Movie Review: Edge Of Darkness (1943)

A World War Two drama, Edge Of Darkness is a stirring tale of resistance in a small Norwegian village.

In the occupied Norwegian fishing community of Trollness, all the residents and all the stationed German troops are found dead. The events of the prior week are revealed in flashback. 

The German commander Koenig (Helmut Dantine) maintains order through intimidation, and his soldiers keep close tabs on the restless villagers, including resistance sympathizers Gunnar Brogge (Errol Flynn), a fisher, and his lover Karen Stensgard (Ann Sheridan). But not all the residents are hostile. Cannery owner Kaspar Torgersen (Charles Dingle) is a German collaborator. Karen's father Martin (Walter Huston) is the village's only doctor and stays neutral, while his wife Anna (Ruth Gordon) is borderline delusional. The innkeeper Gerd Bjarnesen (Judith Anderson) lost her husband to the war and is fending off a German soldier's unwanted romantic advances. 

Gunnar and Karen learn the Allies will drop off a weapons cache from the sea. The villagers are only able to communicate at secret meetings, and have to decide whether to unite, organize and take up arms against the occupiers while guarding against the threat of informers.

An adaptation of the book by William Woods, Edge Of Darkness is an engrossing multi-character drama. The Robert Rossen screenplay patiently explores the tensions simmering among residents chafing under the Nazi occupation, and director Lewis Milestone keeps the story moving, using most of the two hours to delve into the challenge of uniting a group towards a common purpose as the fuse is lit for a raucous climax.

From the opening sequence showing dead bodies strewn all across the village, Edge Of Darkness sets itself apart as a grim and uncompromising view of war. Despite propaganda objectives to rally anti-Nazi support when the war's outcome was very much in doubt, the story rises above shallow pedagogy by avoiding crass emotions and histrionics. Instead Milestone gets down to the pragmatic business of occupiers and the occupied engaged in a deadly game of mental and physical manoeuvring for intimidation and control.

The underlying theme is strength in unity, and despite the presence of stars Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan, they have relatively limited roles. Gunnar and Karen are just two of the many villagers making up a community with diverse viewpoints on how to deal with a well-armed occupying force. And while businessman and factory owner Torgersen is easy to dislike as an all-in collaborator, the grey middle zone of uncertainty is most compelling. 

Doctor Stensgard, his mentally suffering wife Anna, and the church pastor are among prominent citizens unsure whether carrying guns and charging at the Germans is the wisest course of action, while elderly and retired school teacher Andersen (Morris Carnovsky) seeks an independent method of resistance.

In addition to debates between here-and-now action and pick-the-right moment strategy, an undercover agent adds intrigue, while the weaponization of sex features in the story of Polish captive Katja (Nancy Coleman) and a harrowing rape incident. The narrative depth extends to commander Koenig's own ambitions and disillusionment with his superiors.

When the time comes for the bullets to fly, Milestone and cinematographer Sid Hickox deploy gliding camera work to capture a village turning into a battlefield. Filled with human-centred intrigue, Edge Of Darkness is a sharp moment of reckoning.



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Movie Review: Dodge City (1939)

A sprawling western, Dodge City features Errol Flynn's first foray into the genre with a character-rich plot and many well-executed highlights. 

After the Civil War, the arrival of the railroad transforms Dodge City, Kansas, into a bustling but crime-ridden cattle trading hub. Adventurer Wade Hatton (Errol Flynn) leads a cattle drive towards the city, and in subduing the dangerously drunk Lee Irving (William Lundigan), upsets his sister Abbie (Olivia de Havilland). Upon arriving at Dodge, Wade finds the town being run by corrupt businessman Jeff Surrett (Bruce Cabot) and his henchmen, including the killer Yancy (Victor Jory).

The town leaders including Abbie's uncle Dr. Irving (Henry Travers) appeal to Wade to accept the role of Sheriff and instill law and order. He reluctantly accepts, and along with his sidekicks Rusty (Alan Hale) and Tex (Guinn "Big Boy" Williams) starts cleaning up the town while working on thawing his relationship with Abbie. Wade finds support from local newspaper editor Joe Clemens (Frank McHugh), but Surrett will not quietly accept the challenge to his authority.

