Avaliações de usuários

The most eagerly awaited Flynn movie has at last made it to DVD! Unavailable for some years except on a VHS tape and an obscure over priced Korean disc it, thankfully, is back in the Warner Bros. stable where it belongs. The wait was worth it for the disc is simply pluperfect! With rich vibrant three-strip Technicolor and sharply defined images it is a joy to behold! Flynn is terrific in the title role of the great lover and roue. Not withstanding perhaps a nod to the actor's own lifestyle the part was nevertheless taylor made for him. And although it was said at the time that he was slowing down and that he hit the booze while filming there is no evidence of it on screen. The great swashbuckler cuts a fine figure in his many fabulous costume changes throughout the picture. These costumes - designed by the great Travilla - won the 1948 Acadamy Award for best costume design.

The supporting cast were well chosen too! Robert Douglas is great as Flynn's adversary - the evil Duke DeLorca. His dark eyes blackened even more to make him look that bit extra villainous. Alan Hale is once again Flynn's faithful sidekick but after 12 movies this was to be their final picture together. He died the following year. The female lead is taken by the beautiful Swedish actress Vivica Lindfors. Here she plays Margaret Queen of Spain and the one true love of Juan. Lindfors' final film was "Stargate" in 1994! She died in 1995 at the age of 75.

"The Adventures of Don Juan" is well directed by Vincent Sherman and is probably his best remembered movie. The atmosphere, the colour and the sets in the court scenes are really very impressive. But now and then the film gets a little bogged down with some palace intrigue until the picture's famous set piece - the brilliantly staged sword-fight on the magnificent palace staircase. It ranks as one of the cinema's finest duels and Flynn will always be remembered for it even though that amazing leap with the knife was performed by stuntman and B picture actor Jock Mahoney.

Then, of course there is the music by Max Steiner - one of his very best scores! Particularly splendid is his music for Juan's Parade into London with its masterful use of bells and chimes. Also the wistful Ballade which accompanies Juan on his many and various balcony climbings, the driving action music for the fight in the palace and the gorgeous love theme for the scenes with Juan and the Queen especially for the sequence near the end. Here the theme is heard in full bloom as the lovers say farewell to each other forever ("I shall be the only one who knew, for just a little while, that there was no Queen"). Interestingly Flynn's usual swashbuckling composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold - who had served him brilliantly on past successes such as "Captain Blood", "The Adventures Of Robin Hood" and "The Sea Hawk" -was originally slated to score "The Adventures Of Don Juan" as far back as 1945, but by the time the picture went into production the esteemed composer had left Hollywood and returned to his birthplace Vienna. As brilliant a composer as Korngold was it's difficult to imagine he would have topped Steiner's exceptional score. But alas we will never know!

So quite a wonderful disc all round with good extras consisting of a commentary by director the late Vincent Sherman and Flynn authority Rudy Behlmer, a trailer and some instantly forgettable old fashioned shorts but the movie is all, so enjoy. En Garde!

Like his swashbuckling predecessor Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn tackled the part of Don Juan in his late years, he was 39 when he made this film for Warner Brothers. Like Fairbanks, Flynn plays an older and wiser famous lover who's getting a bit bored by it all. Not unlike the real life Errol Flynn.

The Adventures Of Don Juan finds Tirso De Molina's famous lover sent home after a couple of escapades in the newly formed Kingdom of Great Britain. King Philip III and Queen Margaret give our hero a chance to redeem himself by teaching at the royal fencing academy.

He's up to his neck in trouble soon enough, but not the kind of trouble Flynn's usually in. The first minister Robert Douglas is planning a move against the Queen who he sees as his main obstacle for total power in the kingdom. And the great lover starts behaving more like Sir Lancelot and less like Don Juan where Queen Margaret as played by Viveca Lindfors is concerned.

Although Philip III was not the great ruler his father Philip II was, by no means was he as big a fool as Romney Brent plays him. The real Queen Margaret who was his Hapsburg cousin did in fact have considerable influence over domestic and foreign policy in Spain.

