Released – December, 1942 

Directed By - Henry King

Starring – Tyrone Power (Jamie Waring), Maureen O’Hara (Lady Margaret Denby), Laird Cregar (Capt. Sir Henry Morgan), Thomas Mitchell (Tom ‘Tommie’ Blue), George Sanders (Capt. Billy Leech).

Description - With England and Spain now at peace, reformed pirate Capt. Henry Morgan is made Governor of Jamaica. His first order of duty is to rid the Caribbean of the remaining pirates using whatever means are necessary. Out of friendship to Morgan, pirate Jamie Waring gives up his illegal ways; however, not all choose to do so.

Jamaica’s former governor, Lord Denby’s beautiful daughter Lady Margaret has caught the eye of Waring, but she is already engaged. Unknown to her, fiance Roger Ingram is providing information on ship sailings to the remaining pirates.

The public begins to suspect Governor Morgan of still being involved in the pirateing, forcing Morgan to enlist the aid of his friend Jaime Waring to find out where the leaking information about the shippings is coming from.

Waring’s investigation also provides him with an opportunity to kidnap the beautiful Lady Margaret.

NOTABLE: This film won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Color and was nominated for two more; Best Effects, Special Effects and Best Music.

The Black Swan

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released - November, 1940 

Directed By - Rouben Mamoulian

Starring – Tyrone Power (Zorro, Don Diego), Linda Darnell (Lolita Quintero), Basil Rathbone (Captain Esteban Pasquale), Gale Sondergaard (Inez Quintero).

Description – An exciting remake of the 1920 silent film The Mark of Zorro starring Douglas Fairbanks.  Don Diego, the son of a wealthy rancher, returns from a trip to Spain to find the people of his land being badly treated by a villainous dictator.

Using the disquise of Zorro, he becomes a defender of the people leaving his trademark Z wherever he goes, and still finds time to romance the Governor’s beautiful niece.

NOTABLE: Basil Rathbone was already known by movie fans as an excellent fencer, but the audience was in for a pleasent surprise when seeing the fencing skill of Tyrone Power. 

For fans of Batman; this version of ‘The Mark of Zorro’ was the film being watch by Bruce Wayne and his parents just prior to them being mugged and shot.  It was this film that gave Bruce the idea of creating Batman.

Personal Comment: A very entertaining film starring Tyrone Power who joins Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn as the best of the great swashbuckling actors.

Buy Here The Mark of Zorro (Special Edition) (Colorized / Black and White)

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released – August, 1940 

Directed By - Jack Conway

Starring – Clark Gable (Big John McMasters), Spencer Tracy (Jonathan Sand), Claudette Colbert (Elizabeth Bartlett McMasters), Hedy Lamarr (Karen Vanmeer), Frank Morgan (Luther Aldrich), Lionel Atwill (Harry Compton), Chill Wills (Deputy Harmony Jones).

Description – A great cast tells the story of two broke, down-on-their-luck oil wildcatters join together to drill for oil.  The film covers a twenty-year period where they go from broke to oil tycoons and back to broke again. 

Along the way, they both love the same woman, disolve their friendship and their business with the flip of a coin, and learn the value of true friendship over money and misguided love.

NOTABLE: Clark Gable actually worked in oil fields for his father who was an oil-well driller.

Included in Clark Gable – The Signature Collection

Buy Here Boom Town

Clark Gable – The Signature Collection (Dancing Lady / China Seas / San Francisco / Wife vs. Secretary / Boom Town / Mogambo)

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released - August, 1940 

Directed By - Alfred Hitchcock

Starring – Joel McCrea (Johnny Jones/Huntley Haverstock), Laraine Day (Carol Fisher), Herbert Marshall (Stephen Fisher), George Sanders (Scott Folliott).

Description – The story of an American reporter trying to expose spies in England.  Johnny Jones finds himself mixed up with foreign intrigue, romance, Nazi spys, and hired killers. 

Believing he has witnessed the assassination of a Dutch diplomat Johnny and journalist Scott Folliott trail the assassin into the countryside, and a field of windmills, where Johnny finds the Dutch diplomat is alive and is being held prisoner. 

After the captors escape with their prisoner, no one believes Johnny’s story that the diplomat is still alive except Carol Fisher the daughter of Stephen Fisher the leader of the Universal Peace Party.  Returning to London togeather, they fall in love and soon Johnny realizes that the leader of the conspirators is Carol’s father.

NOTABLE: This film was nominated for six Oscar’s; Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects, Best Picture, and Best Writing.

This is considered one of Hitchock’s most complex and satisfying films.

This film took fourteen writers to complete, although only four were credited in the finished film.

Originally, Director Hitchock wanted Gary Cooper to star in the movie, but Cooper wasn’t interested in doing a thriller.  Cooper later stated to Hitchock that he had made a mistake passing up the role.

Included in the Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection

Buy Here Foreign Correspondent

The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released – July, 1940 

Directed By - Michael Curtiz

Starring – Errol Flynn (Geoffrey Thorpe), Brenda Marshall (Dona Maria), Claude Rains (Don Jose Alvarez de Cordoba), Donald Crisp (Sir John Burleson), Flora Robson (Queen Elizabeth), Alan Hale (Carl Pitt).

Description – The swashbuckling adventure of buccaneer and pirate sea captain Geoffrey Thorpe. Unknown to Queen Elizabeth, King Philip II of Spain is building an armada for the purpose of invading England. 

Some of the Queen’s ministers are suspicious of the Spanish and encourage the Queen to strengthen her own fleet of warships.  Unable to do so because of financial considerations, Captain Thorpe offers to capture a large Spanish gold shipment and bring it back to England. 

Their mission turns out to be a trap by the Spanish, and Captain Thorpe is captured.  Now, the Captain and his few remaining men must figure out a way to escape and warn the Queen of the impending attack on England. 

NOTABLE: This exciting film was nominated for four Oscars; Best Art Direction, Best Special Effects, Best Music, and Best Sound.

The role of Dona Maria was originally intended for Olivia De Haviland who turned it down because she was tired of acting in swashbuckling movies.

The beautiful costumes used in the filming of ‘The Sea Hawk’ were used the previous year in Flynn’s movie ‘The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex’ saving Warner Brothers a great deal of money.

The (at that time) extravagent $1.7 budget included the building of two full-sized ships.

Included in the Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 1

Personal Comment: Errol Flynn, in my opinion, is the greatest swashbuckling adventure hero of all-time. No matter your age, if you love good old-fashioned action and adventure, you must put Errol Flynn at the top of that list.

Buy Here The Sea Hawk

The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 1 (Captain Blood / The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex / The Sea Hawk / They Died with Their Boots On / Dodge City / The Adventures of Errol Flynn)

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store