Most of the elements expected in a western ride into Dodge City, including the cattle drive, a reluctant lawman, the battle between good and evil for the soul of a town, tension between settlers seeking a peaceful living and cowboys intent on shooting up the place, showgirls and gambling tables, and finally a quite epic barroom brawl. Director Michael Curtiz and writer Robert Buckner throw in a streak of mean humour and a framing story featuring rail tycoons pushing the iron horse ever westward to open up more territory for trade and settlement.

Curtiz makes excellent use of bright Technicolor, and the chaos of Dodge City looks gorgeous, the mayhem, characters and sets popping off the screen. The stunt work is also stellar, including a jump onto runaway horses dragging a victim through the street, that anarchic brawl (an extension of the Civil War), and a climax featuring a train on fire. Backprojection is also cleverly deployed in a couple of dramatic action scenes, including a race between a train and a mail wagon.

The narrative is enlivened but also sometimes distracted by the wealth of characters. The opening act has trouble finding traction, as Curtiz bounces around to introduce the town founders, Wade and his colleagues, the Irving family, and Surrett, his cronies and victims, including the Cole family. The investment does eventually pay off, but as with the streets of Dodge City, an uneasy sense of too much going on threatens cohesion.

Errol Flynn combines a smooth persona with a stiff transition to the western milieu, an Australian playing an Irish character in the American west landing just a bit awkwardly. Bruce Cabot makes for a fine smarmy villain. Olivia de Havilland, in her fifth teaming with Flynn, is lively but underutilized, with Alan Hale hogging too much screen time for a sidekick role. Elsewhere the cast is deep in talent and familiar faces, including Ann Sheridan delivering a couple of kicky numbers as a saloon showgirl.

Buoyant and more than a bit disorganized, Dodge City captures the town's frontier spirit.

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Movie Review: The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex (1939)

A historical costume drama, The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex is a stage-bound talk-fest. Bette Davis delivers a powerhouse performance, but is severely undermined by an emotionally schizophrenic script.

The elderly Queen Elizabeth (Davis) is feeling old and lonely, but she is very much in love with the young and handsome war hero Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex (Errol Flynn).  As much as Elizabeth loves Essex, she recognizes his naked ambition and his desire to seize the crown for himself. Essex professes to also love the Queen, and does not hide his aspiration to be King, leading to a deep rift between them. Francis Bacon (Donald Crisp) is friends with both Elizabeth and Essex, but even he cannot arrange a reconciliation.

Meanwhile the young and ravishing Lady Penelope Gray (Olivia de Havilland) wants Essex for herself, while Essex's rivals Sir Robert Cecil (Henry Daniell) and Sir Walter Raleigh (Vincent Price) actively plot against him. A rebellion in Ireland under the leadership of the charismatic Earl of Tyrone (Alan Hale, Sr.) gives Elizabeth reason to again call upon Essex's military services, but healing their relationship will not be easy.

Directed by Michael Curtiz as a glossy and colourful adaptation of the play Elizabeth The Queen, The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex has very few sets, many exceedingly long scenes, and interminable dialogue that circles the same topics for eternity.

The plot hinges on whether or not the love between the Queen and Essex can survive his obvious ambition and her fierce determination to rule. And this point is debated endlessly, the laboriously long exchanges between them suffering from stunning emotional dissonance. Within seconds the two move from lovingly laughing and kissing to serious threats of treason and decapitation, and then back again. This whiplash-inducing pattern undermines any credibility in the characters and is repeated several times, the same themes on replay at the beginning, middle and end of the film.

Elsewhere there is an underdeveloped palace conspiracy to undermine Essex's power, an objective that he appears quite capable of achieving on his own. A brief sojourn into a battle in Ireland is laughably constrained to a small sound stage.

The fictional character of Lady Penelope Gray is introduced to give Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland another screen outing, but instead further erodes the narrative's integrity: de Havilland is stunningly fetching as Lady Gray, and the dashing Essex looking past her to expound love for the hideous Queen beggars belief. Lady Gray's actions should have also landed her neck on the chopping block within 20 minutes, but she somehow never earns the Queen's true wrath despite endless conniving.

What remains are plenty of lavish costumes and a Bette Davis performance that ages her about 30 years, with the ugliest possible hair and make-up combination. She owns the role and commands the film with the same ferocity Elizabeth demonstrated in bossing her country. In contrast all the other performances fade into insignificance, including a flighty Errol Flynn. He looks absolutely dashing in tights and fighting gear, but is simply too lightweight to convince as the Queen's lover and rival.

