The Spanish Main (1945)

Information from IMDb

Plot Summary
Laurent van Horn is the leader of a band of Dutch refugees on a ship seeking freedom in the Carolinas, when the ship is wrecked on the coast of Cartagene. governed by Don Juan Alvardo, Spainish ruler. Alvarado has Laurent thrown in prison, but the latter escapes, and five-years later is a pirate leader. He poses as the navigator on a ship in which Contessa Francesca, daughter of a Mexican noble, is traveling on her way to marry Alvarado, whom she has never seen. Laurent's pirates capture the ship and Francesa, in order to save another ship, gives her hand-in-marriage to Laurent, who sails her to the pirate hideout. This irks the jealous Anne Bonney and,also, Captain Benjamin Black, who was already irked, anyway. They overpower Laurent and send Francesa to Alvarado, and then Mario du Billar, trusted right-hand man, makes a deal to deliver Laurent to Alvarado also. Written by Les Adams

Full Cast
Maureen O'Hara .... Contessa Francesca
Paul Henreid .... Capt. Laurent Van Horn
Walter Slezak .... Don Juan Alvarado
Binnie Barnes .... Anne Bonney
John Emery .... Mario Du Billar
Barton MacLane .... Capt. Benjamin Black
J.M. Kerrigan .... Pillery Gow
Fritz Leiber .... Bishop
Nancy Gates .... Lupita
Jack La Rue .... Lt. Escobar (as Jack LaRue)
Mike Mazurki .... Erik Swaine
Ian Keith .... Captain Lussan
Curt Bois .... Paree
Antonio Moreno .... Commandante
Victor Kilian .... Santa Madre Captain
Demetrius Alexis .... Officer (uncredited)
Don Avalier .... Pirate (uncredited)
Martha Bamattre .... Innkeeper (uncredited)Bobby Barber .... Tailor's Assistant (uncredited)
George Bruggeman .... Officer (uncredited)
Ray Cooper .... Officer (uncredited)
Marcelle Corday .... Señora Perez (uncredited)
Juan de la Cruz .... Major Domo (uncredited)
Carl Deloro .... Officer (uncredited)
Abe Dinovitch .... Singer (uncredited)
Norma Drury Boleslavsky .... Señora Montalvo (uncredited)
Joaquin Elizondo .... Officer (uncredited)
Robert Hale .... Pot Boy (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton .... Officer (uncredited)
Al Haskell .... Officer (uncredited)
Jamiel Hasson .... Officer (uncredited)
Alf Haugan .... Officer (uncredited)
Brandon Hurst .... The Sea Lawyer (uncredited)
Tom Kennedy .... Pirate Captain at Inn in Tortuga (uncredited)
Carl Kent .... Officer (uncredited)
James Kirkwood .... Capt. Spratlin (uncredited)
Charles Legneur .... Servant (uncredited)
Manuel López .... (uncredited)
John Northpole .... Sailor (uncredited)
Bob O'Connor .... Master at Arms (uncredited)
Jose Portugal .... (uncredited)
Alfred Sabato .... Sailing Master (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo .... Spanish Guard (uncredited)
Leo Schlesinger .... Spanish Guard (uncredited)
Dan Seymour .... Jailer (uncredited)
Ray Spiker .... Bully (uncredited)
Jean Valjean .... Officer (uncredited)
Max Wagner .... Bully (uncredited)
Allan Watson .... Singer (uncredited)
Leo White .... Pedicurist (uncredited)
Jack Wise .... Hairdresser (uncredited)

Writing Credits
Æneas MacKenzie (story) (as Aeneas MacKenzie)
George Worthing Yates (screenplay) and
Herman J. Mankiewicz (screenplay)

Produced
Stephen Ames .... associate producer
Robert Fellows .... executive producer
Frank Borzage .... producer (uncredited)

Original Music
Hanns Eisler

Cinematography
George Barnes

Trivia
The voice of Victor Kilian (Captain of the Santa Madre) is dubbed by a different actor.

This was the first RKO Radio produced film to be shot in Technicolor.

Goofs
Continuity: In the scene where Swain fights Captain Black, Captain van Horn watches with his hands tied behind his back. At the beginning of the fight van Horn is wearing a red jacket which disappears halfway through the fight.

Memorable Quotes

The Spanish Main starred Paul Henreid, Maureen O'Hara,
Walter Slezak and Binnie Barnes,
and directed by Frank Borzage.
It was RKO's first all-Technicolor film since Becky Sharp ten years before.
Cinematographer George Barnes received an Academy Award
nomination for Best Color Cinematography.
Though a box office hit upon its first release,
the film is largely forgotten today, despite occasional airings
on cable stations such as Turner Classic Movies.

Not readily available this one.
A great swashbuckling film, with Maureen
looking incredible.
A great performance from her and Paul Henreid ,
with a great character actor,Walter Slezak.
putting in a fine performance.
Binne Barnes is in there too, as a woman pirate.
Beautiful gowns, and a great musical score,
with some great duelling.
Note also, Robert Fellows, Duke's friend
and co-producer, was also involved in this.
This is a good all round family film.

User Review

swashbuckler
10 January 2003 | by ([email protected]) (Santa Maria, CA)

Quote

I saw this on TV TCM today and will always enjoy the exciting story of the Spanish Main; with beautiful musical score and scenes rather well staged. Maureen O'Hara and Paul Henried are great! The scene stealer of course is that great character actor Walter Slezak, who plays a mean egocentric governor, but who gets it in the end. The duelling scenes are particularly good, and Paul Henried does a good job duelling. Binnie Barnes, who I remember so well in early films was especially great as a woman pirate

Quote from Romy

Another film from 1945 which I love.

To see if members are interested in film clips of Maureen, I will leave links active for ten days ...

Hi Romy,

Yes it works OK for me