Captain Blood (1935)

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

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Rafael Sabatini (novel), Casey Robinson (screenplay)

Stars:

Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Lionel Atwill

Nominated for 5 Oscars.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Errol Flynn	...	Peter Blood
Olivia de Havilland	...	Arabella Bishop
Lionel Atwill	...	Col. 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

Storyline

Arrested during the Monmouth Rebellion and falsely convicted of treason, Dr. Peter Blood is banished to the West Indies and sold into slavery. In Port Royal, Jamaica the Governor's daughter Arabella Bishop buys him for £10 to spite her uncle, Col. Bishop who owns a major plantation. Life is hard for the men and for Blood as well. By chance he treats the Governor's gout and is soon part of the medical service. He dreams of freedom and when the opportunity strikes, he and his friends rebel taking over a Spanish ship that has attacked the city. Soon, they are the most feared pirates on the seas, men without a country attacking all ships. When Arabella is prisoner, Blood decides to return her to Port Royal only to find that it is under the control of England's new enemy, France. All of them must decide if they are to fight for their new King.

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Plot Keywords:

slavery | escape | pirate | governor | caribbean | 

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Taglines:

His sword carved his name across the continents - and his glory across the seas!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

28 December 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Capitaine Blood

Filming Locations:

Corona, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min 99 min (re-release)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

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Goofs

The courtroom scene is introduced by a shot of the royal coat of arms, in the form adopted in 1837. In the next scene, a window in the palace shows the shield correct for 1603-1707, reflecting the claim on the crown of France first made by Edward III of England in 1340.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jeremy Pitt: Doctor Blood! Doctor Blood!
Mrs. Barlow: Who, who is it?
Dr. Peter Blood: That we'll know better when you've opened the door.
Mrs. Barlow: Me?
Dr. Peter Blood: My mistake, after I've opened the door.

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Connections

Referenced in Charade (1984)

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Soundtracks

"Fugal Episode from Prometheus"
(1850, revised 1855) (uncredited)
Composed by Franz Liszt
Adapted and Re-orchestrated by Hugo Friedhofer and Erich Wolfgang Korngold

User Reviews

Heroic swashbucklers and ferocious cannonade!

Nearly 80 years old and `Captain Blood' still is one of the greatest sea-adventures ever made. It initially served as an appropriate answer to `Mutiny on the Bounty', also released in 1935 and starring Clark Gable. This film launched the terrific career of Errol Flynn, who only appeared uncredited in other film until then. Captain Blood is a compelling and versatile story about a young Irish doctor, named Peter Blood. After giving medical attention to rebellions, he's sold as a slave to the wondrously beautiful Arabella Bishop (Olivia de Havilland)…niece of the rancorous Colonel Bishop (Lionel Atwill). Blood escapes slavery and, together with his faithful crew, he starts a successful and diverse career as a pirate in the Caribbean sea. Yet, the unanswered love he feels for Arabella never really allows him to be fully free. Naturally, this film doesn't feature as many outrageous swordfights as in later pirate movies, but the decors and scenery are breath-taking and very inspired. Some neutral sequences (mainly in the beginning of the film) can be considered tedious, but long and delightful patriot speeches and exiting battles make up for those. Errol Flynn does a great job as the rebellious captain, even though his handsome looks don't really match the image of a feared pirate. Special mention goes out to Basil Rathbone, flawlessly cast as a French corsair. Highly recommended if you're a fan of classic and nostalgic cinema.