The film introduces itself as a story of the Spanish Main, "where villainy wore a sash and the only political creed in the world was love, gold, and adventure." After years of war with Spain, Captain Henry Morgan (Laird Cregar) has been appointed governor of Jamaica - much to the distaste of Lord Denby (George Zucco), who is not only the man Morgan is replacing, but who betrayed Morgan and was responsible for his capture. Anyway, Morgan is authorized to grant immunity to any of his former pirate brethren who renounce piracy and either take up service with the king or find some other kind of lawful employment. However, his offer has few takers, particularly Captain Billy Leech (George Sanders), who condemns Morgan as a king's spy. Even Morgan's second-in-command, Captain Jamie Waring (Tyrone Power) - "Jamie-Boy" to his friends - has to be reluctantly persuaded to back Morgan's play.
Well well well...Talk Like a Pirate Day is upon us once again. And this year's review comes with a little bit of introspection, and the return of Tyrone Power to the INCspotlight. Douglas Fairbanks Sr. created the cinematic swashbuckler hero, but Errol Flynn perfected it, even as he resented being typecast in such a role. So many filmmakers have tried and failed to recapture the magic of Flynn's on-screen costumed adventures, and only a scant few succeeded. The Cincinnati-born Tyrone Power (1914 - 1958), no stranger to the INCspotlight, was perhaps Flynn's only serious contemporary rival in this regard during his tenure at Twentieth Century Fox - and he too chafed at being typecast as a costumed action hero, preferring more prestigious, weighty roles. Perhaps this stems from his family, which had an extensive background in the theater. Both of Power's parents were renowned theater actors, and he was determined to become an actor. (While most sources say his father was the one who encouraged pursuing this, his mother, a Shakesperean actress turned drama teacher, gave him some actual acting and vocal coaching, so I think it's fair to say both parents were eager supporters of his acting ambitions.) Power's parents had separated when he was young, and when he was 17, he spent a summer with his father, watching him in action and learning whatever he could from him, both on stage and in the 1931 film The Miracle Man. Sadly, the elder Power suffered a fatal heart attack while filming a scene for The Miracle Man and died in his son's arms. (In a bit of tragic irony, Power himself would suffer the same fate while making Solomon and Sheba.) Not only was his father's death emotionally harrowing for Power, but it also left him without a mentor to help guide his acting ambitions, and for a while, his career seemed to be going nowhere. Eventually, he made his way to New York, where he met with some success on the stage thanks to the efforts of Katharine Cornell, and Twentieth Century Fox took notice. Power rejected their initial offer to come to Hollywood, taking Cornell's advice to wait until he'd gotten more acting experience. Fortunately for Power, Fox was insistent, and he signed with the studio in 1936. After a rocky start, his role in Llloyd's of London (1936) propelled him to stardom, and he would be one of Fox's most bankable leading men in a variety of genres for years to come, although some critics dismissed him as a lightweight actor whose success was due to his looks and not his acting chops. (Unfairly, in my opinion.) In 1940, he starred in one of his most famous films, The Mark of Zorro, which led to more costumed swashbuckler roles - including The Black Swan, very loosely adapted from the Rafael Sabatini novel. The Mark of Zorro (1940) WARNING: Here be spoilers! Read further at your own risk! The film introduces itself as a story of the Spanish Main, "where villainy wore a sash and the only political creed in the world was love, gold, and adventure." After years of war with Spain, Captain Henry Morgan (Laird Cregar) has been appointed governor of Jamaica - much to the distaste of Lord Denby (George Zucco), who is not only the man Morgan is replacing, but who betrayed Morgan and was responsible for his capture. Anyway, Morgan is authorized to grant immunity to any of his former pirate brethren who renounce piracy and either take up service with the king or find some other kind of lawful employment. However, his offer has few takers, particularly Captain Billy Leech (George Sanders), who condemns Morgan as a king's spy. Even Morgan's second-in-command, Captain Jamie Waring (Tyrone Power) - "Jamie-Boy" to his friends - has to be reluctantly persuaded to back Morgan's play. As Morgan is sworn in, he is immediately opposed not only by Lord Denby, but Lord Ingram (Edward Ashley), who is engaged to Denby's daughter Margaret (Maureen O'Hara) - much to the displeasure of Waring, who has his eye on Margaret himself. (And other things - more on that in a bit.) Ingram, however, makes a bargain with Leech, feeding him tips on when likely targets will be arriving, in return for a share of the plunder. When Morgan orders Waring to hunt down Leech, Ingram even tips off Leech - and then has the chutzpah to accuse Morgan of doing the same. As the pressure builds on Morgan to put an end to Leech once and for all, Waring enacts a daring gambit to try and thwart his old comrade - dragging Lady Margaret along for the ride. The Black Swan is a rousing, colorful adventure story that may have had more influence on my novel The Brotherhood of the Black Flag than any other film. Not only was it one of many movies I used for inspiration while working on it, but I'm pretty sure it at least partially sparked the idea for the "pirate turns pirate hunter" plot. (If you've read my book, you may have noticed how many characters were named after members of The Black Swan's cast and crew.) However, it's never made for comfortable viewing, on account of the unlikable character of Jamie Waring. While most swashbuckling heroes are roguish wags, Waring is an all-out thug Not only is he a willing participant in standard pirate/privateer atrocities, but he's kind of a jerk to everyone, from the servants in the governor's mansion to even his best friend, Tommy Blue (Thomas Mitchell). Worst of all are his numerous attempts to flat-out sexually assault Lady Margaret. (No, I'm not exaggerating.) When he first meets her, he forcefully tries to kiss her (and it's pretty obvious he doesn't intend to stop there), and strikes back when she slaps him. There's one particularly cringe-worthy scene where she's fallen off a horse and hurt her leg, and he continues caressing her leg despite her earnest pleas for help. Her distressed reaction to Waring's ministrations in this scene makes it particularly disturbing, and you'll most likely be rooting for her when she tries and fend him off. It's probably a more accurate depiction of a pirate than we've seen in most other movies, but it doesn't make for a likable main character. When developing ideas for The Brotherhood of the Black Flag, Jamie Waring was a prime example of what I did not want my protagonist to be like. For a long time, I've been trying to figure out why I still liked this movie, even though it had such an unlikable protagonist (beyond the obvious that one can like something in spite of its problematic content). It got even harder after I watched and reviewed The Flame and the Arrow (1950). I shredded that film for its depiction of its protagonist, Dardo Bartoli (Burt Lancaster) - beloved by the masses, even though he never really does anything to deserve that adoration. That and his chaining Virginia Mayo to a tree with what's essentially a dog collar. So why did I hate The Flame and the Arrow so much and not The Black Swan? Yeah, The Black Swan is a much better film objectively, but Waring is far worse than Dardo, given his treatment of Margaret Denby. Was there a double-standard or personal bias on my part, or a fundamental difference between the two films? After rewatching The Black Swan a number of times, I think I've found two reasons why it didn't set me off the way The Flame and the Arrow did. The first is the character of Henry Morgan, who seems legitimately intent on fulfilling his duties and responsibilities as governor of Jamaica. That earnestness, and his apparent remorse over his past actions, make him a likable, compelling figure that I can empathize with. The unfair treatment he gets from his political rivals who resent him for his past crimes makes him all the more sympathetic. And, of course, Laird Cregar's delightful performance as Morgan doesn't hurt - it's one of the best in the film. So while I couldn't care less about Jamie Waring and whether he reformed or not, I did want him to succeed in defeating Leech for Morgan's sake. In fact, I wish they'd done away with Waring and made Morgan the main character of the movie. The second reason came more into focus after seeing The Flame and the Arrow, which portrayed Dardo Bartoli as just a lovable scamp we're supposed to un-ironically cheer for because the script says so, even though he goes out of his way to show why we shouldn't. Jamie Waring, on the other hand, is a brute and a thug, and nobody tries to pretend he isn't - not even Waring himself. It makes it hard to like the character, but it doesn't feel like the film itself is cheering on his behavior the way The Flame and the Arrow did Dardo's. In fact, it's only when Waring stops trying to force himself on Margaret and she realizes his true intentions regarding Leech that she shows any interest in him. Waring is "rewarded" with Margaret's affections not by forcing her, but by not doing so. It still doesn't redeem his character's actions or make him any more likable, but it makes The Black Swan an