AdventureActionHistoryRomance

Captain Blood

- A million dollars worth of adventure!

Dr. Peter Blood, unjustly convicted of treason and exiled from England, becomes a notorious pirate.

Release Date : 1935-12-26

Language :FrenchSpanishEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : First National PicturesCosmopolitan ProductionsWarner Bros. Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Dr. Peter Blood

Original Name : Errol Flynn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Arabella Bishop

Original Name : Olivia de Havilland

Gender : Female

Character Name : Colonel Bishop

Original Name : Lionel Atwill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Levasseur

Original Name : Basil Rathbone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jeremy Pitt

Original Name : Ross Alexander

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hagthorpe

Original Name : Guy Kibbee

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord Willoughby

Original Name : Henry Stephenson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wolverstone

Original Name : Robert Barrat

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Bronson

Original Name : Hobart Cavanaugh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Whacker

Original Name : Donald Meek

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Barlow

Original Name : Jessie Ralph

Gender : Female

Character Name : Honesty Nutall

Original Name : Forrester Harvey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reverend Ogle

Original Name : Frank McGlynn Sr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. Gardner

Original Name : Holmes Herbert

Gender : Male

Character Name : Andrew Baynes

Original Name : David Torrence

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cahusac

Original Name : J. Carrol Naish

Gender : Male

Character Name : Don Diego

Original Name : Pedro de Cordoba

Gender : Male

Character Name : Governor Steed

Original Name : George Hassell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Governor's Attendant

Original Name : Matthew Beard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kent

Original Name : Harry Cording

Gender : Male

Character Name : Baron Jeffreys

Original Name : Leonard Mudie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prosecutor

Original Name : Ivan F. Simpson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. Hobart

Original Name : Stuart Casey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord Gildoy

Original Name : David Cavendish

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Steed

Original Name : Mary Forbes

Gender : Female

Character Name : Clerk of the Court

Original Name : E. E. Clive

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord Chester Dyke

Original Name : Colin Kenny

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Baynes

Original Name : Maude Leslie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Slave

Original Name : Gardner James

Gender : Male

Character Name : King James

Original Name : Vernon Steele

Gender : Male

Character Name : Girl in Tavern

Original Name : Yola d'Avril

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lord Sunderland

Original Name : Halliwell Hobbes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Court Clerk

Original Name : Murray Kinnell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sentry

Original Name : Chris-Pin Martin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pirate

Original Name : James Pier Mason

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pirate

Original Name : Paul Panzer

Gender : Male

Character Name : French Officer

Original Name : Frank Puglia

Gender : Male

Character Name : French Captain

Original Name : Georges Renavent

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pirate

Original Name : Jim Thorpe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pirate

Original Name : Louis Mercier

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pirate

Original Name : Tom Steele

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pirate

Original Name : William Yetter Sr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Juror

Original Name : Bobby Hale

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

What a creature must sit on the throne who lets a man like you deal out his justice! Captain Blood is directed by Michael Curtiz and adapted by Casey Robinson from the Rafael Sabatini novel. It stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Haviland, Basil Rathbone, Ross Alexander and Lionel Atwill. Music is scored by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and photography is shared between Ernest Haller and Hal Mohr. 1685, England, and Dr. Peter Blood (Flynn) is unjustly convicted of treason against the King. Escaping the death penalty, Blood and the other supposed rebels are sold into slavery at the English colony of Port Royal. Bought by kindly Arabella Bishop (de Havilland), Blood settles down to work as physician to the local governor. But when the town comes under attack from the Spanish, Blood and his friends seize the opportunity to commandeer the Spanish ship and escape... And Thus Captain Blood Began His Career Of Piracy. . . With A Ship, A Handful Of Men, And A Brain. . . It could all have been so different had Robert Donat not turned down the role of Captain Blood. In came Flynn at the last minute, a swaggering superstar was born and classic cinema got a handful of truly rousing swashbucklers that continue to delight millions even today. Not to mention it also brought further notice of de Havilland's ability, with this picture the first of eight she would make with Flynn. Even though it was seen of something of a gamble for Warner Brothers at the time, the film actually isn't that big in budgetary terms, all the remarkable, then, that Curtiz and his team have fashioned such an entertainingly rousing picture. Although Flynn gleefully dominates proceedings, and in the process gives the film its only real flaw by rendering much of the other characters to being like awe-struck observers, much of the credit for Captain Blood's success is down to Robinson's screenplay. Running at just over two hours in length, film is chocked full of action, plot and asides to the British monarchy of the 17th century, deftly split into two halves by the wily Curtiz. First half establishes the major players and incidence, taking a good honest man in a hot political climate and forcing him to go rogue. This then fills the second part as Blood becomes the feared pirate of the high seas, and then ultimately his journey back to a life of normality and love flecked happiness. In amongst this journey to piracy and back, film is decked out with moments of spectacle. Be it Flynn swishing and swashing with blade, or swinging in on a rope, or the sight of cannons blasting away in tall ship duels, Curtiz ensures the pace is brisk and the adrenaline is often stirred. In the mix is the chemistry between Flynn and de Haviland, which obviously hits the ground running, and two deliciously shifty turns from Messrs Atwill and Rathbone. Stunts are aplenty and although the sets are at times at the bare minimum, Curtiz and his photographers get maximum impact by going for a near Expressionist style. All of which is scored with thunderous verve by master composer Korngold. Flynn would better this with both "The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)" and "The Sea Hawk (1940)", but Captain Blood is undeniably the influential template. 9/10