The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex may have been intriguing, but the film lands squarely in the stodgy zone.

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Movie Review: The Sea Hawk (1940)

An Errol Flynn swashbuckler, The Sea Hawk combines swordplay, pirates and politics in a story loosely inspired by the contest between England and Spain to rule the world in Elizabethan times.

King Philip II of Spain (Montagu Love) dispatches his ambassador Don José Álvarez de Córdoba (Claude Rains) to the court of Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson). Philip wants Don José to distract Elizabeth into thinking that Spain has no evil intentions, while in reality he is plotting to expand Spain's influence using a powerful armada. England's navy is weak, and Elizabeth is reliant on a small group of independent war ships known as the sea hawks to defend the English channel.

Geoffrey Thorpe (Flynn) is one such gentlemanly hawk, and his ship Albatross intercepts and destroys Don José's vessel, and delivers the ambassador and his entourage including Captain López (Gilbert Roland) and niece Doña María (Brenda Marshall) as prisoners to Elizabeth. Despite being on opposing sides, Thorpe and María start to fall in love. But Spain has a powerful ally in the form of Lord Wolfingham (Henry Daniell) embedded in Elizabeth's inner circle, and Philip's plan remains intact. Nevertheless, Elizabeth trusts Thorpe's instincts and agrees to his covert mission to sail to Panama and intercept crucial supplies used by the Spaniards to equip their navy. Thorpe's ambitious ambush goes awry, creating a vacuum in Elizabeth's defences and an opportunity for the Spaniards to strike.

The tenth collaboration between star Errol Flynn and director Michael Curtiz, The Sea Hawk does not disappoint. By now the formula of adventure, sword fights, romance and politics was perfected, and the film breezes through its 127 minutes without a wasted moment. The script credited to Howard Koch and Seton I. Miller keeps the action hopping from sea to shore, and balances the boisterous naval battles with plenty of court intrigue and political maneuvering.

Only loosely based on historical events, The Sea Hawk started life as an adaptation of Rafael Sabatini's 1915 novel, and ended up borrowing inspiration from the exploits of Sir Francis Drake. By the time the film was competed and released in 1940, it became a useful opportunity to rally British morale in the early days of World War Two. The film ends with the Queen giving a rousing speech in which she commits to defend freedom at all costs.

Errol Flynn is at his smoothly charismatic best, although there are elements of going-through-the-motions that do creep into his performance. And even he can't spark the romance, which emerges as the film's weakest link. The underwhelming Brenda Marshall struggles for relevance, the role of Doña María simply not developed enough to generate the required passion, and Flynn's eyes seem to ache for Olivia de Havilland. Thorpe and María share the one meaningful romantic scene together, and the rest of their relationship consists of longing from afar and brief moments stolen amidst the unfolding action.

Unexpectedly, the more complicated relationship between Thorpe and Elizabeth piques the interest quite a bit more, with Flora Robson biting into the monarch's role with obvious relish. Claude Rains is a reliable conniving politician, while Gilbert Roland and Henry Daniell give the enemies of Thorpe some sharp edges. The supporting case includes Donald Crisp as Sir John, a loyalist member of Elizabeth's circle, Alan Hale as Mr. Pitt, Thorpe's second-in-command, and James Stephenson.

The Flynn / Curtiz collaborations are rightly remembered for their impressive action scenes and The Sea Hawk lives up to expectations. The opening attack by Albatross on Don José's ship is a masterpiece of thrilling execution, while the climax features plenty of sword fights to showcase Flynn at his swashbuckling best. Less well acknowledged is how much attention Flynn's adventures invested in events unfolding far from the battlefields. The Sea Hawk delves into the high stakes games played by Kings, Queens, and their power hungry advisors. As history it may be mostly imaginative, but The Sea Hawk takes the time to reveal the hands that move the chess pieces.

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Movie Review: Captain Blood (1935)

One of the original swashbuckling epics, Captain Blood offers an absorbing story about an English doctor turned pirate in the late 1600s.

It's the 1680s in England, and a revolution against King James II is underway. Doctor Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) is sitting out the rebellion, but is anyway arrested for treason while performing his humanitarian duty and tending to the injuries of a rebel. Blood is spared the death penalty and dispatched as a slave to Port Royal, Jamaica. He is purchased by Arabella Bishop (Olivia de Havilland), the niece of local military commander Colonel Bishop (Lionel Atwill). Blood puts his medical skills to use and earns some level of freedom by helping to treat the gout condition of the island's governor.

