Posts from ethanedwards in thread „Against All Flags (1952)“

Hi Vera,

Thanks for the extra photos.
I try and put a couple for each movie,
but so much work is involved getting
the reviews together, I have to stop somewhere.

Vera,
Can you enter your picture's into 'Gallery'

Quote

Originally posted by Senta@Oct 8 2006, 11:14 AM

Hi Keith,

I always thought that it is quite obvios that in this movie Flynn was a little (or even not so little) become bored with acting. I don't rememer quite, but he broke his leg or something like that during shooting?


Regards,
Senta

[snapback]35503[/snapback]

Display More

Vera,

Yes, he did break his leg while filming.

In the final duel with Quinn, Flynn fell and broke his leg.
The production was halted, until, he could heal.
Whilst he was recovering, Universal always conscious of budget,
instead of wasting the sets and time, made another movie,
Yankee Buccaneer, starring Jeff Chandler.
When Flynn, was better they continued with 'Flags' on those
very same sets!!

Against All Flags is a 1952 American pirate film
starring Errol Flynn as Brian Hawke,
Maureen O'Hara as Prudence "Spitfire" Stevens
and Anthony Quinn as Roc Brasiliano.

In 1700, British officer Brian Hawke infiltrates a group of pirates
located on the coast of Madagascar, and falls in love
with pirate captain "Spitfire" Stevens.

In this Errol Flynn,
swashbukling tale of pirates and the high seas,
Maureen looks her athletic best,
as she swashbuckles through this great film.
Anthony Quinn, as boring as ever,
and Mildred Natwick are some interesting names
that are here, too.

During the making of the film,
Maureen challenged Errol Flynn to a duel.
On paper it was ineffective and even Flynn
was reported as saying:-

Quote

Do you think this is going to work?
You know I am supposed to be the brave guy on screen.
How could I fight a woman?

Maureen was of course, quite capable of holding her own with a sword,
a gun, or even her fists, and when the scene was shot,
Maureen, handled herself, with the grace and ability,
of an experienced sword fighter!

User Review

Yet Another Errol Flynn Triumph!,
Author: JHC3 from Seattle, Washington

Quote

"Against All Flags" is every bit the classic swashbuckler. It has all the elements the adventure fan could hope for and more for in this one, the damsel in distress is, well, not really in distress. As Spitfire Stevens, Maureen O'Hara is at her athletic best, running her foes through in defiance of the social norms of the period. Anthony Quinn rounds out the top three billed actors as the ruthless Captain Roc Brasiliano and proves to be a wily and capable nemesis for Brian Hawke (Flynn). For the classic adventure fan, "Against All Flags" is a must-see. While it may not be in quite the same league as some of Errol Flynn's earlier work (Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk, for instance), it is still a greatly entertaining romp.

Information from IMDb

Plot Summary
In 1700, the pirates of Madagascar menace the India trade;
British officer Brian Hawke has himself cashiered, flogged,
and set adrift to infiltrate the pirate "republic."
There, Hawke meets lovely Spitfire Stevens, a pirate captain in her own right,
and the sparks begin to fly; but wooing a pirate poses unique problems.
Especially after he rescues adoring young Princess Patma from a captured ship.
Meanwhile, Hawke's secret mission proceeds to an action-packed climax.
Written by Rod Crawford

Full Cast
Errol Flynn .... Brian Hawke
Maureen O'Hara .... Prudence 'Spitfire' Stevens
Anthony Quinn .... Capt. Roc Brasiliano
Alice Kelley .... Princess Patma
Mildred Natwick .... Molvina MacGregor
Robert Warwick .... Captain Kidd
Harry Cording .... Gow
John Alderson .... Jonathan Harris
Phil Tully .... Jones
Lester Matthews .... Sir Cloudsley
Tudor Owen .... William the armourer
Maurice Marsac .... Captain Moisson
James Craven .... Captain Hornsby
James Fairfax .... Cruikshank the barber
John Anderson .... (uncredited)
Rene Beard .... Archimedes (uncredited)
Larry Chance .... The Lookout (uncredited)
Michael Ferris .... Quartermaster (uncredited)
Charles B. Fitzsimons .... Flag Lieutenant (uncredited)
Arthur Gould-Porter .... Lord Portland (uncredited)
Maralou Gray .... Harem girl (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton .... Pirate (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry .... Pirate raider (uncredited)
Olaf Hytten .... King William (uncredited)
Dave Kashner .... Flogger (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw .... Townsman (uncredited)
Mike Lally .... Pirate (uncredited)
James Logan .... Captain Robert (uncredited)
Keith McConnell .... Quartermaster (uncredited)
Paul Newlan .... Crop-ear Collins (uncredited)
Bill Radovich .... Hassan (uncredited)
Michael Ross .... Swaine (uncredited)
Lewis L. Russell .... Oxford (uncredited)
Carl Saxe .... Pirate (uncredited)
Emmett Smith .... Captain Black Death (uncredited)

Writing Credits
Æneas MacKenzie (story) (as Aeneas MacKenzie)
and Joseph Hoffman

Cinematography
Russell Metty

Trivia
Though Errol Flynn did most of his own stunts, he balked at the one involving sliding down through a sail on a rapier blade, which was originated by Douglas Fairbanks in The Black Pirate. The stunt was performed by a double.

In her autobiography "'Tis Herself", Maureen O'Hara says that Errol Flynn was always prepared, always knew his lines, and was a pleasure to work with in the mornings. But he drank and by 4pm was in no shape to continue. Even after director George Sherman banned alcohol on the set, O'Hara recalled, Flynn would inject oranges with booze and eat them in the morning, so that he was drunk by afternoon. O'Hara did all the romantic closeups at the end of the day with a black flag marked "X" to represent Flynn.

Flynn suffered a broken ankle during filming, and while he was recovering, Universal took advantage of the unused sets by scripting and shooting a hastily assembled B picture, Yankee Buccaneer with Jeff Chandler.

Goofs
Anachronisms: In the last battle aboard the ship Hawke climbs one of the masts. The crow's nest at the top has a modern looking wire mesh guard around it, instead of the rope netting one would expect in an 18th century vessel.

Factual errors: Captain Kidd is shown as one of the pirate captains in 1700. However, in 1699 Captain Kidd was arrested in Boston, sent to England in 1700, and executed in 1701.

Revealing mistakes: At the beginning of the movie, it is obvious that the "scars" are simply painted on Error Flynn's back, and in no way resemble the deep gashes a flogging would cause.

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Throughout the movie the pirate ships are shown as major warships, including two-deck ships-of-the-line; though most pirate ships were smaller vessels (usually converted from merchant ships) and this might be considered a Goof, pirates would 'trade up' when they captured better ships; successful pirates, such as Bartholomew Roberts, would often end up with such formidable ships; it was pirates such as these who formed the Pirate Republics like the fictional Libertatia, so it is not at all unlikely to see pirate ships like that there.

Continuity: In the final battle aboard the Scorpion, Harris kills the same pirate twice.

Memorable Quotes