Tuesday, April 05, 2005

The Spanish Main



Punaisin purjein / Under blodröda segel. US © 1945 RKO. D: Frank Borzage. SC: George Worthing Yates, Herman J. Mankiewicz, from a story by Aeneas MacKenzie. DP: George Barnes – Technicolor. PD: Albert S. D'Agostino, Carroll Clark. FX: Vernon Walker. Costumes by Edward Stevenson. M: Hanns Eisler.
    Starring Maureen O'Hara (Francisca), Paul Henreid (Barracuda), Walter Slezak (Don Alvarado), Binnie Barnes (Anne Bonny), John Emery (Mario Da Bilar), Barton MacLane (Captain Benjamin Black), Mike Mazurki (Swaine). 104 min.
    This print 100 min, a clean, serviceable colour dupe.
    Viewed at Orion, Helsinki, 5 April 2005.

Paul Henreid's smug mug is the main problem of the swashbuckler. Maureen O'Hara is good, but her pancake makeup eliminates any vibration. Binnie Barnes is the best attraction as the female pirate Anne Bonny, the character later portrayed by Jean Peters (Anne of the Indies) and Geena Davis (Cutthroat Island). Many colourful, overblown villains: Walter Slezak as the most evil of them all. Borzage is at his best in the romantic triangle of Francisca / Barracuda / Anne Bonny. On her wedding night Francisca is expecting the pirate to attack... but to her disappointment she is left in peace!

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