Complete credited cast: | |||
Paul Henreid | ... | Capt. Laurent Van Horn | |
Maureen O'Hara | ... | Contessa Francesca | |
Walter Slezak | ... | Don Juan Alvarado | |
Binnie Barnes | ... | Anne Bonney | |
John Emery | ... | Capt. Mario Du Billar | |
Barton MacLane | ... | Capt. Benjamin Black | |
J.M. Kerrigan | ... | Pillery Gow | |
Fritz Leiber | ... | Bishop | |
Nancy Gates | ... | Lupita | |
Jack La Rue | ... | Lt. Escobar (as Jack LaRue) | |
Mike Mazurki | ... | Erik Swaine | |
Ian Keith | ... | Captain Lussan | |
Curt Bois | ... | Paree | |
Antonio Moreno | ... | Commandante | |
Victor Kilian | ... | Santa Madre Captain |
Laurent van Horn is the leader of a band of Dutch refugees on a ship seeking freedom in the Carolinas, when the ship is wrecked on the coast of Cartagene, governed by Don Juan Alvardo, Spainish ruler. Alvarado has Laurent thrown in prison, but the latter escapes, and five-years later is a pirate leader. He poses as the navigator on a ship in which Contessa Francesca, daughter of a Mexican noble, is traveling on her way to marry Alvarado, whom she has never seen. Laurent's pirates capture the ship and Francesca, in order to save another ship, gives her hand-in-marriage to Laurent, who sails her to the pirate hideout. This irks the jealous Anne Bonney and, also, Captain Benjamin Black, who was already irked, anyway. They overpower Laurent and send Francesca to Alvarado, and then Mario du Billar, trusted right-hand man, makes a deal to deliver Laurent to Alvarado too. Written by Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
I saw this on TV TCM today and will always enjoy the exciting story of the Spanish Main; with beautiful musical score and scenes rather well staged. Maureen O'Hara and Paul Henried are great! The scene stealer of course is that great character actor Walter Slezak, who plays a mean egocentric governor, but who gets it in the end. The duelling scenes are particularly good, and Paul Henried does a good job duelling. Binnie Barnes, who I remember so well in early films was especially great as a woman pirate