Blood and some of the other slaves including his friends Jeremy Pitt (Ross Alexander) and Hagthorpe (Guy Kibbee) start to plan an escape from the island, but their scheming is disrupted when a Spanish war ship attacks the port. Blood and his cohorts are able to take command of the ship and set sail into the Caribbean, becoming the most feared pirates in the region. Blood accumulates wealth by sacking merchant ships, and tangles with French pirate Levasseur (Basil Rathbone), but with the winds of change blowing through England, he has to again face his destiny in Port Royal.

Warner Bros. plonked virtual unknowns Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland into the starring roles of a $1 million epic, teamed them with director Michael Curtiz, and emerged with a timeless classic and one of Hollywood's most enduring screen couples. Captain Blood offers a rich story, patient build-ups, witty dialogue, an impressive scale, some gripping action and combat scenes, and plenty of heart.

The Casey Robinson script (an adaptation of a Rafael Sabatini novel) creates a charismatic and compelling central character who easily sustains the two hours of running time. In a remarkable display of mature film making, the first hour is invested in Blood's story before he became a pirate. This is time well spent, and Blood emerges as a rounded character, his background, motivations and beliefs carrying through to his days terrorizing the waters of the Caribbean.

Blood allows his mouth to frequently get him into trouble, a case of principle triumphing over convenience. His outspokenness also helps to get him noticed, which works for and against him in various situations. Blood helps to confirm that history is shaped by the brave, but they only earn their rewards after suffering as a result of their courage to stand for what is right.

Captain Blood excels at sub-plots and secondary themes to supplement the main protagonist. The relationship between Blood and Arabella is immediately electric, and the plot arcs beautifully to allow each to own the other. There are examples of camaraderie among Blood's men, a strong moral code even within the pirate community, and Blood takes to the sword to defend the virtues of women.

The film ends with a stunning naval battle, as Blood and his shipmates throw caution to the wind to reclaim their pride as citizens of a nation. Curtiz choreographs a spectacular 25 minute sequence of large war ships charging and trading fire at close quarters, resulting in mayhem, destruction and glory.

Flynn commands the screen with unconstrained charisma. Always a better actor than he was given credit for, Flynn has relatively few swashbuckling scenes and spends most of the film as a slave and a captive maintaining his dignity in the face of injustice. Once transformed into a pirate Flynn turns on his leadership wattage and it proves simply irresistible. De Havilland quickly establishes herself a worthy screen partner, her chin-up determination a perfect fit with Flynn's bravado.

Flynn and de Havilland would go on to co-star in a total of eight films, seven of them directed by Curtiz. It all started at the docks in Port Royal, with de Havilland offering $10 and buying herself a man.

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The Movies Of Errol Flynn

All movies starring Errol Flynn and reviewed on the Ace Black Movie Blog are linked below:

Captain Blood (1935)

The Charge Of The Light Brigade (1936)

The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938)

Dodge City (1939)

The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex (1939)

The Sea Hawk (1940)

Santa Fe Trail (1940)

They Died With Their Boots On (1941)

Edge Of Darkness (1943)

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Movie Review: They Died With Their Boots On (1941)

An ambitious biographical epic, They Died With Their Boots On is a stellar example of grand storytelling, Hollywood style. The chequered history of George Custer makes for an action-packed and yet human story, recounted with impressive vigour and traces of humour.

Before the Civil War, George Custer (Errol Flynn) enlists at West Point Military Academy with ambitions to join the cavalry. He proves to be an undisciplined free spirit, unable to follow rules, his record tarnished with frequent transgressions. He clashes with fellow cadet Ned Sharp (Arthur Kennedy), and meets and falls in love with Elizabeth Bacon (Olivia de Havilland), the daughter of businessman Samuel Bacon (Gene Lockhart).

When the Civil War does erupt Custer is rushed into service in the Union Army despite his unpromising performance. Lieutenant General Winfield Scott (Sydney Greenstreet) takes a shine to the young man and assigns him to the Cavalry. Custer proves to be an unconventional and fearless military commander, incurring losses but achieving significant victories. In the chaos of war, he is quickly promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. He marries Elizabeth, continues to lead his troops from the front, and contributes to the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg.