The Adventures of Don Juan was given a sumptuous production and won an Oscar for Costume Design and was nominated for Art&Set Design. I think the film's best asset besides Errol Flynn is Max Steiner's music. As Flynn films usually are well scored, this one even stands out among that group.

The Adventures of Don Juan marked the thirteenth and last film that Alan Hale made with Errol Flynn. If Alan Hale or Frank McHugh did not appear in Warner Brothers production it didn't seem quite right. Jack Warner kept those two guys busiest of all at his studio.

Although Errol was getting older and his hedonistic living was starting to show, the part calling for an older and wiser Don Juan was well suited for him. One wishes he'd done the role back in the middle Thirties as a young man however.

I expected to see Flynn looking out of shape, trying to relive his past glories in this 1948 film. Instead it turns out that in The Adventures of Don Juan, not only is our hero still swashbuckling up a storm and almost as handsome as ever -- let's not forget, ten years and many events have now elapsed since Robin Hood -- but he is also man enough to laugh at himself along with the audience. The role of Don Juan could not be carried off by many actors, and casting Flynn in this role could easily end up being farcical. Instead, he pulls off the role with humour and grace.

And he still looks excellent in tights! More than good enough for me.

Amusing and entertaining swashbuckler has Don Juán (Errol Flynn in his self-mocking best) saving Queen Margarita (Viveca Lindfords) who secretly loves her champion from her evil First Minister , (the British Robert Douglas) . He , then swashbuckles his way across England and Spain in effort to win her heart . At the end Don Juan finds a worthy fencing adversary in the treacherous Duc of Lorca (actually , Duke of Lerma , favorite of King Felipe III) at an exciting final duel .

Errol's last spectacular and overwhelming epic features impressive duels , elegant costuming , impressive production design , marvelous gowns , and loads of action . It is so crammed with fights and action , there hardly seems to be a set-piece that doesn't start or end with a duel , fencing or brawl . This was the major ¨Sword and Swagger¨ film mounted by First National Pictures and Warner Brothers for its superstar of swashbucklers , Errol Flynn . Errol is still nearly at his most agile and deft style . Errol Flynn was 38 when he made this movie , but his wild lifestyle had diminished his health and made him less able to perform his own stunts, as he had in earlier films . Previously , Flynn made his best swashbucklers and played successes as ¨Captain Blood¨ , ¨Adventures of Robin Hood¨, ¨The prince and the pauper¨ , ¨Sea Hawk¨, ¨The private lives of Elizabeth and Essex¨ , ¨Gentleman Jim¨ . Flynn performed splendidly the mass battle royal at the ending and the ultimate romantic gesture for the queen , he certainly gave his enthusiasts something to remember him by . It was all downhill for Errol after this , as he followed his successive flops as ¨The warriors¨, ¨Against all flags¨, ¨The Master of Ballantree¨ and ¨Adventures captain Fabian . Support cast is pretty well , such as Alan Hale Jr as his squire , Rommy Brent playing the silly King Felipe III and Robert Douglas is too good for his baddie role . And other notorious secondaries in brief apparitions as Robert Warwick , Douglas Kennedy , Barbara Bates , Monte Blue , Raymond Burr , Helen Westcott , Fortunio Bonanova and forthright as well as sympathetic Una O'Connor , as usual .

Richly costumed , including luxurious gowns and in glamorous Technicolor by cameraman Elwood Bredell . Breathtaking and luxury set design and art design by Edward Carrere and Harry Platt , though mostly interiors . Thrilling and evocative musical score by the great maestro and prolific Max Steiner . The picture is not a masterpiece , but being made with huge confidence and fair play by Vincent Sherman . Vincent directed all kinds of genres : drama , suspense , Western , biography , such as ¨Cervantes¨, ¨Lone Star¨, ¨Affair in Trinidad¨, ¨The Young Philadelphians , ¨Ice palace¨, ¨All through the night¨ , ¨Underground¨. Being his best films : ¨Mr Skeffington¨and this ¨Adventures of Don Juan¨.

