Brenda Marshall – Whimsically Classic

Errol Flynn is synonymous with the Classic Hollywood swashbuckler. While many other stars (Tyrone Power, John Barrymore, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Burt Lancaster, Basil Rathbone, to name a few) made swashbucklers, it was Flynn who is the most recognized of the genre. It could be argued as well that Fairbanks Sr., was also a well known swashbuckler, though his career was in silent film. In 1935, Flynn picked up where Fairbanks Sr., left off when he was cast in the titular role in the star-making Captain Blood.

Flora Robson as Elizabeth I and Errol Flynn as Captain Geoffrey Thorpe in “The Sea Hawk”

By 1940, Flynn was a major star, having appeared in his most iconic role, Robin Hood, in The Adventures of Robin Hood. Flynn would begin the new decade with another iconic role, that of Captain Geoffrey Thorpe in The Sea Hawk. In this film, Flynn plays the British captain of “The Sea Hawks,” a group of British pirates or “privateers.” Thorpe and his men operate on behalf of Elizabeth I (Flora Robson), Queen of England. Elizabeth I is concerned that the Spanish are preparing to invade England with the armada they are building. And Elizabeth isn’t wrong. Spain’s King, Phillip II, has designs on conquering England. He sends Don Alvarez (Claude Rains) as his representative to speak with Elizabeth I and soothe her worries–even though obviously he does want to conquer England.

Don Alvarez and his niece, Dona Maria (Brenda Marshall) board one of the Spanish ships and are soon captured by Thorpe and his fellow Sea Hawks. The Sea Hawks rob Don Alvarez and Dona Maria of their riches. But of course, since this is an Errol Flynn movie, he quickly falls for Dona Maria and returns her jewels. However, this capture of Don Alvarez and Dona Maria does not sit well with Elizabeth I and she scolds Thorpe for potentially endangering the peace between England and Spain. Thorpe then suggests that they capture a Spanish treasure fleet that is returning from the Americas. Elizabeth I is wary, but allows them to continue. However, one of Elizabeth I’s ministers, Lord Wolfingham (Henry Daniell) doesn’t believe Thorpe and starts to investigate where the Sea Hawks are truly headed.

The makeup department went to town making Errol Flynn look like hell for the slave scenes.

This is a really great movie. I would argue that Brenda Marshall is a little weak as Flynn’s leading lady in this film. While she’s fine and is pretty, Marshall always comes across as a little bland to me. I much prefer Flynn with a leading lady with a stronger personality, like Olivia de Havilland, Alexis Smith, or Ann Sheridan. I always love Claude Rains. He’s amazing in any film he appears in. Flora Robson’s Elizabeth I, for me is a standout. As much as I love my queen, Bette Davis, I prefer Robson’s portrayal of The Virgin Queen. Davis’ interpretation of Elizabeth I in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (also co-starring Flynn) is excellent, but she’s so fidgety and not subtle in her portrayal.

Flynn and the best actor in the entire film.

My favorite part of the film is the part when Flynn and the Sea Hawks are captured and forced to work as slaves on the galley. This entire scene is preceded by a sepia tone segment that was reused footage from a 1924 version of The Sea Hawk. I *would* say that I love this scene because I love the suspense and the men planning their escape… but I’d be lying. I really love this scene because, even though he looks a little rough around the edges, Flynn plays the whole scene in just a pair of raggy shorts 😉

The real star of the film however, is Thorpe’s monkey, played by Flynn’s real life pet monkey. In my opinion, every film is improved by an actor monkey–especially a monkey wearing a costume.

Of course I’d pick the blogathon button with my boyfriend, Errol Flynn (This photo is from “The Sea Hawk”)

Ah Errol Flynn. My boyfriend, Errol Flynn. While proved himself an adept actor in dramas, comedies, sports films, adventure… He’s best known today for his swashbucklers. Many of Flynn’s swashbuckler films involved him wielding a sword, such as in Captain Blood, The Sea Hawk, The Adventures of Don Juan, Against All Flags, and his best-known film, The Adventures of Robin Hood. In Flynn’s films, he always played the rogue hero. A man who displayed massive amounts of bravado and heroism, but could also make women weak in the knees with one flash of his megawatt smile. Flynn could swagger into the room and cut the villain down to size with one cutting remark. He always played a charismatic leader, one whom others looked up to and wanted to support. In this article, I’m going to focus on Flynn’s pirate films, it is Pirate Week, after all.

Two great stars are born in “Captain Blood,” Errol Flynn & Olivia de Havilland

Captain Blood (1935). This film was Errol Flynn’s big break. While he’d appeared in two films prior to Captain Blood, in one film, he played a corpse (The Case of the Curious Bride) and in another (Don’t Bet on Blondes), he had the small role as a boyfriend–nothing that was going to catapult him into stardom. For ‘Blood,’ Warner Brothers had wanted to cast Robert Donat, but he turned the film down, fearing that it’d be too strenuous for his asthma. Finally, the studio settled on the unknown Australian, Errol Flynn, and cast him alongside the equally unknown, 19-year old Olivia de Havilland. This would prove to be a monumental film for both actors.

