The Black Swan

If not for the action, for the actors and the actress, for the story or for the direction, see this movie because it´s only one of the best action movies ever made in the USA. Just that! Many of the recent full-action movies, made with more money and resources, are not even 1% of this one.

This is a beautifully shot piece of technicolor eye-candy. The naval battle scenes are sometimes impressive while some look like ships floating in a bathtub. I make a great effort to watch films and judge them by the standards of their era. But the romance side of this film takes "pin her down, mash-kiss her and force yourself on her because she really is just pretending to hate you" to the greatest extreme I have ever seen. I know Bond does it too but to a much lesser extent. I don't think we judge films by me-too standards but this would have been sadistic stalking in the 40s.

This may be an "escapist" movie but it's one of my very favorites: rich technicolor, clever romantic repartee in the script . . . plus Tyrone Power in a red & black outfit "to die for." When old Ty wasn't trying to appear rough and tough with a few hairs and some stray wine drops on his chest, that is (I think they used to shave chests then, along with pit hair). FUN! This movie proves you don't even have to have a sex scene to get your imagination working and then some. Throw in some fencing (Tyrone did his own), plenty of tall ships, excellent secondary role actors, including George Sanders and Anthony Quinn. Wow, all I can say is this movie was so good, I bought it so I can see it over and over again.

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.

After peace between England and Spain, reformed pirate Henry Morgan (Laird Cregar) is made Governor of Jamaica for England. Captain Jamie Waring (Tyrone Power) is ready to ravage former governor's daughter Lady Margaret (Maureen O'Hara) when he's interrupted by Morgan. He and his right hand man Tom Blue (Thomas Mitchell) are happy to join Morgan but others do not. Matinee idol Tyrone Power gets away with a lot back in the old day which wouldn't fly nowadays. This was good scoundrel fun back then. It's strictly off-putting now. On the other hand, Maureen O'Hara is great in any era. She is beautiful and charming and gutsy. This is an old fashion swashbuckling good times. If I had to guest, the movie's success has a lot to do with the escapist adventure fun after a year of real life war.

This movie is so wonderful. I remember seeing it for the first time when I was around six years of age, and Tyrone Power became my first crush. After seeing the Black Swan I became ridiculously obsessed with pirates. (My mother wondered if there was something wrong with me, considering all the other girls on my block were playing with Barbies and I was watching movies about pirates.) I think the cinematography is just perfectly lovely in this film, and Tyrone Power truly is a great actor. People speak truthfully when they say he did not get the credit he deserved, (much like Johnny Depp) but I deeply respect the late actor, and he captured my heart. If you love films of mutineers, swashbuckling adventure, and roguish characters, then this film is for you. It will sweep you away to an old world where gallantry was sought after and pirates were the scum of the earth.....