The SPANISH MAIN
RKO Radio Pictures (1945) Dir. Frank Borzage
100 min. / Technicolor / 1.37:1 / 1080p / DTS-HD MA English 2.0 Mono

Blu-ray: Warner Archive $21.99
*
Available from Movie Zyng

Apparently, revenge is a dish best served cold, and wet, and at the sharp point of a blade. When a Dutch ship bound for the New World and religious freedom is blown into a Spanish port in the Caribbean, Cap’n Paul Henreid and the survivors are sold into slavery by despicable governor Walter Slezak, but since burly Mike Mazurki is on Henreid’s side, well, escape is inevitable and five years later Henreid – now a feared buccaneer called the Barracuda – sees and seizes an opportunity to make the Governor rue his actions by stealing his bride-to-be, gorgeous Maureen O’Hara. And being a Buccaneer in good standing, Henreid also decides to woo his new hostage and turn on his handsome Dutch charm. Ah, but is it love?

Henreid, tired of the wartime roles Warner Bros. was foisting on him (with the exception, one imagines, of Casablanca), decided he had a taste for being a pirate, and brought the story to Jack Warner, who threw him out of his office. RKO was amenable, however, and spent a small fortune on it (while putting the kibosh on a planned battle royale that was supposed to end the film). Every dollar is on the scene, from the brilliant sets and unforgettable Hanns Eisler score to the costumes, and – as we have always said – nothing looks better in Technicolor than a ship full of pirates. Frank Borzage directs with flair and keeps the action flowing, even the romantic sequences don’t slow things down. Miss O’Hara, of course, is one of the most stunningly beautiful women in the history of movies, and has never looked better.

Warner Archive continues to kick the bar ever higher with their beautiful Blu-ray releases of classic films, and this edition absolutely glows with color and sass to install this film on a short list of all-time perfect matinee pictures. The bonuses besides the trailer include two Bugs Bunny cartoons that feature Bugs against pirate Yosemite Sam, and since the second one repeats gags from the first, it’s an odd choice to include. There’s also a wonderful 2-reel Technicolor musical short with Jane Wyman and Scotty Beckett, among many others, that seems to be comprised of scenes and outtakes from other Technicolor films.

(We're also going to mention that Henreid's name is misspelled on the back of the packaging, which we only mention because we're trained proofreaders here in the Balcony and our services come cheap.)

The year is early, but The Spanish Main is one of our favorite releases so far. We’re often in the mood for a swashbuckler, and this is a terrific one for a perfect Saturday Matinee.

“Your lips? They could persuade me that I made a good bargain!”