Against All Flags (1952)

Director:

George Sherman

Writers:

Æneas MacKenzie (story)
Æneas MacKenzie (writer) ...

Release Date:

6 February 1953 (Belgium)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

He Ravished The Pirate Port Of Madagascar To Steal The Love Of Its Corsair Queen!

Plot:

Brian Hawke of the Royal Navy versus the pirates of Madagascar.

Plot Keywords:

Pirate | Captain | 1700s | Prisoner | Royal Navy

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Brian Hawke
Maureen O'Hara	...	Prudence 'Spitfire' Stevens
Anthony Quinn	...	Capt. Roc Brasiliano
Alice Kelley	...	Princess Patma
Mildred Natwick	...	Molvina MacGregor
Robert Warwick	...	Capt. Kidd
Harry Cording	...	Gow
John Alderson	...	Jonathan Harris
Phil Tully	...	Jones
Lester Matthews	...	Sir Cloudsley
Tudor Owen	...	Williams
Maurice Marsac	...	Capt. Moisson
James Craven	...	Capt. Hornsby
James Fairfax	...	Cruikshank - Barber

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:PG (re-rating) (2006) | UK:U (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Though Errol Flynn did most of his own stunts, he balked at the one involving sliding down through a sail on a rapier blade, which was originated by Douglas Fairbanks in The Black Pirate (1926). The stunt was performed by a double.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the last battle aboard the ship Hawke climbs one of the masts. The crow's nest at the top has a modern looking wire mesh guard around it, instead of the rope netting one would expect in an 18th century vessel.

Quotes:

Captain Moisson: I deeply regret the necessity for this flogging.
Brian Hawke: Thank you, sir. I don't think the flogger needed to have carried it out with such gusto.
Captain Moisson: You requested the customary lashing.
Brian Hawke: I know, sir. Of course, you could have done me the favor of denying it. I swear he took a particular pleasure in having an officer under his cat.
Captain Moisson: Should you fail, you'll look back on flogger Flower's lashing as a pleasant afternoon's pastime.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wonder Boys (2000)

One of Flynn's better "twilight" films

This is among one of Errol Flynn's better films during his career decline, particularly after a long stretch of duds (his last best film was 1945's "Objective, Burma!" and possibly 1948's "Adventures of Don Juan") and before his short-lived comeback in the notable "The Sun Also Rises," "The Roots of Heaven" and "Too Much, Too Soon." A high-seas tale that doesn't rank on the illustrious level of Flynn's other, earlier pirate flicks during his career height ("Captain Blood" and "The Sea Hawk"), but nevertheless what otherwise would have been a completely run-of-the-mill production is elevated by the main roles of leads Flynn and Maureen O'Hara and the oft-cast Flynn co-star Anthony Quinn as the villian (again). They all bring their characteristic star quality to their roles, but rather than "cancelling" or overpowering each other as such strong screen presences are sometimes in "danger" of doing, they play off each other well. Flynn plays Brian Hawke, a British naval officer on a top-secret mission to infiltrate pirate activity in Madagascar, under the guise of turning renegade. He manages to convince the buccaneers that he's not a spy and is allowed to join them, but their captain, Roc Brasiliano (Quinn), remains unconvinced and suspicious. Their uneasy alliance is made all the more tenuous by the gorgeous and dashingly glamorous lone female pirate "Spitfire" Stevens (an apt name if ever there was one), whom both men desire; and by the pretty Patma, an Indian princess (who doesn't look Indian in the least, BTW) whom Hawke has rescued and, along with being smitten by him and thus incurring the wrathful jealousy of Spitfire, ends up causing no end of nit-witted, unintentioned trouble and danger.

While not displaying the breathtaking level of razzle-dazzle as in his younger days, Flynn still retains his trademark charisma and cheek, turning in a solid, albeit unremarkable, performance by imparting a mature worldliness appropriate to his character. And while he's gotten bloated and jowly in the face, he remains handsome enough and has still has a fine-looking physique for his age, and, especially, for someone of his high-living lifestyle. Still I have to admit I would have loved to have seen Flynn in this film several years earlier, at the peak of his godlike beauty, physical grace and magnetic powers. As for Maureen O'Hara--no other actress could have portrayed a female pirate quite as convicingly as she. With fire and desire, dynamic spunk and sass and rakish allure, she epitomizes this she-rogue who is a match (and even more) for any man, but has rather forgotten how to be a woman--yet despite, or rather, because of this, is remarkably fresh, frank and sexy, no cunning feminine wiles here. Also, the sight of O'Hara's impressive, strapping physique costumed in green pirate gear is a masterstroke--the color shows exceptionally well on her and is an amazing complement to her flaming red hair, green eyes and white skin.

Poor Anthony Quinn is--in what must have been quite frustrating for him--again in the kind of unchallenging part he knows all too well, so therefore he doesn't go wrong and, more to his credit, doesn't allow any boredom he may have with his typecast role affect his menacing, spirited performance. He is overshadowed, though, by the meatier roles of his 2 co-stars. The big fly in the ointment is undoubtedly Alice Kelley as Princess Patma. Looking not unlike a slighter-built, dumbed-down version of Jennifer Tilly (who's not all that intelligent-looking to begin with), she's emotes with such tiresome vacuousness and stupidity that it's near cringe-inducing proportions. It's easy to understand, despite her character's fabulous wealth and pedigree, why she holds no fascination for Hawke and doesn't hold a candle to Spitfire. To be fair, her character is not the sharpest knife in the drawer (more like the dullest one there), but Kelly lacks the skill and allure to make the role endearing. And while the movie is filmed in lush Technicolor, a drawback is an obviously fake seaport set. But the plusses outweigh the minuses, making it above-average fare, and at a succinct 83 minutes, it moves at a brisk, entertaining pace.