easier watch. So other than the issues with Jamie Waring, what about the film itself? I've seen Tyrone Power take heat from a number of critics complaining about how he could be a little stiff and uncomfortable in romantic action hero roles. and to be honest, that can definitely be said of his attempted tender moments with Maureen O'Hara. Then again, that could just be Waring's own discomfort trying to make small talk with her. When he's playing as a ruthless pirate without manners or scruples, he has more of an opportunity to shine as an actor, even if the character he's playing isn't one I can connect with. There's nothing stiff, however, about Maureen O'Hara, who frequently played a defiant, hot-blooded firebrand in costumed adventure movies, and her role in The Black Swan follows suit. George Sanders, usually so suave and refined, plays against type as the brutish Captain Leech, and he seems to be enjoying himself. In contrast, Edward Ashley as the treacherous Lord Ingram is a repulsive little snake, and it's unfortunate he doesn't get some sort of comeuppance for his deeds. The standout performance, again, is Laird Cregar as Henry Morgan, who brings a lot of charm and dignity to his role so that you can't not like him. Cregar apparently had a lot of fun in this role, and enjoyed playing Morgan immensely - and it shows in his performance. As a bonus, we have future Academy Award winner Anthony Quinn as Wogan, Leech's second-in-command, in one of the many villain roles he was stuck in for most of the 1940s. Due to wartime restrictions, The Black Swan is only 85 minutes long, although a good amount happens in that running time. The dialogue is, for the most part, sharp-witted and clever, especially the verbal sparring - a Sabatini specialty. (Ironically, in that regard, the film feels more like a Sabatini novel than the book it's based on.) Seton I. Miller, one of the screenwriters, was working in familiar territory on this one, having also helped pen the scripts for The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and The Sea Hawk (1940). It's also rather cynical, both in terms of its non-romanticized depiction of pirates and how the English government is depicted - making use of privateers to do their dirty work, and then hunting them down when they no longer serve their purpose. (I'm also surprised by some of the sexual overtones The Black Swan was able to get away with, given when it was made.) The filmmakers tried to use as few takes as possible in order to conserve materials, which may account for some of the more awkward line readings, but the performances and the strong screenplay help overcome this. Visually, The Black Swan makes for an enticing spectacle, thanks to vivid cinematography, tight editing, and elaborate colorful costumes. There's not a ton of action in this film, limited to the beginning and end, but what action set pieces we get, from a brutal raid on a Spanish town to an explosive sea battle, are well-crafted. The sword fight choreography, courtesy of Fred Cavens, is excellent - Power was an excellent swordsman, and Basil Rathbone, who crossed swords with Power in The Mark of Zorro (1940) had high praise for his skills. There are a couple of minor technical goofs - some awkward ADR during the final duel between Power and Leech, and when a ship crashes into an island, the miniature model of the island noticeably shakes. Last but not least, Alfred Newman's rousing musical score adds a great deal of dash and zest to the film, particularly during the action sequences. The Black Swan was a huge commercial success and an Academy Award nominee, taking home the Oscar for Best Cinematography and earning nominations for Best Special Effects and Best Musical Score. It was also Tyrone Power's last film before he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. The studio tried to pull some strings to get him commissioned as an officer, but he refused this and joined as a private - however, after he completed basic training, he was made a a candidate for Officer's School anyway. Already an experienced pilot, his wartime duties had him flying supplies into the Pacific Theater, as well as getting wounded troops to safety, often under heavy fire. When Power returned to Hollywood, he fought hard for riskier roles, including the dark noir thriller Nightmare Alley (1947) and Witness for the Prosecution (1959). However, he still ended up in a few more swashbucklers, including the painfully tedious Captain From Castille (1947), the far-better Prince of Foxes (1950), and The Black Rose (1952), which I haven't seen. As a pirate flick, The Black Swan is top-notch, and definitely a fun way to spend part of your Talk Like a Pirate Day. However, viewer discretion is definitely advised on this one, due to some potentially triggering content.
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