I've always been a huge fan of Flynn's movies. When he was into the role, he was as good an actor as anybody. Of his swashbucklers, the "BIG THREE" were always Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Sea Hawk. But two movies often omitted from a list of his best are The Adventures of Don Juan and The Master of Ballantrae. Don Juan is a movie in the vein of Burt Lancaster's Crimson Pirate or The Flame and The Arrow, being a tongue-in-cheek swashbuckler that scores on several points. Flynn was clearly comfortable with light comedy; it featured some great "bad guy" work by Robert Douglas; and, despite production problems caused BY Flynn's excesses, the editing in of sequences from Robin Hood and Elizabeth and Essex worked very well. The fencing scenes were thoroughly enjoyable! All in all, I would recommend this film to anybody who is a fan of the genre.

...from Warner Brothers and director Vincent Sherman. Notorious ladies' man Don Juan de Marana (Errol Flynn) has grown weary of all the duels and womanizing, and he turns himself over to the mercy of the Spanish King Phillip III (Romney Brent). Don Juan takes a job as a fencing instructor, but he gets drawn into court intrigue, and a romance with the Queen (Viveca Lindfors). Also featuring Alan Hale, Robert Douglas, Robert Warwick, Ann Rutherford, Jerry Austin, Douglas Kennedy, Jean Shepherd, Fortunio Bonanova, Una O'Connor, Aubrey Mather, and Raymond Burr.

Flynn is looking a bit older, and his health (and his drinking) was reportedly in such a state that he had to use stunt doubles, and frequently delayed filming. He isn't bad here, but this is a long way from Robin Hood, despite the presence of old pal Alan Hale. The production design is very good, and the score is rousing, but the story meanders a bit and goes on a tad too long. I still enjoyed it, though. The movie won the Oscar for Best Color Costumes (Travilla, Leah Rhodes, and Marjorie Best), and it was nominated for Best Color Art Direction.

Errol Flynn, at 38, was not exactly as dashingly handsome as he was in his earliest triumph ('The Adventures of Robin Hood') for his life style had begun taking a physical toll on his health. But he looks in good shape (for the most part, except for some tell-tale closeups) and carries off the role with his usual zest, good humor and athletic grace.

He still has a good sidekick in Alan Hale who gets some witty banter with Flynn throughout the fast-moving film. Victor Sherman directs the tongue-in-cheek adventure tale with great style. All of the court intrigue and swashbuckling derring-do is photographed in gorgeous technicolor and accented by a lush pseudo-Spanish Max Steiner score. Fine bits of villainy supplied by Robert Douglas and Raymond Burr and some high spirited romance from women like Viveca Lindfors (at the peak of her physical beauty) and Ann Rutherford.

For fans of Flynn films, this is one of his best. None of it can be taken seriously, but that's part of the fun. From the wry opening to the sly closing scene, this is a pure delight if you're seeking escapist adventure photographed in some of the best color cinematography ever seen.

Errol Flynn plays the great lover (and apparently swordsman) Don Juan in this enjoyable attempt by Warner Bros. to recapture some of Flynn's swashbuckling glory. It's actually the humor and not the action that makes this one stand out. Otherwise it would be just another Technicolor costumer. The action scenes are many but very routine. If you've seen a few of Flynn's swashbucklers before, you've seen fencing scenes as good or better than what this has to offer. The story itself is also nothing to write home about, but it is undeniably entertaining thanks to Errol's charisma. Alan Hale is great fun as his sidekick. Sadly this would be Hale's last movie with his frequent co-star. Don Juan romances a few lovely ladies in this one but it's his romance with Viveca Lindfors that the movie is built around. Robert Douglas is a particularly goofy-looking villain. Beautiful sets, costumes, and lush Technicolor are major pluses. Max Steiner's exciting score goes a long way towards reminding one of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's classic scores for Flynn's earlier successes. Not a patch on Robin Hood or Captain Blood but a fun movie nonetheless.

