The Spanish Main

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anto M @RT37561112 5 days ago Good ol' fashioned tale of ne'er-do-well on the high seas during the Golden age of plucky adventurers or pirates, take your pick against the bad ol' Spanish empire. We have Paul Henreid as Capt. Laurent Van Horn) and Maureen O'Hara as the Contessa Francesca in the lead roles and Walter Slezak as Don Juan Alvarado playing the Govenor who locks up Capt Van Horn for 5 years. He escapes turns pirate, kidnaps the Contessa, marries her, she was supposed to marry Don Juan sight unseen. Ok this is B Movie, a 2nd feature but a premium version of the type. It has 2 Stars in Maureen O'Hara and Paul Henreid who must be making this to fulfill some contractorsl obligation. And they look like they're having fun. The wardrobe deptmarpment and the model ships got most of the budget and spent it well. Maureen O'Hara looks stunning in her gowns. The ship models are filmed brilliantly. I was lucky enough to get a very high quality copy of RKO's Technicolour production. Herman Mankiewicz is one of th See more Russ G @RT78760655 Jan 22, 2025 Never thought I'd see Paul Henreid [better known as Victor Laszlo] in a swashbuckler! But, there's really only one reason to view this and that's a positively ravishing 25 year old Maureen O'Hara, red mane ablaze and made up, coiffured, and gowned to the Nines. It's got all the hallmarks of your typical seagoing costume epic including the usual model ships in a tank, swordplay aplenty, and intrigue. The practical effects are up to snuff and the sets are lavish. It's what mid 20th Century movie goers expected for the price of admission and they got their money's worth. A movie to see before you die? Hardly, but good escapist if not totally mindless entertainment. See more David K @RT61474040 Jun 4, 2024 A lot of the critiques around this film tend to focus on where it falls on Frank Borage's career arc. However, it's not a bad film. Does it rise to the level of an Errol Flynn swashbuckler? No. It is a fine film though. Well directed and acted, with a suitable script, it carries you along for its 90 minutes and deposits you on the other side not feeling as though you just killed some time. It really needs to be taken on its own terms. See more ashley h @ashleyhobgood87 Feb 8, 2020 The Spanish Main is a terrific film. It is about a Dutch captain who turns pirate to wage war after being wronged by the Caribbean authorities. Paul Henreid and Maureen O'Hara give amazing performances. The screenplay is good but a little slow. Frank Borzage did a great job directing this movie. I enjoyed watching this motion picture because of the action and romance. The Spanish Main is a must see. See more Jul 23, 2014 I've never been much of a Paul Henreid fan, though he did seem a bit more suited to this sort of costume drama than his usual romantic lead fare. However, this film also has Maureen O'Hara, who's always terrific, which helps greatly. The story involves Henreid as a swashbuckling sea captain who marries the reluctant O'Hara and the two then set off to fight the villainous Walter Slezak, who has previously imprisoned Henreid and was originally the man who O'Hara was betrothed. The real-life female pirate Anne Bonny also show up, which is kind of fun. I always though Bonny deserved her own film, but I think "Cutthroat Island" ruined that possibility. Co-written by Herman J. Mankiewicz, "The Spanish Main" is not a classic, but ti's a solid little swashbuckler from RKO. See more Jul 17, 2014 This has all the action, romance, and camp one would want in a swashbuckler. Maureen O'Hara is as gorgeous as always, and although Paul Heinreid isn't exactly my cup of swoonworthy tea, his chest does rock an open shirt quite nicely! ;) The highlight actually has to be Walter Slezak, who gives an absolutely hilarious turn as the droll villain of the piece. Fluffy fun at its best -- I loved it! 4+ stars See more Read all reviews

The Spanish Main

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