Revisit THE SPANISH MAIN

THE SPANISH MAIN (Blu-ray)

1945 / 100 min

From Warner Archive Collection

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

If I were to go back in time to and meet Maureen O’Hara on the set of The Spanish Main, I’d probably be as clumsy and tongue-tied as Goofy. “Gawrsh, Miss O’Hara…yer sure purdy,” I’d awkwardly stammer while tripping backwards over director Frank Borzage’s shoes. 

I’ve always admired O’Hara and she’s intimidatingly gorgeous in this one, to the point where I’m sorta surprised co-star Paul Henried didn’t end each of his lines with “Gawrsh!” But I guess that’s what makes him such a good actor…better than Errol Flynn ever was anyway. I mention Flynn because The Spanish Main is the type of action-adventure film where casting him would’ve been a no-brainer…

…which makes Henried the real surprise here. He’s cast more-or-less against type in The Spanish Main as Laurent van Horn, a Dutch immigrant whose dreams of starting a new life in America are thwarted when his ship gets stranded in Cartagena and he’s imprisoned by tyrannical governor Don Juan Alvarado (Walter Sleazak). After escaping, he becomes a notorious pirate known as the Barracuda.

"The brochure said there was a buffet."

He’s also hell-bent on ruining Alvarado’s life, which includes kidnapping and marrying Contessa Francisca (O’Hara), a woman betrothed to Alvarado by her father. She only agrees to marry Laurent to spare the lives onboard her escort ship, and the two initially seem to have an acrimonious relationship…though there’s never any doubt that they’ll actually fall in love. Meanwhile, some of Laurent’s fellow pirates feel like he’s violated the “brotherhood,” leading trusted shipmate Mario Di Bilar (John Emery) to betray him, eventually conspiring with Alvarado.

This movie’s a hell of a lot of fun, with an engaging (if familiar) story, plenty of humor and some great action sequences. But what really makes it memorable are the characters and performances. As Laurent, Henried seems to be having a good time playing a devil-may-care buccaneer, a far cry from the roles he’s typically associated with. Not only is O’Hara especially radiant here, her character is more than window dressing. Francisca is smart, headstrong and ultimately quite resourceful. The film also features a terrific villain in Alvarado, who’s quickly revealed as a hateful, narcissistic pig.

Though it might not be as widely remembered as some of the other swashbuckling epics of the era, The Spanish Main is a first-rate action-adventure film, lavishly produced and massively entertaining. It isn't the most original movie ever made, but with O'Hara and Henried lighting up the screen like this, who cares?

EXTRA KIBBLES

SHORT - Movieland Magic is sort of a promotional studio tour, with movie clips and songs.

2 CARTOONS - Buccaneer Bunny and Captain Hareblower feature Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam in a pirate setting. Two of the better Looney Tunes shorts to be included in a Warner Archive release.

TRAILER