Black Swan, The (1942)

reviewed by
Brian Koller


The Black Swan (1942)
Grade: 42

"The Black Swan" is a technicolor swashbuckler, combining romance and adventure, with colorful costumes. However, the film often plods, and the epic pirate swordfights have more energy than conviction.

It is the seventeenth century. A treaty has been signed between England and Spain, awarding Jamaica to British rule. The pirate ships that have been raiding Spanish vessels are now targets themselves. Former pirates Henry Morgan and Jaime Waring (Tyrone Power) hunt fiery pirate Billy Leech, but are betrayed by foppy spy Roger Ingram. Ingram's fiancee is Margaret (Maureen O'Hara), but he has a rival in Waring.

O'Hara is beautiful, but her character is a stereotype of a proud woman accustomed to wealth and privilege. None of the characters, in fact, is broadly drawn except for red-bearded pirate Leech, who will never bow to the authority of any king.

There are too few scenes of true swashbuckling action, and too much time spent on political intrigue and Margaret's romance with Waring. She plays hard to get, while he justly wonders why he keeps trying (perhaps because she has second billing).

The costumes are good, but the film was clearly filmed on a Hollywood set and not on the high seas. There are many "outdoor" scenes with superimposed backgrounds. Sometimes this is an acceptable means of expediting a film's shooting on budget, but in this case the effect simply adds to the movie's superficial atmosphere.

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