Captain Blood (1935), directed by Michael Curtiz, is a fast-paced pirate film based on the novel by Rafael Sabatini and features Errol Flynn in his very first starring role. Captain Blood not only set the standard for all other modern swashbucklers but it’s also the first time Flynn teams with Olivia de Havilland as his love interest along with Basil Rathbone as his sporty foe. Additionally, Lionel Atwill, Guy Kibbee, Ross Alexander, and Henry Stephenson appear in prominent roles. The Criterion Collection Blu-ray edition is beautifully restored in 4K with a treasure chest of delightful extras. So hoist the Jolly Roger and let’s set sail with Captain Blood.
Buy Captain Blood (Criterion Collection)Young physician Peter Blood (Flynn), a former adventurer, is arrested and falsely charged with treason after tending to a wounded rebel. Sentenced to be a slave in the West Indies, along with the other rebels, Blood’s Caribbean escapades are just about to begin. Upon arrival in Port Royal, he’s sold to the lovely Arabella Bishop (de Havilland) against her uncle Colonel Bishop’s (Atwill) advice. Soon thereafter, Blood’s doctoring skills are employed to ease the local governor’s gout and he’s spared hard labor. While plotting his band’s escape, the city is attacked by the Spanish fleet and Blood seizes his chance at freedom. He rallies his enslaved brethren and together they commandeer a Spanish man-o-war and set sail for a life of high adventure as pirates of the Caribbean Sea.
As his reputation at sea grows, Blood makes a fateful decision to partner with the second-best buccaneer on the Spanish Main, a Frenchman named Levasseur (Rathbone). Through good fortune and tragic folly by Levasseur, Blood reunites with Arabella and discovers he’s sought after by the English government not for his crimes but for his devastating skill with a schooner. Pardoned and brought into the fold of the British Navy, Captain Blood now fights for the crown to save Port Royal from destruction by the dreaded French.
Captain Blood is a jolly good swashbuckling romp that keeps the adventure rolling throughout its 119-minute runtime. Curtiz’s direction is crisp and perfect for the subject matter as he masterfully weaves the camera through the action, setting up wonderful shots that will be seamlessly edited together with stock footage and extravagant miniatures. Flynn obviously steals the show in his dashing lead debut and it’s in this picture that truly, a star is born. Flynn’s good looks, hearty laugh, and solid stage presence will propel him to further roles in such classics as The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and The Sea Hawk (1940). The chemistry between him and de Havilland is clear and it’s easy to see why they will be paired together seven more times throughout their careers. While the tension with Rathbone will set those two up as the perfect foes in future films. Ross Alexander as Jeremey Pitt turns in a standout performance and it really is too bad his career was tragically short due to suicide.
The Criterion Collection’s Blu-ray includes an audio commentary by author Alan K. Rode that is informative and funny as he dramatically reads some correspondence between director and producer. Rode covers all the major topics: cast and crew bios, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and technical work such as filming locations, props, and special effects. He also does great at comparing and contrasting the movie to Sabatini’s novel. Rode points out many small points of interest, like the very brief cameo by Matthew “Stymie” Beard of Our Gang fame and which scenes were reshot as Fylnn gained confidence in his acting abilities during filming.
Also included as an extra feature is Captain Blood: A Swashbuckler is Born, a wonderful 23-minute documentary made in 2005 that features insightful interviews with Robert Osborne and other prominent Hollywood historians. The documentary, along with the fold-out’s essay by Farran Smith Nehme and Rode’s commentary pretty much cover it all: star choices, stunts, music, location, and sets. While the inclusion of the Lux Radio Theater adaptation of the movie is an entertaining, condensed, hour-long retelling of the high seas action that finds Flynn, de Havilland and Rathbone reprising their on screen roles.
Captain Blood’s epic naval battles and thrilling swordfight remain the gold standard for high sea adventures. The Criterion Collection’s fantastic restoration ensures that it will continue to enthrall audiences for generations to come.
