Pavillon noir

Not Maureen Ohara's strongest role but she does play the fem fatal very well.This is a good family movie. Also being the first full color project by R.K.O. a very historical movie and they went with the queen of Technicolor for this very historical movie. Ohara's beauty along with her strong presence alone make this movie a must see for all.The love story love lost and found again makes for mild drama but a good story line. It is a shame that the ending the writer wanted at first could not be done but due to the cost it is understandable but with Ohara and Henreid is this film I feel it would have been Worth while.So sit down with the family with a Good coke and pop corn and watch an original action movie with a worth while story line.

I had foolishly missed out quite recently on this one on late-night Italian TV and, consequently, was very glad now to get acquainted with it (albeit via a slightly washed-out print on DivX) – especially since I was surprised by its quality, making the film an underrated entry in the swashbuckling genre. Borzage was an unusual choice for this type of film – despite being a distinguished Oscar-winning director, he has become with time a largely forgotten figure but his reputation has deservedly soared of late among film connoisseurs and is now generally comparable to that of Douglas Sirk. To be sure, he is more renowned for movies like THREE COMRADES (1938) and THE MORTAL STORM (1940) rather than fluff pieces like THE Spanish MAIN, but that only goes to show how versatile he was, equally capable of handling personal projects and genre pictures.

Equally unlikely was the film’s choice of leading man: Paul Henreid, playing an honest man who turns buccaneer in the face of injustice, his character is similar to that of Captain Blood (in spite of an obvious lack of emphasis on the actor’s agility) but also to Henried’s signature role of French Resistance leader Victor Laszlo in CASABLANCA (1942). This alone makes it interesting viewing but, thankfully, they’re supported by solid talent on both sides of the camera (the actors – Maureen O’Hara in her prime, an unusually but effectively cast Binnie Barnes as a hardened lady buccaneer and O’Hara’s romantic rival, splendid villainy from Walter Slezak, John Emery and Barton MacLane being equally dastardly, J.M. Kerrigan, Curt Bois and Mike Mazurki as Henreid’s sidekicks, a script co-written by CITIZEN KANE [1941]’s Herman J. Mankiewicz, magnificent color photography by George Barnes, etc).

While the plot offers no real surprise or undue complexity – coming at the tail-end of WWII, it must have provided just the right dose of escapism – it’s professionally-handled entertainment (at which Hollywood excelled during its golden age) of the kind ‘they don’t make anymore’…despite the best intentions of today’s exponents!

Previous comments have said nearly all, but I thought this film was a good effort for 1945. As always with films of this date, I wonder why some of the fit-looking men weren't in the armed services. (I realise that Paul Henreid was an Austrian who had fled his country before the war; and I note a lot of the supporting cast have Hispanic names, suggesting they may have been from countries not directly involved in the fighting.) Though Henreid made a number of swashbucklers, he appears a just a little effete, almost a not-quite-so sensitive version of Leslie Howard. I couldn't quite believe Maureen O'Hara finding him fascinating at first glance (as always, she looks marvellous). Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power would have been more convincing.

The battling ships sequences look good, though it would be churlish to note that the model vessels show no signs of human life. I agree with the comments that Walter Slezak makes a fine villain.

What's this, Frank Borzage producing commercial popcorn fodder? Indeed yes it is. The Spanish Main is a good old pirate/seafaring romp, the production design is considerably better than the actual plotting, with RKO pushing the boat out (hrr hrr hrr), but as long as you have a kink for such old fashioned genre pictures then there is much to enjoy; and much that's easy to ignore...

Maureen O'Hara, Paul Henreid and Walter Slezak are the draw cards, though each one is short changed by the screenplay. O'Hara isn't called on to rise above being a feisty Technicolor beaut who will inevitably become Henreid's gal. Henreid himself is, in spite of the film very much being his baby, actually miscast and wholly unbelievable in the pirate stakes, while the ever wonderful Slezak is quite simply under used.

However, fans of such fare easily forgive the shortcomings, focusing on having a good time with the extended sword play and naval battle scenes, buying into the romance angle and shouting hooray at film's finale! It's all very conventional on the page, but the smart craft involved in bringing it to life is sometimes all you need to brighten a miserable winter's day. 6.5/10

I am a great admirer of all the movies that Maureen O'Hara has starred in. This film represents one more entertaining and absorbing swashbuckler typical of its day wherein you have a Ms O'Hara and Paul Henreid turning in excellent performances. The plot and love interest are easily assimilated and believable. If a movie holds your attention throughout like this one does, there's no question that it's worth the time and popcorn! Movies are made to be enjoyed and appreciated, and I'm sure the public knows what is enjoyable because such old movies are still in circulation, and that speaks for its quality.