They truly don't make 'em like this anymore (more's the pity). Errol Flynn plays the role he spent his whole life "training" for -- Don Juan -- in this spectacular Warner Brothers adventure film. There is so much to recommend this film; it's a shame American audiences didn't respond to it the way European audiences did at its initial release. Flynn does his best work in years as Don Juan, ably supported by perennial sidekick Alan Hale and Robert Douglas as the evil Duke De Lorca. The costumes are amazing, the sets splendid, the Technicolor never looked better -- but to top it all off, the swordplay, choreographed by the legendary maestro Fred Cavens (Adventures of Robin Hood, The Mark of Zorro) is second to none. From the brief duels with jealous husbands to the scenes in the fencing academy to the final rapier and dagger brawl (capped by a spectacular leap performed by stuntman Jock Mahoney) the sword work here is awesome. (btw, historical fencing fans should note the use of Thibaults' Mysterious Circle on the wall of the fencing school, completely appropriate since this is the Spanish school of rapier play). Future Perry Mason Raymond Burr has a memorable role as one of the villains in this court intrigue adventure, and Viveca Lindfors is excellent as the Queen, but it is Flynn, with his wit, panache and blade skill, who dominates, just as it should be. For terrific entertainment in the classic Hollywood tradition, take a look at The Adventures of Don Juan! UPDATE 2/9/07 This film will soon be available on a new DVD in the second Errol Flynn collection box set, along with another good Flynn film, The Dawn Patrol.

Very good color filming, great costuming, a terrific music score are some plus factors for this swashbuckling movie. The highlight (pretty much the only one) is a magnificent sword fight- I can recommend the movie based on this highlight alone, as well all the sword work generally.

The film is competently but not spectacularly directed by Vincent Sherman. The characters in this film are fairly routine, the script is average, and except for the climactic sword fight the action mostly consists of characters running around briskly.

The fictional tale of 16th Century Spain is unremarkable, but the acting is good. Viveca Lindfors is a beautiful leading lady portraying the Queen of Spain, but is mostly required to react, breathlessly and with restrained emotion, to Don Juan's romantic verbal (verbal only) approaches. It is really not much of a role for a fine actress. Robert Douglas is as good a villain as you might find in any swashbuckler and gives a great performance as the evil Count. At this point in his career, an exceedingly obese Raymond Burr is just OK as a standard thug palace guard. Movie perennial Robert Warwick gives one of his best performances as the good Ambassador and friend of Don Juan; he makes his role more human and less cardboard than some of the other roles in this movie.

Errol Flynn is carefully filmed to appear strong and handsome, but heavy make-up and no shirtless scenes are some of the techniques used to disguise the sad fact that that Flynn was forty-ish and not physically well. He seems to realize that he is too debilitated for the part, and while his acting is good (he was a competent actor always), he is a more mature man than his once swashbuckling self. He clearly knows this fact and admirably tries to portray more "Don Juan" than "swashbuckler", and as a result he is utterly charming and watchable. Battling full blown alcoholism, serious heart problems, malaria and according to his then wife and others, a morphine issue, its remarkable that he is able to complete a film at this point in his life, although he did manage to keep his fading career limping along in increasingly poorer films for a few more years before dying at age 50.

Viewing this film I wonder why someone felt it necessary to put it together at all, but I guess swashbucklers were popular then. It seems unnecessary and basically just a retread with a fading and ill star. It is beautiful and well made technically but offers nothing at all that you could say was original.

In the end of the Seventeenth Century, Don Juan de Marana (Errol Flynn) is repatriated from London to Madrid after a serious diplomatic scandal caused by his affair with a British fiancée on the Eve of her marriage with a Spanish noble. The Spanish ambassador in London Count de Polan (Robert Warwick) sends a recommendation letter to his friend Queen Margaret (Viveca Lindfors) to give an opportunity in the court to rehabilitate Don Juan from the gossips and rumors about his love affairs, and he is hired as instructor of the art of fencing in the Spanish Academy. He secretly falls in love for Queen Margareth but becomes loyal to her and her irresponsible and weak husband, King Phillip III (Romney Brent). Don Juan discovers the plan of the Machiavellian Duke de Lorca (Robert Douglas) that intends to declare war to England and rules Spain. With the support of his friends, Don Juan defends the Queen, the King and Count de Polan against Duke de Lorca and his men.

