The Black Swan (film)

The Black Swan
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Henry King
Produced by Robert Bassler
Screenplay by Ben Hecht
Seton I. Miller
Based on The Black Swan
by Rafael Sabatini
Starring Tyrone Power
Maureen O'Hara
Music by Alfred Newman
Cinematography Leon Shamroy
Edited by Barbara McLean
Distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Release date
  • December 4, 1942 (1942-12-04)
Running time
 85 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $1,493,800[1]
Box office $3 million (US rentals)[2]
$5,727,000 (worldwide)[1]

The Black Swan is a 1942 American swashbuckler Technicolor film by Henry King, based on a novel by Rafael Sabatini, and starring Tyrone Power and Maureen O'Hara.[3][4] It was nominated for two Academy Awards, and won one for Best Cinematography, Color.

This was the final film of silent star Helene Costello.

Plot

After England and Spain make peace, notorious pirate Henry Morgan (Laird Cregar) decides to reform. As a reward, he is made Governor of Jamaica, with a mandate to rid the Caribbean of his former comrades, by persuasion or force if necessary. He replaces the former governor, Lord Denby (George Zucco), but is not trusted by either the lawful residents or the pirates.

Captain Jamie Waring (Tyrone Power) and his lieutenant, Tom Blue (Thomas Mitchell), reluctantly give up their "trade" out of friendship for Morgan, but others of the Pirate Brotherhood, such as Captain Billy Leech (George Sanders) and Wogan (Anthony Quinn), refuse to change.

Meanwhile, Waring takes a liking to Denby's daughter, Lady Margaret (Maureen O'Hara), who happens to be inconveniently engaged to an English gentleman, Roger Ingram (Edward Ashley). As it turns out, her fiancé is secretly providing information about ship sailings to the unrepentant pirates.

Morgan sends Jamie to track down Leech but fails due to Ingrams help. The Jamaican assembly votes to impeach Morgan, and Ingram announces he and Margaret will sail to England to inform the King.

Morgan orders Jamie to capture Leech. Jamies doesn't want Margaret to marry Ingram and so captures her and sails off.

Jamie's ship is captured by Leech. Jamie pretends that he has run away to join Leech and marry Margaret. Margaret reluctantly goes along with the ruse. Morgan hears of Jamie's "betrayal" and heads off to catch them.

Leech discovers the marriage between Margaret and Jamie is a sham and captures Jamie. However he escapes and manages to kill Leech in a duel.

Morgan is inclined to hang Jamie because he abducted Margaret but she declares that she accompanied him of her own free will. By now they have genuinely fallen in love and they kiss.

Power and O'Hara in the trailer for The Black Swan (1942)

Cast

Reception

The film was a huge hit and made a profit of $2,366,300.[1]

Awards

The film won an Academy Award and was nominated for two more:[5]

Won
Nominated

DVD release

The DVD version of the film contains commentary by Maureen O'Hara with film critic Rudy Behlmer.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mank, Gregory William (2018). Laird Cregar: A Hollywood Tragedy. McFarland.
  2. ↑ "101 Pix Gross in Millions" Variety 6 Jan 1943 p 58
  3. ↑ Variety film review; October 21, 1942, page 8.
  4. ↑ Harrison's Reports film review; October 24, 1942, page 171.
  5. ↑ "The 15th Academy Awards (1943) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2013-06-22.
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