abiding citizen, make him not only more evil than the band of cut-throats he was out to capture, but also a brute to the leading lady. This made the pirates more sympathetic and forgivable. When the leading pirate is a handsome man and the citizen a portly bureaucrat, it is obvious where sympathy will lie.Maureen O'Hara, whose red hair made her a natural for Technicolor, is superb as the noble woman engaged to aristocratic Walter Slezak (who also played a similar villain in "The Pirate"), yet ends up kidnapped by pirate Paul Heinreid. A rivalry grows between O'Hara and the real life female pirate Anne Romney, played here by Binnie Barnes, and results in a funny scene involving a gun duel. Action packed and exciting, this can't be called reality, but it sure is fun!

brendangcarroll Paul Henreid apparently wanted his home studio Warner Brothers to make this, but in 1944, that studio was firmly committed to making large -scale war films, and besides, its number one star was Errol Flynn who was (and is) THE swashbuckler. So Henreid took it to RKO and, through a contractual sleight of hand, negotiated his release from Warners to make it at this normally low-budget studio. He should not have bothered.The main problem with the film is that its central role is miscast. Henreid is both too effete and a bit too old for the part, and next to Miss O'Hara (who as usual, looks ravishing in colour) rather bland and lifeless. He is also clearly doubled in some of the duels.The music score by Hanns Eisler (a surprising choice) is gestural note-spinning with not one memorable theme to sweep us along. He should have watched The Sea Hawk and listened to Korngold's thrilling score to see how this should be done.As usual, Walter Slezak effortlessly steal every scene he is in and is a delight. When he is not on screen, the film sags. No wonder he was cast in so many similar roles in the 1940s.This was RKO's first colour film but most prints I have seen are very poor - either faded, or overly gaudy as a result of the three-strip technicolor separations becoming unstable and running together. It is unlikely to be restored as I doubt the original elements survive.The ingredients were all there but refused to gel somehow. Maybe if Jack Warner had said yes, it might have been better - and Korngold would have jumped at the chance I am sure! The supporting cast is full of familiar faces (J.M.Kerrigan, Jack La Rue, Curt Bois, Mike Mazurki, Antonio Moreno) and they provide some badly needed substance in this weak entry in the genre.

julia-rabbitts I first saw this when I was about 8 and it stayed firmly in my memory as an excellent swash-buckle. Subsequent viewings have not changed that opinion. Paul Heinreid may not have the glamour of Errol Flynn but he has a lovely turn as the law-abiding sailor who reacts to wrongful treatment by becoming a pirate, while always keeping a law-abiding soul. After all the heroine can't really fall for a bad'un. Lovely costumes, a wonderful portrayal of the pirate town, to which Maureen O'Hara's reaction is a picture, and everyone sailing off into the sunset at the end. The question is: is he going to go straight at the end or stay a pirate? What more would you want for a quiet afternoon with the cat asleep and a cup of tea.

studiojudio I have never appreciated the manly-jawed Maureen O'Hara. I never thought she could act, and I never particularly thought she was pretty. She was NO Rita Hayworth, nor was she even a Rhonda Fleming, if you're going to compare redheads. BUT! Paul Henreid was the most gorgeous creature ever to don a pirate costume. His only flaw in this film was, that he actually could ACT. Walter Slezak was, as usual, the Evil Walter Slezak, so I didn't appreciate him, either. He's always the same.It's a greatly enjoyable flick, especially if you are a Henreid fan. Have fun!studiojudio