"The Adventures of Don Juan" is a charming, witty and delightful adventure full of romance and comedy. Unfortunately the cinema industry forgot how to make awesome movies like this one without the need of sex scenes or gore and sadism. The athletic Errol Flynn is amazing, fighting with foil and seducing the women in the story and the audiences in the real world, using intelligent and witty lines. The gorgeous Viveca Lindfors performs a queen with stylish elegance and class. The traitor Robert Douglas is the perfect villain, with treachery, ambition and Machiavellism. In the end, this movie is highly recommended for the whole family as a great entertainment. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "As Aventuras de Don Juan" ("The Adventures of Don Juan")

this was apparently Warners last big Budget swashbuckler with Errol Flynn, and Don Juan must have clothed him to a T! so to say! After 1925 there was Anna Q Nilsson, Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman Signe Hasso, and Marta Thoren and Mai Zetterling! And so it was very fun to see Viveca Lindfors in such a lavish big budget movie! In glorious Technicolor!!! The movie in itself is just such an old matinée movie that some TV-channels just show in early morning hours. It's just a fun filled 100 minutes, not to be taken serious! It was directed by Vincent Sherman! much later known for Young Philadephians with Paul Newman in 1959! When did they let Erroll slip their contract?????

THE ADVENTURES OF DON JUAN was intended as something of a 'comeback' film for Warner Bros. resident 'bad boy', combining the heroic elements of 'ROBIN HOOD' and 'THE SEA HAWK' with Errol Flynn's well-established (by 1948) reputation as a hell-raising womanizer. Unfortunately, the color production, Flynn's first swashbuckler in nearly a decade, was not a box office hit, but the comic adventure is today embraced by his many fans as one of his best roles!

It was not an easy film to make, as Flynn's carousing and disappearances (officially called 'sicknesses') stretched the filming, and forced frequent reshooting. Director Vincent Sherman, cinematographer Elwood Bredell, and editor Alan Crosland often had to 'cut-and-paste' snippets of many takes to achieve a decent performance from the star, and careful lighting had to be used to play down the increasingly obvious effects of the star's hedonistic lifestyle. (The closing scene, featuring then wife Nora Eddington, was shot nearly a year before the remainder of the film, and the change in the Flynn's physical appearance is clearly evident.) At 38, the star, who always hated being called a 'pretty boy' (to the extent that his home had few mirrors) was aging rapidly.

All this being said, Flynn tried to give the film the best he could. It had been a landmark film for his friend/mentor John Barrymore, in the first Warners' film with sound, employed for music and special effects only, in 1926 (THE JAZZ SINGER would introduce 'talkies' a year later). It reunited him with friend and frequent costar Alan Hale, who, at 56, was still a popular character actor, and whose son, Alan Jr., was starting to make his mark around town (he would eventually be best known as the Skipper in 'Gilligan's Island'). The script for DON JUAN, in development since 1939, passed through many hands, including uncredited help by William Faulkner and Robert Florey, with the end result being marvelously tongue-in-cheek. The score, by the legendary Max Steiner, became an instant classic, and would be reused, years later, in George Hamilton's ZORRO, THE GAY BLADE. This was a film which, despite Errol Flynn's self-destructive lifestyle, had enough talent involved to still stand up as one of the better films of the 1940s.

The plot involves roué Don Juan, tossed out of England after breaking up a 'diplomatic' wedding (a VERY funny scene), returning home to Spain to find evil Duke de Lorca (the sublimely nasty Robert Douglas) controlling weak King Phillip, and taxing the population to near starvation, with only the beautiful Queen Margaret standing in his way. Flynn quickly dispatches a de Lorca press gang, earning the Count's hatred, and the Queen's attention...and Don Juan finds himself truly falling in love, for the first time, with the youthful monarch (played by the radiant Viveca Lindfors). Assigned as a fencing master at the Academy, the legendary lover draws the ire of the Queen by stating his feelings for her, then is manipulated into another disastrous diplomatic blunder, involving, of course, another woman. On the run, he discovers de Lorca's ultimate scheme (manipulating the Crown into war), and with the help of the students of the Academy, he must save the King and Queen.