In a post-war funk Custer crosses path with Sharp, now part of an unscrupulous railroad expansion business cartel. Custer refuses to go into business, rejoins the military and is assigned to command Fort Lincoln deep in the Dakota Territory. With Indians under the leadership of Crazy Horse (Anthony Quinn) still ruling the territories and threatening trade routes, Custer gets help from grizzled old-timer California Joe (Charley Grapewin) and sets about to whip the fort regiment into shape and forge peace. But events and corporate interests will conspire against him, culminating in the Battle of Little Big Horn.

An enthusiastic version of the Custer story, They Died With Their Boots On is a galloping 140 minutes packed with adventure, war, politics and ultimately tragedy. Director Raoul Walsh expertly paces the film to alternate swashbuckling moments of Flynn doing what Flynn does best with more measured character-building scenes, delving into quieter moments where politicians, generals and businessmen helped to shape the key events in his life. The one missing aspect is Custer's childhood and upbringing, but the film is none the poorer for the omission. He arrives at West Point as an oddball adult, and remains a true contrarian throughout his colourful career.

In the context of Hollywood's early 1940s era, They Died With Their Boots On is remarkably accurate. Custer's abject mediocrity at West Point, his unexpected over-achievement in the Civil War, his bold battlefield tactics, his post-war involvement in the intersection of politics with commerce, and the romance with Elizabeth Bacon are all represented, and bring to life a rounded hero rightfully celebrated in his time. His last stand and demise at Little Big Horn are romanticized in Custer's favour as a great sacrifice, but the film is commendable for capturing a compelling Custer with all his faults, and all his strengths.

The film boasts a progressive portrayal of the Indian tribes, who are presented as defending their land, willing to accept peace, and then victims of a betrayal driven by unscrupulous business interests.  The screenplay (by Æneas MacKenzie, Wally Kline and Lenore J. Coffee) also excels at injecting the typically ignored backroom machinations of business and politics, providing the movie with an added dimension of intrigue outside the more traditional battlefield exploits. And throughout Custer's adventures, moments of humour and human traits and foibles are teased out, turning the legend into a man.

They Died With Their Boots On was the eighth and final teaming of Flynn and de Havilland. They are easily comfortable with each other, their romance and marriage an inspiration and then foundation for Custer's exploits. Their last scene together is prolonged and poignant: Custer's farewell to Elizabeth as he prepares for the fateful battle with Crazy Horse is carefully constructed by Walsh to heighten the impending tragedy. Flynn and de Havilland give the scene a deep maturity as the couple dance around what needs to be fully understood but absolutely unsaid. Flynn again demonstrates admirable range and no shortage of charisma in the acting scenes, while Arthur Kennedy as Ned Sharp is a worthy and tenacious adversary.

Custer's legacy was much more than just his final stand, and They Died With Their Boots On flamboyantly celebrates an adventure-seeking maverick who lived life to the fullest.

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Movie Review: Santa Fe Trail (1940)

An intriguing story of the bubbling conflicts before the Civil War, Santa Fe Trail takes the usual historical liberties but is an otherwise thought provoking examination of hatred and zealotry deployed for a just cause.

It's 1854, and at the West Point Military Academy James "Jeb" Stewart (Errol Flynn), George Custer (Ronald Reagan) and Carl Rader (Van Heflin) are about to graduate together. But Rader harbours strong sympathies for violent slavery abolitionist John Brown (Raymond Massey), sparking a brawl among the members of the graduating class. Rader is dishonourably discharged. Stewart and Custer are posted to the dangerous territory around Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where they both fall in love with Kit Holliday (Olivia de Havilland), the daughter of a railroad tycoon.

Rader joins Brown's growing movement of fanatics in Kansas, helping slaves escape but brutally killing and pillaging any community that stands in their way. Stewart and Custer are tasked with ending Brown's reign of terror, and they eventually uncover his hideout at Shubel Morgan's ranch in Palmyra. But Brown regroups in Virginia and plans a daring raid on the arsenal at Harper's Ferry, forcing another confrontation with the army forces.

