History Film / CaptainBlood

'''''Captain Blood''''' is a 1935 WarnerBrothers {{Swashbuckler}} of [[{{Pirate}} piracy on the Caribbean]], directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring ErrolFlynn and Olivia de Haviland, based on the 1922 novel ''Literature/CaptainBloodHisOdyssey'' by Creator/RafaelSabatini. The film was nominated for an AcademyAward as Best Picture; interestingly, though Michael Curtiz was not nominated, he nevertheless received the second highest number of votes for best director as a write-in candidate.

Sabatini's wildly popular novel had already been filmed as a silent in 1924. The 1935 [[Film/CaptainBlood film]] was originally intended as a vehicle for English actor Robert Donat, who had had a great success as Edmond Dantes in ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' the previous year, but had to bow out of ''Blood'' due to health problems. Flynn, whose most important part to date had been in a wordless flashback in the ''Franchise/PerryMason'' mystery, ''The Case of the Curious Bride'', was tapped by Jack Warner himself to replace Donat; the devil-may-care Tasmanian of Irish extraction had exactly the quality he desired for the adventurous [[{{Oireland}} Irishman]], [[TheCaptain Captain]] [[AwesomeMcCoolname Peter Blood]]. Olivia de Havilland, having enjoyed a notable success as the feisty Hermia in the Warners' film of Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''AMidsummerNightsDream,'' was assigned the part of the equally spirited [[TheChick Arabella Bishop]]. The fine dramatic actor Lionel Atwood played TheHeavy part of Arabella's uncle, and Basil Rathbone displayed a fine talent for fencing and sneering villainy (if rather less at imitating a French accent) as the evil {{pirate}} Levasseur. Henry Stephenson played the [[CoolOldGuy kindly Lord Willoughby]], and Ross Alexander made a striking impression as the ship's navigator, Jeremy Pitt.

Notable Austrian composer ErichWolfgangKorngold had been requested by the respected co-director Max Reinhardt of ''AMidsummerNightsDream'' to adapt FelixMendelssohn's incidental music for the play as a [[PublicDomainSoundtrack motion-picture score]]; at the same time the Warner Brothers engaged him to compose an original score for ''Film/CaptainBlood''. Korngold's fine Late Romantic score, characterized by [[Creator/RichardWagner Wagnerian]] themes and [[{{Leitmotif}} Leitmotifs]], was a write-in candidate at the [[AcademyAward Academy Awards]], despite the fact that the composer had not the time to complete an entirely original score before the début, but was forced to [[PublicDomainSoundtrack adapt]] some of the music from Franz Liszt's symphonic poem ''Mazeppa''.

Other notable talents engaged for the film included fencing master Fred Cavens to [[{{Flynning}} choreograph]] the [[SwordFight duels]]. During the famous duel on the rocks, director Michael Curtiz insisted that ErrolFlynn and Basil Rathbone should not use "buttons" on the end of their foils, for greater realism; the actors were thus in actual danger of injury, or possibly even death. This was possibly the beginning of Flynn's lifelong detestation of Curtiz, despite the fact that many of his most notable films were made with the hard-driving Hungarian.

* ColdBloodedTorture: Colonel Bishop whips Jeremy Pitt for information, and leaves him hanging up without water in the broiling Jamaican sun. (''See also ''SlaveBrand, ''below''.)

* HeroicTeamRevolt: Happens briefly after Peter wants to take his crew to Port Royale where the vengeful governor and the entire English fleet is waiting to string them up. He manages to talk them round.

** Interestingly, the film changes Judge Jeffreys' progressively fatal illness from kidney disease (''[[GratuitousForeignLanguage pyelonephritis]]''), as in history and the novel, to a "[[IncurableCoughOfDeath bleeding death in the lungs]]" -- unspecified, but probably meant for tuberculosis.

* StarMakingRole: For Flynn and de Havilland both.

* ThoseTwoActors: This was the first of eight films Flynn and de Havilland appeared in together. Common in the Studio Era.

* WhyDidntYouJustSaySo?: This is Peter's response when the long-winded Lord Willoughby reveals that the king who seeks the crew's service is William, not James.

Sabatini's wildly popular novel had already been filmed as a silent in 1924. The 1935 [[Film/CaptainBlood film]] was originally intended as a vehicle for English actor Robert Donat, who had had a great success as Edmond Dantes in ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' the previous year, but had to bow out of ''Blood'' due to health problems. Flynn, whose most important part to date had been in a wordless flashback in the PerryMason mystery, ''The Case of the Curious Bride'', was tapped by Jack Warner himself to replace Donat; the devil-may-care Tasmanian of Irish extraction had exactly the quality he desired for the adventurous [[{{Oireland}} Irishman]], [[TheCaptain Captain]] [[AwesomeMcCoolname Peter Blood]]. Olivia de Havilland, having enjoyed a notable success as the feisty Hermia in the Warners' film of Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''AMidsummerNightsDream,'' was assigned the part of the equally spirited [[TheChick Arabella Bishop]]. The fine dramatic actor Lionel Atwood played TheHeavy part of Arabella's uncle, and Basil Rathbone displayed a fine talent for fencing and sneering villainy (if rather less at imitating a French accent) as the evil {{pirate}} Levasseur. Henry Stephenson played the [[CoolOldGuy kindly Lord Willoughby]], and Ross Alexander made a striking impression as the ship's navigator, Jeremy Pitt.

