THE PLOT THUS FAR
Tyrone Power and Maureen O’Hara cross romantic swords in this epic OSCAR®-Winning* swashbuckler. Reformed pirate Jamie Boy (Power) is supposed to be helping the new governor of Jamaica rid the Caribbean of black-hearted buccaneers. But when he falls head over keel for Lady Margaret (O’Hara) he kidnaps her and sets sail for the adventure of a lifetime.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“The Black Swan” runs true to form, with Maureen O’Hara exchanging insults with Power and telling him how much she despises him, so you know they were meant for each other. There is a strong tongue in cheek element of the characters and dialogue, with everything larger than life. Laird Cregar does a splendid job as the highly theatrical Sir Henry Morgan, buccaneer turned colonial governor, tempted to return to his past life of piracy. Thomas Mitchell is a rascal of the classic type, and Anthony Quinn shows up complete with a black patch over one eye.
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.
The Blu-Ray comes with a trailer and commentary. The A/V Quality is strong with an appropriate DTS-HD 1.0 master audio track that represents the original audio channel. Plus, the 1080p transfer is cleaned up to showcase that Oscar winning cinematography. The Vote Your Choice 2013 contest has been a success for fans of Classic Fox Cinema. I hope that keep it going in 2014, as we need more classic titles available on Blu-Ray.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!