Captain Blood (1935)

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Rafael Sabatini (novel)
Casey Robinson (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 December 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance

Tagline:

THE MOST MAGNIFICENT & THRILLING SEA ADVENTURE EVER FILMED (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

An enslaved English doctor and his comrades in chains escape and become pirates of the Robin Hood variety.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Slap | Whip Crack | Death | Treasure

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars.

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Peter Blood
Olivia de Havilland	...	Arabella Bishop
Lionel Atwill	...	Colonel Bishop
Basil Rathbone	...	Levasseur
Ross Alexander	...	Jeremy Pitt
Guy Kibbee	...	Hagthorpe
Henry Stephenson	...	Lord Willoughby
Robert Barrat	...	Wolverstone
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Dr. Bronson
Donald Meek	...	Dr. Whacker
Jessie Ralph	...	Mrs. Barlow
Forrester Harvey	...	Honesty Nuttall
Frank McGlynn Sr.	...	Rev. Ogle
Holmes Herbert	...	Capt. Gardner
David Torrence	...	Andrew Baynes
J. Carrol Naish	...	Cahusac (as J. Carroll Naish)
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Don Diego
George Hassell	...	Governor Steed
Harry Cording	...	Kent
Leonard Mudie	...	Baron Jeffreys
Ivan F. Simpson	...	Prosecutor (as Ivan Simpson)
Stuart Casey	...	Capt. Hobart
David Cavendish	...	Lord Gildoy (as Dennis D. Auburn)
Mary Forbes	...	Mrs. Steed
E.E. Clive	...	Clerk of the Court
Colin Kenny	...	Lord Chester Dyke
Maude Leslie	...	Mrs. Baynes
Gardner James	...	Slave
Vernon Steele	...	King James
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gene Alsace	...	Oliver Clark - Pirate (uncredited)
Sam Appel	...	Gunner (uncredited)
Reginald Barlow	...	Dixon (uncredited)
Matthew 'Stymie' Beard	...	Governor's Attendant (uncredited)
Wayne Castle	...	One-Legged Pirate (uncredited)
Yola d'Avril	...	Girl in Tavern (uncredited)
Florence Fair	...	Woman with Baby (uncredited)
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Lord Sunderland (uncredited)
Murray Kinnell	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
Alphonse Martell	...	French Officer (uncredited)
Chris-Pin Martin	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Jim Mason	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Tina Menard	...	Girl in Tavern (uncredited)
Louis Mercier	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Kansas Moehring	...	Pirate (uncredited)
John Northpole	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Artie Ortego	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Henry Otho	...	David Sampson - Pirate (uncredited)
Paul Panzer	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Frank Puglia	...	French Officer (uncredited)
Georges Renavent	...	French Captain (uncredited)
Buddy Roosevelt	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Cliff Saum	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Tom Steele	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Jim Thorpe	...	Pirate (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	Lookout on English Ship (uncredited)
Renee Torres	...	Girl in Tavern (uncredited)
Blackie Whiteford	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Tom Wilson	...	Pirate (uncredited)
William Yetter Sr.	...	Pirate (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz

Writing credits
Rafael Sabatini		(novel "Captain Blood")
Casey Robinson		(screenplay)

Produced by
Harry Joe Brown	....	producer (uncredited)
Gordon Hollingshead	....	producer (uncredited)
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Erich Wolfgang Korngold		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Ernest Haller		(photography by)
Hal Mohr		(photography by)

Film Editing by
George Amy

Art Direction by
Anton Grot

Costume Design by
Milo Anderson		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur Lueker	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Sherry Shourds	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Robey Cooper	....	props (uncredited)
John More	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Nathan Levinson	....	sound director (uncredited)
C.A. Riggs	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Fred Jackman	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Iron Eyes Cody	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buster Wiles	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William Classen	....	grip (uncredited)
Bob Davis	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
L. De Angelis	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Alan Ladd	....	grip (uncredited)
Mickey Marigold	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Robert Surtees	....	second camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Erich Wolfgang Korngold	....	music arranger
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Ray Heindorf	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Milan Roder	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Milan Roder	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Stanley Logan	....	dialogue director
Fred Applegate	....	continuity (uncredited)
Len Boyd	....	publicist (uncredited)
Fred Cavens	....	fencing master (uncredited)
Hertzel Effensachs	....	marine director (uncredited)
Hertzel Effensachs	....	water safety (uncredited)
Charles Farmer	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Ralph Faulkner	....	fight choreographer (uncredited)
Robert Lord	....	supervisor (uncredited)
Ann Robinson	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Jean Sepulveda	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Bob Splane	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Clarence Wertz	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (A Cosmopolitan Production)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1935) (USA) (theatrical)
• Vitaphone Corporation, The (1935) (USA) (theatrical) (as The Vitaphone Corp.)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• ClassicLine (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Television (????) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Western Costume Company  costumes supplied by (uncredited)

Runtime:

119 min | USA:99 min (re-release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Germany:12 | New Zealand:PG | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #1552) | Australia:G | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Corona, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Although they worked together a total of 12 times, Errol Flynn (I)' and Michael Curtiz disliked each other intensely.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The film is set in 1685 and refers to Philip being the king of Spain. Carlos II was king of Spain at this time.

Quotes:

Dr. Peter Blood: Men, I've just heard a startling piece of news - King James is kicked out of England and good King William reigns in his stead.
[the crew all cheer]
Dr. Peter Blood: For me this changes the shape of the world. For you who were slaves with me, it means that we're no longer slaves, that we once more have a home and a country. For you who are English it means a chance to fight for your native land... for I now propose to sail into Port Royal and take it from the French! Those of you who are not English will have to be content with fighting for Captain Blood... and the loot you'll find on the French ships. Are you willing to fight, men?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Sopranos: Remember When (#6.15)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Fugal Episode from Prometheus

As Good As Advertised

I'm not that big on pirate movies and I thought this might be overrated.....but I was wrong. This is good stuff and I wonder if a more realistic pirate movie has ever been made.

This was Errol Flynn's first starring role and it sure got him off to a flying start. Few actors have ever played the "dashing hero" as well as Flynn. Despite being almost "worship idol" status by women, he is still comes across as a "man's man," and that all started with this film.

What I liked best about this was that the story stood out more than the action or the romance. Many times classic films overdid the latter, producing lulls in what was considered an adventure story. That's not the case here. It also isn't the typical clichéd pirate film in which the captain is seen with an eye patch and a parrot on his shoulder.

This is nothing fancy, just a just solid story.....period, which is probably why it holds up so well over 70 years later!