hwg1957-102-265704 Captain Blood loses some of his pirate crew when they are ambushed landing on the Caribbean island of La Hacha seeking supplies. Against the advice of his second in command he eventually goes ashore and disguising himself as a fruit seller (called Pedro Morales) engineers the rescue of his enslaved comrades. Which is the main problem with the film as it is set mostly ashore as Blood intrigues to release his men. This takes in the Marquis de Riconete who has been tasked to catch him, Isabelita Sotomayor who wants to leave the island with her beau George Fairfax and a helpful girl at an inn named Pepita Maria Rosados. It is slow going until the last half hour when it comes to life with action in the main town and a battle at sea.Louis Hayward is adequate as Captain Blood, as is Patricia Medina as Isabelita and Lowell Gilmore as Fairfax.George Macready is unfortunately a bit subdued as the Marquis. He has done villainy much better in other films. Billy Bevan plays Billy Bragg. Much needed liveliness is injected into the film by the lovely Dona Drake as spitfire Pepita. Based on a novel by Rafael Sabatini the last third of the film almost makes up for the duller early two-thirds of the movie.

MARIO GAUCI To be perfectly honest, I was not expecting a lot from this one – I was under the impression it would be a remake of the seminal Michael Curtiz/Errol Flynn CAPTAIN BLOOD (1935), but Rafael Sabatini did actually pen a novel bearing its title – since neither the film under review, nor the sequel CAPTAIN PIRATE (1952; whose own viewing would follow presently), have much of a reputation within the genre concerned!; still, their Rafael Sabatini pedigree and the presence of swashbuckling regular Louis Hayward ensured my interest regardless. For better or worse, the fact that both are now available in virtually pristine (if non-anamorphic) editions is due to the massive box-office takings of the recent overblown "Pirates Of The Caribbean" saga!Anyway, I had already watched Hayward's previous buccaneer venture – namely Edgar G. Ulmer's THE PIRATES OF CAPRI (1949) – and, frankly, was wary of his making a convincing Peter Blood (truth be told, even Flynn's star-making turn had been somewhat overrated!); given that he usually tends to play fops harbouring a revenge agenda, the narrative contrives to put the actor in his element by having the former doctor don a South American disguise for a sizeable part of the duration! Plot-wise, it is – admittedly – no great shakes: a handful of Blood's gang are ambushed when they go ashore and put in chains, so he determines to free them. In the course of the 90-minute duration, he is helped and hindered (often both) by a number of other characters: a bartender, a saloon-girl, a prison warden enamoured of the latter (Alfonso Bedoya), a shifty nobleman, his girlfriend (leading lady Patricia Medina – clumsily named Isabelita!), and the obligatory chief villain (played by the ubiquitous George Macready). Blood's brawny crew, then, typically encompasses all sorts – from Scots to Swedes…and, perhaps mercifully, I only counted two negligible instances of comic relief on their part throughout!While it may appear half-hearted in black-and-white (especially in comparison with the glowing Technicolor afforded the sequel), director Douglas was practiced enough at this sort of thing (for the record, he had already guided both Hayward and Macready through the monochromatic paces of the R.L. Stevenson adaptation THE BLACK ARROW {1948} and, involving Macready yet again, would follow this with the colourful ROGUES OF SHERWOOD FOREST {1950}) to render the essence of the material via the modest means at his disposal. With this in mind, amid the sheer amount of fun to be had, it was possible to include such striking images as a hanging body casting a sinister shadow over a wall, a guard being set ablaze during the mass prison escape and, in the exciting seafaring climax, a bloodied Macready at the helm of the hero's own vessel "Avenger"(!); interestingly enough, Hayward will be forced to blow up his ship again in the sequel! By the way, I had been led to believe this involved the English King Charles II, but the royal by that name here (appearing in the guise of Curt Bois at the start of the film) actually presides over the French court!

Robert J. Maxwell Not much is left of the zesty 1935 original in this sequel to "Captain Blood." Instead of Errol Flynn as the handsome, graceful, and athletic doctor-turned-pirate, we have chubby, slope-shouldered, and slow Louis Hayward in an unbecoming wig.I missed Flynn. I missed his dash, his devil-may-care spirit, his wry wisecracks, his carefree grin, his willingness to do anything for a buck. Louis Hayward has a more impressive voice than Flynn, and his ability to act may be about at the same level, but it takes more than that to be an effective protagonist in a swashbuckler. Pirates leap from ship to ship, and they swing on lines. They don't just mope around reciting their lines.Hayward is still Peter Blood, bachelor of medicine and master of swordplay, as we are told by one of the heavies at the beginning. But just as the history is about to involve the lovely Olivia De Havilland, the ruler of La Hotcha or whatever the island is called, interrupts and Arabella Bishop disappears from the narrative.There are some familiar elements -- the ship's crew imprisoned, Captain Blood disguised as a fruit peddler -- but this isn't a remake or even, really, a sequel. In the original, Peter Blood's being a doctor made a difference in the plot. Not here.It's a tired script, directed by Gordon Douglas, an unpretentious hack. It's studio bound and there is some swordplay -- not very energetic -- and nice support from George Macready, always a serviceable villain, and from Patricia Medina, she of the anthracite irises.But, overall -- ho hum.

elspet-miller I was in love with Louis Hayward and there is no more ardent love than a seven year old for a Pirate. I saw every film with Louis Hayward that came to the local cinema and I imagined I was the heroine of course! We had American friends and they had a home cinema and I saw this film and thought it was wonderful. 53 years later, what would I think - I hope it would transport me back over the years when the handsome Louis Hayward would be as dashing and romantic as he was when I first saw him. Good swashbuckling adventure. Must have made an impression when I remember it after 53 years. I know Errol Flynn was the original "Peter Blood" in talking movies but Louis Hayward was the actor whom I saw in the 1950's in glorious colour. Yes, the colours in those movies in the 1950's were wonderful breathtaking after so many black and white movies.