Featuring a great early appearance by Raymond Burr (as a de Lorca henchman), and a stirring final duel between Flynn and Douglas (expanded from the 1926 version, and featuring an astonishing climactic stairway jump, performed by stuntman and future 'Tarzan' Jock Mahoney), THE ADVENTURES OF DON JUAN is a gloriously adventuresome romp. Sadly, it didn't save Flynn's flagging career, but it certainly has earned a place among his classic films!

I know what you're thinking: Adventures of Don Juan is going to be ridiculous. It's a tongue-in-cheek depiction of the old classic with an Errol Flynn who's past his prime and making a caricature of his screen persona. Give it a chance, because it's actually pretty cute.

Yes, Errol Flynn is making fun of himself a bit in this one, playing the adventurous womanizer, but he's still adorable. He looks a little older than he did in Captain Blood, but after thirteen years, wouldn't you expect him to look a little older? His faithful sidekick from a dozen movies, Alan Hale, plays his faithful sidekick again as he gets in and out of scrapes with married women. The humor in this semi-spoof is quite funny, since it's clear no one is taking it seriously. It doesn't have a cheesy B-movie quality to it, which makes it more enjoyable to watch than just picking something terrible like Ivanhoe to laugh at. Plus, you'll get some cute music from Max Steiner to get you in the mood for several classic swordfight sequences!

A bit of an overzealous rewrite of history here, as the aging Errol Flynn plays the Spanish Don Juan, as only Errol Flynn can, and that is as Errol Flynn. No Spanish accent at all. But, ah! He does romance the women! And can handle a sword! Was the original Don Juan a swordsman? Oh right, he's a FICTIONAL character. Then why is he helping Queen Victoria of Spain against an uprising? Fairly goofy in terms of historical accuracy, if you replace "Don Juan" with "Zorro" you'll get a better understanding of where this one is headed. Still, it's pretty to look at, with magnificent sets. Maybe that's what the directors hoped for, to be distracted by it's magnificent color and forget about the story.

The Baron shines as Don Juan. He does with a period role what Elvis did with a song he makes it his own.There may have been better swordsmen technically but no one had Flynns charisma or showmanship when it came to sword fighting. Today's actors when you dress them in seventeenth century attire look like twenty-first century blow dried wimps dressed in costume. Flynn looks like he belongs in whatever time the film is set. It is impossible to visualize any other actor as Juan. And make no mistake Flynn was an actor.Just because he made it look easy does not mean it wasn't acting.If you want to see how an epic should be made watch this motion picture. There is no CGI here these are real sets and real actors. In this day of remakes I rue the day they get around to Flynn's films no one can fill his boots.

It's early 17th century Europe. In the outskirts of London, Spanish womanizer Don Juan de Marana (Errol Flynn) climbs up to a balcony for a noble beauty but her husband surprises them. It causes a scandal with Elizabeth I of England and he manages to escape back to Spain. Queen Margaret still pines for Don Juan and is trapped in a loveless marriage to King Philip III. There is intrigue in the royal court. Don Juan confronts King's minister, Duke de Lorca, who manipulates the weak King to build a second armada for war.

Errol Flynn is the definition of a swashbuckling womanizing cad. He's perfect for the role. The movie rises up whenever the music swells and he swings that sword. It's big and it's fun. The story itself is not the greatest of writing. It's drags a bit in the middle and goes on too long. All in all, it's a big adventure vehicle perfect for Errol Flynn.

If you love swashbucklers, period movies, buddy movies, or Errol Flynn, you must love this movie. For swashbuckling, you have a series of wonderful fight scenes, each one convincing, each one a delight. For period movies, the costumes are excellent and the history just accurate enough to be useful, but not so accurate as to be dull. Flynn and Hale are perfectly matched foils here, with Hale getting some of the wittiest lines in the movie. And this is Flynn's perfect part, still ladykiller enough to carry off the love scenes, still fit enough to persuade as the great duellist. Watch it.

The creators of "Adventures of Don Juan" were smart to take a jaunty, silly tone with this sexy costume drama and avoid the wooden, stuffy pitfalls that make so many other historical pics from this time period such a slog to sit through now. They were also smart to recognize what they had in leading man Errol Flynn, and to play up his considerable sex appeal. There's no new ground being broken here, but what is on screen is fun and entertaining enough.