Directed by Michael Curtiz, Santa Fe Trail is a mix of military action, politics, bonhomie, romance and history. The film takes a few liberties with the historical characters of the era to create a who's-who of American military adventurism standing shoulder to shoulder. In reality Custer and Stewart were not in the same class, but here it does not matter. This is a reality-based story about the swirling clouds before the unseen storm, with a focus on the strong military bonds that were to be soon fractured. Stewart, Custer and their colleagues are gung-ho and united in giving chase to the radicalized Brown; and they cannot begin to conceive of a near future when they will be splintered and forced to fight each other.

John Brown presents a most interesting conundrum as the central antagonist. A virulent anti-slavery warrior, his methods were hateful and destructive, as he fought against despicable and dehumanizing racism. Brown was on a private war path before there was a war and therefore had to be stopped, but the Civil War that inevitably followed was an expanded version of the conflict he started. The film portrays Brown as a wide-eyed maniac, but Raymond Massey's domineering performance also portrays a man deeply convinced that he is right, with plenty of followers willing to take up arms for his cause.

Also interesting is the film's unapologetic presentation, through Stewart's words, of the South's position that left alone, the region was moving to phase out slavery on its own. And in the hellish chaos caused by Brown, a black family expresses a rejection of Brown's version of violence-drenched freedom and a longing for the comfort of what they know - slavery. These are not easy contrarian opinions to grapple with, and Santa Fe Trail allows the plot to progress through the vagaries of a pre-war era not yet defined by winners and losers, where right and wrong clash in the fog of opinionated pragmatism.

Through it all Errol Flynn delivers a surprisingly restrained performance. His version of Jeb Stewart is charismatic, heroic and daring when he needs to be, but just as often Flynn allows Stewart to be thoughtful, reserved and respectful. With his 1940s haircut Ronald Reagan is difficult to take seriously as Custer, while de Havilland gets yet another role as little more than decoration to Flynn's daring-do. This being the seventh Flynn - de Havilland screen pairing, the love triangle between Custer, Stewart and Kit is conceded by Reagan before the opening credits.

In addition to Van Heflin as the conflicted West Point outcast torn between a cause and his economic well-being, the supporting cast includes Alan Hale and William Lundigan as Tex Bell and Bob Holliday, two rough adventurers tagging along with the army mainly to provide comic relief.

Santa Fe Trail is an interesting pathway where the dark clouds of today conceal the looming black thunderheads of tomorrow, and all that seems certain and straight proves to be unexpectedly complex.

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Movie Review: The Charge Of The Light Brigade (1936)

Long on rousing action and short on historical accuracy, The Charge Of The Light Brigade uses the actual battle of 1854 as a climax but constructs an entirely fictitious narrative as a lead up story. The film is nevertheless a wildly entertaining and lavishly produced spectacle.

In the tribal areas of India in the mid-19th century, the 27th Lancers of the British Army under the leadership of Major Geoffrey Vickers (Errol Flynn) are tasked with keeping the peace in the Suristan territory, controlled by local leader Surat Khan (C. Henry Gordon). The nearby British presence is centred on a fort in the remote town of Chukoti. Vickers saves Khan's life during a hunting expedition. But there is unexpected trouble for Geoffrey when he discovers that his fiancée Elsa (Olivia de Havilland) has fallen in love with his younger brother Captain Perry Vickers (Patric Knowles).

With regional tensions rising Khan decides to betray the British and align himself with the Russians, and orders his men to commit a massacre at the Chukoti fort, murdering women and children who were under the protection of the 27th Lancers. Khan repays his debt by sparing Geoffrey's life. War breaks out in the Crimea, and both Vickers brothers are reassigned to augment the British forces waging battle. With Khan's men deployed on the front lines but protected by Russian cannons, Geoffrey spots an opportunity for the Lancers to gain a measure of revenge and turn the tide of the war, but this will involve a daring raid against superior forces.

An early example of a big production action epic loosely inspired by British military history, The Charge Of The Light Brigade is filled with scenes of mounted armies mobilizing, marching and charging. The action is frequent, intense, and enjoyable, as director Michael Curtiz captures what it means to be a hot and sweaty mounted brigade ordered to battle the unforgiving terrain and the hardened local tribes at the far flung edges of empire.

Between the combat scenes, there are plenty of costumes, parties, dances, politicians, impressive sets and a large number of lively extras to provide the context for the battlefield exploits. At almost two hours in length, The Charge Of The Light Brigade maintains breathless momentum, and builds a powerful story of military alliances, betrayal and the intrigue that forces armies into motion.

