sbasu-47-608737 Once again fooled by the score and the reviews and ended up in wasting money in getting the DVD. The movie was good, had it been in Fairbank Sr's, and that too his early ones, say late '19s to early '20s. But considering that it is a '49 movie, the less said is better.Mindless sword fights and big holes honeycomb the whole movie plot. The plot has been covered in all the reviews, so there is no use in repeating it. The swashbuckling hero meets perchance the dame in distress and rescues her, as well as the prize possession, the Napoleonic Plot expose she is carrying. naturally no one would pause to think, why she has to carry this extremely critical invasion expose, with handful of soldiers (three to be exact, if one includes the coachman as one) and why the Royal army itself didn't march to protect the borders. The time and place has simply lost its significance. The fugitives, followed by the conspirators, go through arduous journey to Dublin, her father, the Viceroy's, territory. But at a certain point, while whiling away the time, his aides land up back into O'Flynn castle and discovers the mythical but real O'Flynn treasure, and that too in the nick of the moment bribe the army, and thereby save him from the court marshall. The distance between the seat of power and the different locations seemed to be very small, at least watching at the speed at which the people moved across them. A single man, often unarmed, against a well armed army and defeating them, even when they are militarily in a position of advantage and he isn't, is anyway something I have seen many times, and won't comment on. Why the blackguard, who is incidentally betrothed to the heroine, has to move around with his mistress, and no one, except his people, are privy to that, and to top it all, he perchance having his own private party in the same inn, where O'Flynn and his men are having their drunken orgy, and why he has to at all show his face there, or unnecessarily provoke O'Flynn into a duel, by when he should have been well aware that his opponent was a mercenary, of repute, so the duel could have gone either way. Not worth wasting the time, leave alone money, unless convert it into a silent movie, and transport it backwards in time by at least 30 years. At that time, well one could say it would deserve around 6.5 stars.

JohnHowardReid Producer: Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Copyright 8 December 1948 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. and Fairbanks Pictures, Inc. Released by Universal-International. New York opening at Loew's Criterion: 27 February 1949. U.S. release: February 1949. U.K. release: February 1950. Australian release: 14 April 1949. 8,513 feet. 94 minutes. Alternative title: The O'Flynn.SYNOPSIS: Staged in the eighteenth century, this story tells how a dashing young Irish landowner defeats Napoleon's plans to add Ireland to his empire.COMMENT: This little-known movie has a quality we greatly admire: enormous vitality and gusto. Fairbanks' sheer exuberance is so infectious we rejoice with him as he exclaims, "Castle O'Flynn", and are dispirited with him when he finds it to be falling apart. Helena Carter makes a gorgeous leading lady, radiant in Calthrop's costumes, while Richard Greene appears particularly well cast against type as the villain of the piece. Other welcome against-type castings are Ludwig Donath (Larry Parks' father in The Jolson Story) as the sinister Hendrigg and Patricia Medina as the not over-bright accomplice. Photography, sets, costumes notch up as wholly outstanding, and there is a bright music score. Astute film editing makes it appear Fairbanks is doing his own stunts, whereas in fact the more dangerous of them are doubled by David Sharpe (e.g. vaulting between the balconies, leaping onto the drawbridge). The action is brought to a happy conclusion by a traditional climax with the de rigeur sword duel between hero and villain resolved in a most unusual manner. All told, it comes as a most entertaining relief to find a hero whose cheek is not quite matched by his skill.OTHER VIEWS: This thrill-packed swashbuckler provides all audiences with outstanding entertainment. Expertly staged and directed, with superlative photography by none other than Arthur Edeson, this is a film in which Fairbanks Jr. goes close to emulating the famous action films produced by his father. Of course Fairbanks Sr. performed just about all his own stunt-work, whereas Junior falls back on a team of experts led by David Sharpe. Not that this matters as the doubling is so skilfully done that few if any people will tumble to the fact that the daring acrobatics they see on the screen, are not all the Fairbanks scion's own. — JHR writing as George Addison.