"Adventures of Don Juan" won the Academy Award for Best Color Costume Design in only the second year of that category's existence, and it was also nominated for Best Color Art Direction.

Grade: B.

There are so many great elements here: Errol Flynn still a stud. Plenty of swordfights. Beautiful costumes shot in Technicolor. All-time great sidekick Alan Hale.

So why doesn't it work?

Flynn is either playing Fairbanks or himself. Flynn and Hale both seem to be in on the joke. Problem is, everybody else thinks they're in a costume epic.

Robert Douglas as Count de Badguy lacks the charm of Claude Rains in Flynn's Robin Hood or the humor of Alan Ryckman in the Costner version. Viveca Lindfors as the Queen has about as much feminine appeal here as the engine block on a Volvo. Gotta be the all-time stiff among Flynn's leading ladies. Romney Brent as the King is a b00b who evokes neither sympathy nor scorn. And Jerry Austin as the court m1dget got on my nerves.

Worst of all, the score by Max Steiner seems to consist of the same six notes - dum, dum, da-DUM-dump - that I swear he lifted from Korngold's score for The Adventures of Robin Hood. Stolen and repetitive. Bad combo.

So it all just wore on my nerves after a while.

The action is still up there on screen. Flynn sitll has a twinkle in his eye. The jokes are sly and clever. And the color is sumptuous. Therefore I humbly submit that if I wasn't forced to listen to Lindfors' hackney accent, Brent's bumbling, Douglas's intensity or that grating music, this would be a more highly regarded film.

A runaway success in Europe, Flynn's Don Juan did not do so well

in the U.S. Nevertheless it is one of his best pictures and

deserves to be better known. Vincent Sherman, the director, does

not quite give it the slam-bang Curtiz touch, but instead imparts an

old fashioned worldly-wise flavor that is right here. The plot is

absolutely unrelated to Warner Bros' 1926 "Don Juan" with John

Barrymore, an actor who has sometimes been compared with

Flynn and who was even impersonated by him once in "Too Much,

Too Soon". Anyway, Flynn and Alan Hale Sr. were born to play Don

Juan and Leporello, and the movie was barely made in time, a few

years before Hale died, and before Flynn deteriorated too much.

Slated for production as early as 1945, endless delays caused by

logistical problems (not least of which was Flynn's increasing

alcoholism), it finally emerged at the end of 1948. Sherman

deserves a great deal of credit for making it happen at all. It is

given a lavish treatment all round, and the set designers did

exemplary work, particularly a superb massive staircase just

made for epic fencing duels. Romney Brent is spot on as the

befuddled king, and Robert Douglas is almost too velvety a villain;

what other color than black could he dress in? Viveca Lindfors,

who would later win a considerable reputation as an actress in

more serious Scandinavian movies, was at this stage merely an

ingenue for Warner Bros.; but she is for my money the greatest

leading lady Flynn ever had, stunningly beautiful and absolutely

credible in the part of an Austrian princess married to a pointless

king. Erich Korngold would likely have done the music had he not

given up on films and left Warners by the time this picture was

made; and his friend and compatriot Max Steiner has written a

score which is clearly a tribute to the Korngold style, and worthy of

both of them. Errol Flynn had a real knack for light comedy which

the studio seldom let him indulge fully; but swashbucklers and

screwball comedies are cousins under the skin, and here Flynn

found his real metier. Some of the best bits come early. One of his

inamorata complains "You've made love to so many women".

Without a beat of hesitation Juan replies, "Catherine. An artist may

paint a thousand canvases before achieving one work of art.

Would you deny a lover the same practice?" How many of you

male types out there could have come up with that line that fast?

Later on an irate husband says, "You're caught!" to which Juan

replies, "The Story of my life". Flynn was a limited actor, but within

those limits he was superb. Nobody had more grace, more

charm, more disillusioned humor. No man could enter or exit a

throne room with greater aplomb. Feminine friends of mine still

get a bit woozy over him, 38 years old as he was at the time. It's an

ideal marriage of an actor to a part.