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The Black Swan (1942) 7.0
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 |
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Tyrone Power | ... | ||
| Maureen O'Hara | ... | ||
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Laird Cregar | ... | |
| Thomas Mitchell | ... | ||
| George Sanders | ... | ||
| Anthony Quinn | ... |
Wogan
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George Zucco | ... |
Lord Denby
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Plot Summary
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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. Written by Jeremy Perkins <jwp@aber.ac.uk>
Taglines:
Seas Ablaze...with black villainy, with fiery romance, with breathless deeds of daring...in the roaring era of Love, Gold and Adventure!Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
4 December 1942 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Rafael Sabatini's The Black Swan See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
(copyright time) | (current existing footage) | (re-release) (censored)Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Tom 'Tommy' Blue: Clear the deck for action, Henry. Here comes the lass broadside!
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(uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Alfred Newman
Played during the opening credits and sung by an offscreen chorus
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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). See more »Goofs
When the pirate ship runs aground in the climax, the island moves. See more »Quotes
Margaret Denby: Captain Waring! CAPTAIN WARING!Tom 'Tommy' Blue: Clear the deck for action, Henry. Here comes the lass broadside!
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Soundtracks
Heave Ho(uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Alfred Newman
Played during the opening credits and sung by an offscreen chorus
See more »
While Leon Shamroy's Oscar-winning Technicolor cinematography certainly delivers this pirate adventure in a glorious package, it does little to improve the film. The film looks gorgeous and the cast is excellent, but the film is a disappointment. Somehow the film is inferior to my two favorite Tyrone Power adventure films, THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940) and SON OF FURY (1942).
The film is talky and somewhat tedious despite the marvelous cast. We have Anthony Quinn in the small role of a villainous buccaneer and the mighty Laird Cregar as an extravagant Captain Henry Morgan. We have the delightful Thomas Mitchell reprising his Gerald O'Hara accent as an Irish pirate and an unrecognizable George Sanders as a villainous red-bearded pirate. And I should leave room for Maureen O'Hara as the feisty and hotheaded love interest of Tyrone Power.
But I watched the film for one reason only: Tyrone Power. Due to his lively and nimble performance and athleticism, he makes a wonderful roguish pirate that reminds contemporary viewers of Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow in the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN films. I consider Power a better actor than Errol Flynn due to Power's on-screen enthusiasm, his serious drive to become an actor, and his will to struggle for more diverse roles in his days at 20th Century-Fox. With his dashing good looks and frequent shirtless scenes throughout the film, it's no wonder that he made so many female moviegoers drool over him. Good heavens, I wish I was that handsome.
Unfortunately, the chemistry of Power and O'Hara together is nowhere near as magical as the chemistry between Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. The fights scenes are minimal and they look awkward and obviously sped-up when performed, therefore leaving me with a cold feeling instead of a feeling of excitement. Time has not been kind to the Oscar-nominated special effects and only a few of the effects shots are convincing. However, Alfred Newman's score is memorable and rousing and makes up for the lulls in the film along the way.
Pirate lovers should have a fun time with this one, but the film is not one of Tyrone Power's best. Although the sweeping grandeur of THE BLACK SWAN is certainly colorful, the film lacks the spirit of my two favorite Tyrone Power adventure films.