The Spanish Main

I really must say how much i enjoy this movie a great deal. It has the gorgeous Paul Henreid as the romantic hero and Beautiful Maureen O'Hara ( as two reviewers are clearly blind for one, in Hollywood of the 1940's women always looked older due to the amount of makeup and hairstyles they have and for the second, manly Jaw i have yet to see anything manly about Maureen O'Hara in any of her films. Rude just Rude.) I am now finished with my rant only to say how much i adore this movie and Walter Slezak as the baddie he always seemed to play in films of the 4o's.If Swashbuckle films of the 1930's and 1940's are your thing them make sure to check this out.

I thought this movie was a lot of fun, with some memorably witty lines (mostly delivered by Walter Slezak) that are referred to elsewhere on this site. I wonder if these were from Herman J Mankiewicz, who co-contributed to the screenplay - he certainly was talented enough.

All of the criticisms of it that are mentioned in other comments are true - it does have a familiar story line, obvious sets / model shots / backgrounds and some clunky dialogue and acting.

However these criticisms to me they don't really matter - it is a movie designed to entertain and provide enjoyment and it succeeds perfectly well at doing this.

By the way - the 'real' shot of the coastline I'm sure I've seen in other movies. Must have been close to Hollywood.

I am a great admirer of all the movies that Maureen O'Hara has starred in. This film represents one more entertaining and absorbing swashbuckler typical of its day wherein you have a Ms O'Hara and Paul Henreid turning in excellent performances. The plot and love interest are easily assimilated and believable. If a movie holds your attention throughout like this one does, there's no question that it's worth the time and popcorn! Movies are made to be enjoyed and appreciated, and I'm sure the public knows what is enjoyable because such old movies are still in circulation, and that speaks for its quality.

Greatly enjoyed this film from the past with all the actors looking so young and with great careers on the silver screen for many years. Maureen O'Hara, (Contessa Francesca), "The Black Swan", played the role of a sweet charming young lady going to be married to Don Juan Alvarado(Walter Slezak), "Born to Kill", who was a rather over weight and constantly was eating. As Contessa travels on the open seas, she comes face to face with Capt. Laurent Van Horn, (Paul Henreid),"Casablanca", who plays sort of a Robin Hood of the seas and steals from the Spanish. Capt. Van Horn desires to go to America and settle in the Carolina's but Don Juan Alvarado does everything in his power to stop him from interfering with his marriage plans to Contessa Francesda. There is plenty of action with swords and antique pistols and girls who have trouble trying to fire them off. Great Classic film and very entertaining.

Previous comments have said nearly all, but I thought this film was a good effort for 1945. As always with films of this date, I wonder why some of the fit-looking men weren't in the armed services. (I realise that Paul Henreid was an Austrian who had fled his country before the war; and I note a lot of the supporting cast have Hispanic names, suggesting they may have been from countries not directly involved in the fighting.) Though Henreid made a number of swashbucklers, he appears a just a little effete, almost a not-quite-so sensitive version of Leslie Howard. I couldn't quite believe Maureen O'Hara finding him fascinating at first glance (as always, she looks marvellous). Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power would have been more convincing.

The battling ships sequences look good, though it would be churlish to note that the model vessels show no signs of human life. I agree with the comments that Walter Slezak makes a fine villain.