Less impressive is how far the story veers away from the historical record. The charge itself is stunningly recreated in the final twenty minutes of the film, but all the events leading up to it are manufactured out of the Hollywood dream factory. The outcome is not uninteresting; just an unnecessary divergence to the land of fiction as an alternative to an already compelling reality.

Working with the script that they do have, the stars help to make it all work. This is a film made for Errol Flynn, his charismatic attitude overflowing with panache, and he is always watchable as the confident, determined and professional Major Geoffrey Vickers. Olivia de Havilland is less convincing but still adequate, the role of Elsa underwritten into a box of love and affection for two brothers, but with insufficient meaningful scenes to bring the character to full life. David Niven makes a good impression as Captain Randall, one of Vickers' trusted subordinates. Patric Knowles, C. Henry Gordon, Nigel Bruce, Donald Crisp, and Henry Stephenson provide sturdy support.

The Charge Of The Light Brigade carries an unintended legacy related to animal cruelty. The filming of the raucous battle scenes resulted in the death of dozens of horses injured in falls caused by trip wires. The subsequent outrage reached all the way to the political sphere; horse trip wires were banned and the industry moved towards more humane treatment of animals on film sets.

Galloping full speed ahead and consequences be damned, The Charge Of The Light Brigade kicks up plenty of dust and holds nothing back.

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Movie Review: The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938)

One of Hollywood's best swashbuckling adventures and the first in glorious Technicolor, The Adventures Of Robin Hood is a non-stop thrill fest with plenty of romance, swordplay, archery stunts and general joviality.

With King Richard the Lionheart held hostage in Austria, his evil brother Prince John (Claude Rains) makes his move to seize power in England by fermenting the divide between Normans and Saxons, helped by Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone). The charismatic Sir Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn), an ace archer and soon to be known as Robin Hood, is loyal to Richard and launches a rebellion, using the dense Sherwood Forest in Nottingham as his base. Robin collects a merry band of men including Will Scarlett (Patric Knowles), Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallette) and Little John (Alan Hale Sr.), and they take to ambushing Prince John's tax convoys, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

As he mercilessly taunts his enemies, Robin meets Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland), a beautiful member of the royal court. Marion and Robin fall in love, after she learns about his cause and believes it to be just. When Robin competes in an archery tournament and is finally captured by his enemies, Marion has to find a way to save him, but her betrayal of John lands her in trouble. As Prince John gets ever closer to the throne, Robin has to return the favour and save Marion, while the unexpected return of a King again threatens to tilt the balance of power.

Directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley for Warner Bros., The Adventures Of Robin Hood is a dazzling kaleidoscope of vivid colours, lively characters and lavish sets. Packed into 102 minutes, the film moves at an agile pace, finding action set-pieces at regular intervals and still taking the time to recount an involving and character-rich story of revolution and romance.

The characters are admittedly coloured in pretty basic black or white, either all good or all bad, and some of the combat scenes, particularly a major ambush in the forest, are stiffly staged by modern standards. But the film rides Errol Flynn's irresistible magnetism through any rough spots, and the fluid cinematography makes the most of the expansive sets. The final sword fight between Robin and Sir Guy is brilliantly choreographed and oozes energetic athleticism, setting the gold standard for climactic duels.

At his commercial peak, Flynn makes for a dashing Robin Hood, filled with confidence and deploying a mischievous grin and loud laugh to rally support and woo Marion. In relative terms Olivia de Havilland gets the most complex role, as Maid Marion is the only character faced with choices and divided loyalties. de Havilland revived her flagging career by giving Marion plenty of moxie, transitioning from a sharp tongued ally of the evil plotters to a secret weapon for the revolutionaries. This was de Havilland's third teaming with Flynn, and their natural on-screen chemistry and the film's success launched a further five collaborations.

The supporting cast members have plenty of fun, Basil Rathbone and Claude Rains creating a worthy one-two punch of evil as they plot their takeover of the crown. They are backed by the likes of Montagu Love as the Bishop of the Black Canons, while Ian Hunter makes a late but crucial intervention. Hundreds of extras populate many of the scenes, to enliven sumptuous royal feasts, large scale forest battles and bring to life the villages and taverns of twelfth century England.

The Adventures Of Robin Hood is one of modern Hollywood's crucial early milestones, a grand action-packed and fast-paced adventure with a dashing hero and a damsel in distress, the perfect template for ridiculously enjoyable fun.

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