The Spanish Main *** (1945, Paul Henreid, Maureen O’Hara, Walter Slezak, Binnie Barnes) – Classic Movie Review 7836

Director Frank Borzage’s lusty 1945 adventure movie The Spanish Main stars Paul Henreid as dashing Dutch pirate captain Laurent Van Horn, who sets out to rescue his fair maid the Contessa Francesca (Maureen O’Hara) from the vicious clutches of villainous viceroy Don Juan Alvarado (Walter Slezak).

The Spanish Main is a colourful swashbuckler, with a first-rate cast giving feisty, vivacious performances, plenty of action, Oscar-nominated Technicolor cinematography by George Barnes, an intelligent screenplay by George Worthing Yates and Herman J Mankiewicz (based on the story by Aeneas MacKenzie) and vigorous direction by cult name Borzage. It is a big production for RKO Radio Pictures, costing $2,000,000, and an exciting package.

Incredibly, co-author Mankiewicz is also the writer of Citizen Kane!

Also in the cast are Binnie Barnes, John Emery, Barton MacLane, J M Kerrigan, Nancy Gates, Victor Killian, Mike Mazurki, Jack LaRue, Fritz Leiber, Ian Keith, Curt Bois, Antonio Moreno, Alfredo Sabato, Brandon Hurst, Tom Kennedy and Bob O’Connor.

The Spanish Main is directed by Frank Borzage, runs 101 minutes, is made by RKO Radio Pictures, released by RKO, is written by George Worthing Yates and Herman J Mankiewicz, based on the story by Aeneas MacKenzie, is shot in Technicolor by George Barnes, is produced by Robert Fellows, and is scored by Hanns Eisler and Constantin Bakaleinikoff.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7836

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