The Silver Screen Oasis

I like Errol Flynn best, and my favorite is Captain Blood while I must admit The Sea Hawk may very well be the standard by which all others can be judged.

How about you?

Douglas Fairbanks, hands down. The original is still the best, IMO. The thing that I love about Fairbanks is that he always looks like he's having the time of his life -- I don't think anyone has ever had so much fun making movies.

I can't even pick one as a favorite -- they're all great.

I have to see his movies---I've only gotten a peak at clips but never an entire film, but he is always mentioned as the best because he did so many stunts himself and had such verve.

jondaris wrote:Douglas Fairbanks, hands down.

Absolutely! If I had to pick a favourite I'd be torn between The Thief of Bagdad (not only a great swashbuckler, but gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous) or The Gaucho - a bizarre but wonderfully entertaining and rather sexy movie with a cameo by Mary Pickford as the Vigin Mary (yes, in a swashbuckling adventure picture!) and lots of steamy romance between Fairbanks and Lupe Velez.

Flynn isn't even in the same class.

I like Fairbanks in "Three Musketeers" and "Iron Mask," but I didn't like "Black pirate" all that much.

To me, Errol Flynn is the great swashbuckler. "Captain Blood" and "Adventures of Robin Hood" are the peak of the genre.

"Scaramouche" with Stewart Granger is also a lot of fun, as is Burt Lancaster in "The Crimson Pirate."

MikeBSG wrote:I like Fairbanks in "Three Musketeers" and "Iron Mask," but I didn't like "Black pirate" all that much.

To me, Errol Flynn is the great swashbuckler. "Captain Blood" and "Adventures of Robin Hood" are the peak of the genre.

It's a given that Flynn's Robin Hood is the best adaptation of that story ever, but I like the Fairbanks version as well. I love The Black Pirate/. It has everything you could ever want in a pirate movie. If i had to pick a favorite though, it would be The Thief of Bagdad. This is simply a perfect movie in every way. I thought The Iron Mask worked better overall than The Three Musketeers.

jondaris wrote:If i had to pick a favorite though, it would be The Thief of Bagdad. This is simply a perfect movie in every way. I thought

It's also one of the most effective uses of tinting that you'll ever see. It absolutely must be seen tinted.

Douglas Fairbanks, hands down

Jon,

I agree 100%! Not only on Doug, sr as the best swashbuckler on film but also to your statement that no one seemed to have as much fun as he did making movies.

The Three Musketeers, Robin Hood, The Black Pirate (with the 2-Stripe Technicolor scenes), Thief of Baghdad, Zorro and The Iron Mask.

I can't pick a favorite, I love them all.

I most prefer the Tyrone Power Zorro, and the 1948 Three Musketeers, with Van Heflin, Lana, and Gig Young and my third is Errol as Robin Hood.

Anne

Well, it should come as no shock that I would pick Errol Flynn. Captain Blood is one of my favorite films, and I adore The Adventures of Don Juan, The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Sea Hawk as well. But I never saw a Flynn swashbuckler I didn't like. Not all are top notch films - particularly the ones from the very late 40's and early 50's. But all of the earlier ones are fabulous and the later ones are still interesting.

Still...there is no more electric moment than is that scene in Captain Blood after Peter Blood takes over the Spanish ship and starts barking out orders. What a moment. And it's made even better by the fact that it was Flynn's first 'real' first billing film.

mrsl wrote:I most prefer the Tyrone Power Zorro, and the 1948 Three Musketeers, with Van Heflin, Lana, and Gig Young and my third is Errol as Robin Hood.

Anne

Power's swashie's are next on my list of favorites. I think he was grand as Zorro and he's also magnificent in The Prince of Foxes and The Black Swan.

pktrekgirl wrote:Well, it should come as no shock that I would pick Errol Flynn....there is no more electric moment than is that scene in Captain Blood after Peter Blood takes over the Spanish ship and starts barking out orders. What a moment. And it's made even better by the fact that it was Flynn's first 'real' first billing film.

And once you know his real life background it makes his characters seem so much more believable! He really could have been at home on any of those wild, roaring seas roaming about looking for ships to capture and damsels to distress!

^ Oh yes - I agree. He was all over the hangin' around on ships part!

I must admit I've not seen too many Tyrone Power swashbucklers. I saw THE MARK OF ZORRO and liked it okay...but I didn't like it as much as, say, CAPTAIN BLOOD or THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD.

I just purchased Ty's swashbuckler set, however, so I'll see if I can warm up to him a bit more. In truth, I think part of my trouble with him might be some of his fans that I've come across, rather than Ty himself.

pktrekgirl wrote:^ Oh yes - I agree. He was all over the hangin' around on ships part!

I must admit I've not seen too many Tyrone Power swashbucklers. I saw THE MARK OF ZORRO and liked it okay...but I didn't like it as much as, say, CAPTAIN BLOOD or THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD.

I just purchased Ty's swashbuckler set, however, so I'll see if I can warm up to him a bit more. In truth, I think part of my trouble with him might be some of his fans that I've come across, rather than Ty himself.

I hope you enjoy Ty's swashies....I especially love Son of Fury and The Prince of Foxes. SoF is not really what I'd call a swashbuckler, though, more of an historical drama but it's beautifully made and written. Prince of Foxes may be one of the most gorgeous films ever made. Seeing all that stunning Italian scenery (it's filmed entirely in Italy), costumes and decor in that period is such a treat. If only it could have been done in color.

Captain from Castile may be the most exciting of them all, though. It was filmed in Mexico and really has a strong story line that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Also, the dance he does with Jean Peters is very erotic, the sort of thing that harkens back to Valentino.

My faves are, in order:

- Captain Blood (1935)
- The Sea Hawk (1940)
- Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
- Scaramouche (1953)
- Both versions of "Prisoner of Zenda" (1937 & 1952)
- "Mark of Zorro" (1940)
- "The Black Swan" (1942)
- "Son of Fury" (1942)
- "Crimson Pirate" (1952)