bkoganbing Until he was well established with his own reputation Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. eschewed playing roles like The Fighting O'Flynn that would draw comparison with his father. In fact his first costume epic was the British Elizabeth Bergner production of Catherine The Great and his was not exactly a swashbuckling role. Later on before World War II with his reputation well established, Jayar as his dad called him did great work in The Prisoner Of Zenda and The Corsican Brothers.But after the war Fairbanks claimed the Fairbanks swashbuckling legacy with Sinbad The Sailor, The Exile, and The Fighting O'Flynn. Fairbanks also produced The Fighting O'Flynn and did a wonderful job of creating the character of The O'Flynn whose first name like Lieutenant Columbo we are never destined to learn.As was also well known at the time the younger Fairbanks was the most known Anglophile in America and it would not due to have Fairbanks show the British as the villains, the occupiers of Ireland which they actually were. His rationale for being on the British side was to win the love of Helena Carter, daughter of the British viceroy who at the time though not named here was Lord Charles Cornwallis the guy who surrendered to Washington at Yorktown. But also Fairbanks does not fancy folks like the French and Dutch occupying Ireland either. Remember it was Dutchman William Of Orange who won the Battle of The Boyne and the Dutch were not well loved in Ireland either. And it's a Dutch agent Ludwig Donath who is the main intriguer in the plot.Donath's fellow conspirator is British Lord Richard Greene who is engaged to marry Carter, but has Patricia Medina on the side. So this guy is a double dealer all around. Fairbanks takes a while to see through him, but of course saves Ireland from the French occupation which other Irishmen in real life like James Wolfe Tone were trying to make happen. The loss of the Irish Parliament was one of the consequences in real life that actually happened.Fairbanks for me is one of those guys who is so filled with charm and style that I could have watched him on screen as The Fighting O'Flynn for double the running time of this film and begged for more. This man is handy with the ladies, a sword, or even a shillelagh when the situation calls and he has nothing else.Though the film is full of Irish blarney as they come, The Fighting O'Flynn shows what Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. was all about on screen and its delightful entertainment.

theowinthrop This film is a semi-comical adventure film starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as a charming, impoverished Irish aristocrat. Fairbanks Jr. has always been sidelined in most critics views. His father was one of the superstars of Hollywood in the high silent period from 1915 to 1929, and even essayed a few interesting sound films. As the heir of the family name, Fairbanks Jr. had to make his own way. He did, but most people still think of his father first when "Fairbanks" and "movies" are mentioned. Fairbanks Jr. did have some significantly good roles in variety: he was the insane Tsar Peter III in CATHERINE THE GREAT, he graced a number of comedies like THE YOUNG AT HEART, and he could play villains (Rupert of Henzau in THE PRISONER OF ZENDA) as well as heroes (THE CORSICAN BROTHERS). But his competition was the ever available Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, and David Niven. Two superstars and a up-and-coming actor (later Oscar winner). Fairbanks kept competing and making films (and later television) but he gradually got more involved with diplomatic affairs between the United States and Great Britain, which became his final home. It was his choice, and he did well there too - but it's a pity. He was a better than average actor. To me his best performance (aside from Rupert) is the doctor trying to flee an iron curtain country in STATE SECRET.He is at his charming best here, stumbling onto a conspiracy led by Richard Greene's Lord Sedgemonth to help a French invasion fleet get settled in Ireland and succeed in resting that country from British control. He also is trying to romance Helena Carter (a stiff aristocrat), and avoid the traps of Greene and his mistress Patricia Medina. All while keeping his charming, easy going manners. Witness the scene where he confronts the French general Otto Waldis, who catches him on a lie, but still continues drinking with him.The background of the film is true, but forgotten. In 1797 Wolfe Tone, the great Irish patriot, was in Paris trying to plot an invasion by the French revolutionary forces to free all of Ireland (Protestant and Catholic) of Britain. He was working with General Lazare Hoche and the great mutiny of the British fleet in that year would have been the best opportunity. But while France's government debated the plan, Hoche died suddenly. Within a year Napoleon Bonaparte was the leading general, and he was using resources to invade Egypt. Still a small force was sent to Ireland, but got bogged down there and were forced out by the British. Tone tried to start the timed revolt, but it was snuffed out. He was arrested but committed suicide. His leading aristocratic ally, Lord Edward Fitzgerald (the model for Greene's Lord Sedgemonth) was killed when he was being arrested. The revolt still went on, but was put down by the then Viceroy of Ireland, Charles, Marquis Cornwallis (yes, Cornwallis was far more successful in Ireland and India as a soldier and administrator than in the United States). It is this background that is behind the story of THE FIGHTING O'FLYNN.