While I’m not in love with his hair, I would pay 10 pounds to have Errol Flynn be my slave.

In this film, Flynn plays the titular, Captain Peter Blood, a 17th century British doctor who is arrested and accused of treason against King James II after treating Lord Gilroy. The judge sentences him to death, but the King sees an opportunity for profit, and opts to transfer Peter and other rebellious men to the West Indies to be sold into slavery. After landing in Port Royal, the men are put up on the block to be sold to the wealthy landowners. When it’s Peter’s turn, he is purchased for 10 pounds by Arabella Bishop (Olivia de Havilland), the wealthy niece of the local military commander, Colonel Bishop. Arabella is charmed by Peter’s rebellious nature and let’s face it, he was the most attractive of all the slaves. Peter resents having been purchased like he was a piece of meat. To improve his situation, Arabella recommends Peter for the job of her uncle’s personal physician. It seems that Colonel Bishop suffers from the gout. The conflict of the film occurs when Peter puts together a plan for himself and his fellow slave men to escape. They do and thus begin their life of piracy.

Errol Flynn in a costume test for “The Sea Hawk.” He looks a little mangy, but I wouldn’t turn him down

The Sea Hawk (1941) In this pirate film, Flynn plays Captain Geoffrey Thorpe, a British subject of Queen Elizabeth I (Flora Robson). He and his crew capture a Spanish ship, helmed by the Spanish Ambassador, Don Alvarez (Claude Rains), who along with his daughter, Dona Maria (Brenda Marshall), were sent to Britain by King Phillip II of Spain, to quell Elizabeth I’s suspicions that he’s trying to put together an Armada Fleet. However, after Thorpe captures their ship, he takes Don and Dona to Britain with him. And because he’s ladykiller Errol Flynn, Thorpe wins the affections of Dona Maria by returning her jewelry that he and his crew had stolen. While Queen Elizabeth I doesn’t approve of Thorpe’s crew’s activities as it endangers Britain and Spain’s peace treaty, she hesitantly allows Thorpe to go forward with his plan to seize a Spanish Treasure Fleet.

See? Errol Flynn and his monkey. This really was Flynn’s pets. He loved all animals and had quite the menagerie at his home

At one point in the film Flynn and his crew are captured by the Spanish and made to work as slaves in the Galley. They are chained to each other and to the boat and forced to provide the ship’s power. Let me just get this out of the way: I am here for scantily-clad slave Errol Flynn. Of course, the men need to figure out a way to escape. Later, Flynn charms Queen Elizabeth I with his monkey (no, that’s not a euphemism. He really does have a monkey) and continues to woo Dona Maria. This is a really great film, probably Flynn’s best pirate film, in my opinion. I wish they’d cast a leading lady with a little more personality, as Brenda Marshall is a little bland, but over all, she is fine. Flora Robson is also much more effective as Queen Elizabeth I, than my personal Queen, Bette Davis. Yes, I said it.

Against All Flags (1952). This film features an older Errol Flynn. No he’s not has lithe as he was previously. He’s a little more haggard. He isn’t quite the same vivacious Errol Flynn of the past as his demons were quickly catching up with him; but because it’s Errol Flynn, he is still attractive and still has panache. In this film, Flynn plays Lieutenant Brian Hawke, who works aboard the British ship, The Monsoon. He volunteers for a dangerous mission to infiltrate the pirate’s base on the coast of Madagascar. He plans to pose as a deserter. When Hawke arrives at the pirates’ base, he immediately arouses suspicion in Captain Roc Brasillano (Anthony Quinn). Brasillano says that he will bring Hawke in front of a pirates’ council to decide his fate. If they don’t like him, he’ll be executed.

Maureen O’Hara and Errol Flynn in “Against All Flags”

At the same time, because it’s Errol Flynn, he’s attracted the attention of Spitfire Stevens (Maureen O’Hara), the only female pirate aboard ship. She is one of the Captains of the ship and inherited the position from her father. At the council, Hawke ends up dueling one of the pirates and winning. He’s invited to join the pirates on a tentative basis, as he still needs to prove his worth. At some point, after taking over another ship, another woman is taken on board. She becomes immediately smitten with Hawke, much to the chagrin of Spitfire, even though she pretends not to like Hawke. Eventually, because it’s Errol Flynn, he ends up in a love triangle with himself, Brasillano and Spitfire, with an offshoot of a small triangle between himself, the other woman, and Spitfire. Hawke himself has no interest in the other woman, he only has eyes for Spitfire.

This is a beautiful looking film. One cannot go wrong with Maureen O’Hara. She was also known for her pirate films. It is definitely a treat to have two major figures of Pirate Cinema: Flynn and O’Hara, in the same film.