The Black Swan

Whatever Henry King made cannot be bad. Even this "half navy - half etc" movie was surprisingly entertaining. I can name few filmmakers so versatile and so reliable. In this instance I believe the method is to have an open mind - this is not just a navy or a pirate movie, there is romance and a little of everything. Bottom line, making a good film should be a simple thing if you have decency.

Tyrone Power was undoubtedly the most stylish and certainly the most handsome and articulate of the great Hollywood swashbuckers from the 30s to the late 50s. In this movie he coyld not have been bettered (Flynn and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. included), The starry cast,music,costumes and settings brought vividly to life the Spanish Main,Maracaibo and other Pirate ports of call.With a great family theatrical tradition behind him,Power's presence enriched every movie he made (what a twist of fate that he died exactly as his father Tyrone Power Sr.did,filming a duel scene -"Hamlet" and "Solomon and Sheba). I believe that Power's acting ability even today is not fully recognised,simply because the Studio System restricted his choice of film.Let anyone hear Power recite the poems of Byron (available on disc) and realise his premature death was a tragedy."THE BLACK SWAN" could be said to represent a golden period in the history of Hollywood swashbucklers.

Well, this one really came as a surprise with Tyrone Power superb in a decent pirate movie - all tongue in cheek but in great fun. With lovely Maureen O'Hara playing the usual hard to get girl wanted by all, but destined for only one, everyone in the movie has a rollicking good time, and why shouldn't they when you consider some of the supporting stars, particularly Laird Cregar as Sir Henry Morgan and George Sanders "hamming" it up in his usual evil way. The Technicolor is magnificent, the settings superb, and as this film was made long before computer-generated effects, it was quite brilliantly done. The story was very predictable but who cares, as it represents great escapist entertainment for nearly a couple of hours!

Now this is a swashbuckling adventure! Pirate movies were very popular in the silver screen era, and most of them-as is the case in most genres-weren't very good. The Black Swan is very exciting, so if you're looking for a classic, look no further.

A shirtless, scruffy Tyrone Power pins Maureen O'Hara to the wall, saying he wants to "sample the wine before he decides to buy the bottle," but when he kisses her she bites his lip. Tyrone slaps her face and throws her over his shoulder, but when he runs into his pal Captain Morgan, played by Laird Cregar, he drops her to the floor and forgets all about her. Is he a true pirate or what?

Get ready for intense sword fighting, kidnapping unwilling females, shipwrecks, pirates hijacking a boat that's already been hijaked, and a great pirate-y theme by Alfred Newman. The Black Swan is one of the best swashbuckling pirate movies I've seen, and since it doesn't include Errol Flynn or Robert Newton, that's quite a compliment! Where else can you see Thomas Mitchell as a pirate? And where else can you watch a total violation of the Hays Code-an unmarried couple is shown under the covers in the same bed-but since they're pirates they get away with it? I highly recommend this one.

This is the story of the Spanish Main, when villainy wore a sash, and the only political creed in the world was, love, gold ........ and adventure!

The Black Swan finds Tyrone Power at his swashbuckling best, here as James "Boy" Waring, a pirate starting to find his conscience as he starts to find love, Power is devilishly handsome and swaggers about with knowingly comic abandon. Though this Henry King directed picture reeks of being an illegitimate child to "Errol Flynn's" superior "Captain Blood", it has such a great sense of fun and high production values, it really doesn't matter one jot.

The colour cinematography from Leon Shamroy rightly won an Academy Award, whilst the nominations for Alfred Newman's booming score and the one for the special effects team were very much deserved. The other thing to note is the fabulous costumes courtesy of Earl Luick, splendid attire, none more so than evidenced by Laird Cregar's joyous Henry Morgan. George Sanders and a ravishing Maureen O'Hara are in on the fun and really it's a film that to me is impossible not to enjoy, so avast yee lubbers and buckle up your swash. 8/10