The Black Swan (1942)

An ex-pirate contends with rowdy buccaneers and a love-hate relationship with an aristocratic woman who's tougher than she seems.

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

Ben Hecht (screenplay), Seton I. Miller (screenplay) (as Seton I.Miller)

Stars:

Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara, Laird Cregar

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tyrone Power	...	Jamie Waring
Maureen O'Hara	...	Lady Margaret Denby
Laird Cregar	...	Captain Henry Morgan
Thomas Mitchell	...	Tommy Blue
George Sanders	...	Captain Billy Leech
Anthony Quinn	...	Wogan
George Zucco	...	Lord Denby

Storyline

When notorious pirate Henry Morgan is made governor of Jamaica, he enlists the help of some of his former partners in ridding the Carribean of Buccaneers. When one of them apparently abducts the previous governor's pretty daughter and joins up with the rebels, things are set for a fight.

---

Plot Keywords:

maracaibo venezuela | deception | tied up | pirate raid | redheaded man | 

---

Taglines:

Meet the Boldest-Hearted Buccaneer - who ever Stormed A Lovely Lady's Heart! (print ad - Lubbock Avalanche Journal - Tech Theatre -Lubbock, Texas - June 18,1944)

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Family | History | Romance

---

Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The ship in the picture was also used in the films That Hamilton Woman (1941), The Princess and the Pirate (1944) and Captain Kidd (1945).

---

Goofs

About 2/3 of the way into the movie, Jamie and Captain Leach are talking on the deck of Jamie's ship. Lady Denby opens the door to the cabin to observe. This door is then shown several times over the course of the scene and the door is closed. Near the end of the scene Lady Denby is shown closing the door, the same door which had just been shown several times as closed.

---

Quotes

[as he binds and gags Lady Margaret before abducting her]
Jamie: You make courtship a little more strenuous than I like it.

---

Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: This is a story of the Spanish Main - - when Villainy wore a Sash, and the only political creed in the world was - - - Love, Gold, and Adventure.

---

Connections

Featured in Frances Farmer Presents: The Black Swan (1959)

---

Soundtracks

Heave Ho
(uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Alfred Newman
Played during the opening credits and sung by an offscreen chorus

User Reviews

More Than a Monument to Public Patience

"This is a story of the Spanish Main -- where Villainy wore a Sash, and the only political creed in the world was --- Love, Gold, and Adventure…" is an apt introduction to this swashbuckling story. "The Black Swan" was made while Tyrone Power (here as James "Jamie Boy" Waring) was at the peak of his second wave of popularity. This began with the re-make of "The Mark of Zorro" (1940), and Mr. Power was suddenly compared to Douglas Fairbanks; as a man, he was more like Rudolph Valentino, though not quite showing it all in "Blood and Sand" (1941). Each of these adventure films retains their sense of hokey fun.

In this one, Power's "sex symbol" status is complimented by a bare chest, stubble, and the beautiful Maureen O'Hara (as Margaret Denby). All in Technicolor. Director Henry King and friendly co-stars like George Sanders (as Billy Leech) helped keep both Power and the public happy. Power performs smoothly with sword in "The Black Swan" but felt he deserved more varied roles.

As an aside, a writer at Paramount in the late 1980s mentioned walking over to Tyrone Power's grave, which was near the studio, so I tagged along. It was a beautiful fall day, and the graveyard was deserted. At the time, I had only a vague notion of who Power was - probably from seeing movies like "The Black Swan" on television - and was startled to see the star's final resting place so well-kept, and adorned with fresh flowers. Three decades after his death, Tyrone Power was still missed and admired.

******* The Black Swan (12/4/42) Henry King ~ Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara, George Sanders, Laird Cregar

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

4 December 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rafael Sabatini's The Black Swan

Filming Locations:

Cuba

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,012,600

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min (copyright time) 85 min (current existing footage) 85 min (re-release) (censored)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor) Black and White (reissue)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1