* WhyDidntYouJustSaySo?: This is Peter's response when the long-winded Lord Willoughby reveals that the king who seeks the crew's service is William, not James.

'''''Captain Blood''''' is a 1935 WarnerBrothers {{Swashbuckler}} of [[{{Pirate}} piracy on the Caribbean]], directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring ErrolFlynn and Olivia de Haviland, based on the 1922 novel ''Captain Blood: His Odyssey'' by Creator/RafaelSabatini. The film was nominated for an AcademyAward as Best Picture; interestingly, though Michael Curtiz was not nominated, he nevertheless received the second highest number of votes for best director as a write-in candidate.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/CaptainBlood.jpg
[[caption-width:300:Blood! '''Blood! BLOOD!''']]
'''''Captain Blood''''' is a 1935 WarnerBrothers {{Swashbuckler}} of [[{{Pirate}} piracy on the Caribbean]], directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring ErrolFlynn and Olivia de Haviland, based on the 1922 novel ''Captain Blood: His Odyssey'' by RafaelSabatini. The film was nominated for an AcademyAward as Best Picture; interestingly, though Michael Curtiz was not nominated, he nevertheless received the second highest number of votes for best director as a write-in candidate.

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Basil Rathbone's French pirate has dialogue of the "Zees so vairy 'andsome Engleesh prize say, « ''Bonjour, Monsieur le Capitaine Levasseur'' ! » variety.

Sabatini's wildly popular novel had already been filmed as a silent in 1924. The 1935 [[Film/CaptainBlood film]] was originally intended as a vehicle for English actor Robert Donat, who had had a great success as Edmond Dantes in ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' the previous year, but had to bow out of ''Blood'' due to health problems. Flynn, whose most important part to date had been in a wordless flashback in the PerryMason mystery, ''The Case of the Curious Bride'', was tapped by Jack Warner himself to replace Donat; the devil-may-care Tasmanian of Irish extraction had exactly the quality he desired for the adventurous [[{{Oireland}} Irishman]], [[TheCaptain Captain]] [[AwesomeMcCoolname Peter Blood]]. Olivia de Havilland, having enjoyed a notable success as the feisty Hermia in the Warners' film of WilliamShakespeare's ''AMidsummerNightsDream,'' was assigned the part of the equally spirited [[TheChick Arabella Bishop]]. The fine dramatic actor Lionel Atwood played TheHeavy part of Arabella's uncle, and Basil Rathbone displayed a fine talent for fencing and sneering villainy (if rather less at imitating a French accent) as the evil {{pirate}} Levasseur. Henry Stephenson played the [[CoolOldGuy kindly Lord Willoughby]], and Ross Alexander made a striking impression as the ship's navigator, Jeremy Pitt.

[[folder: Synopsis]]

* [[OohMeAccentsSlipping Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping]]: Basil Rathbone's French pirate has dialogue of the "Zees so vairy 'andsome Engleesh prize say, « ''Bonjour, Monsieur le Capitaine Levasseur'' ! » variety.

* [[WhyDidntYouJustSaySo Why Didn't You Just Say So?]]: This is Peter's response when the long-winded Lord Willoughby reveals that the king who seeks the crew's service is William, not James.

Notable Austrian composer ErichWolfgangKorngold had been requested by the respected co-director Max Reinhardt of ''AMidsummerNightsDream'' to adapt FelixMendelssohn's incidental music for the play as a [[PublicDomainSoundtrack motion-picture score]]; at the same time the Warner Brothers engaged him to compose an original score for ''Film/CaptainBlood''. Korngold's fine Late Romantic score, characterized by [[RichardWagner Wagnerian]] themes and [[{{Leitmotif}} Leitmotifs]], was a write-in candidate at the [[AcademyAward Academy Awards]], despite the fact that the composer had not the time to complete an entirely original score before the début, but was forced to [[PublicDomainSoundtrack adapt]] some of the music from Franz Liszt's symphonic poem ''Mazeppa''.

In the reign of [[TheHouseOfStuart King James II]] of [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} England]] a rebellion to place the Duke of Monmouth on the throne breaks out. Rebel [[TheWoobie Jeremy Pitt]] (Ross Alexander) comes to seek the aid of Irish physician and retired soldier, Dr. Peter Blood (ErrolFlynn), to tend on his friend, Lord Gildoy, wounded in battle against the King's Men. While Blood is tending to his patient, he is arrested; brought before HangingJudge [[HistoricalDomainCharacter Lord Jeffreys]] (a creepily memorable performance by Leonard Mudie). Blood and all the rebels are condemned to death.

King James (Vernon Steele), however, prompted by the [[DeadlyDecadentCourt venal Lord Sunderland]], [[MadeASlave sells them into slavery]] in Jamaica instead, where brutal Colonel Bishop (Lionel Atwill) buys most of the men and his sprightly niece, Arabella (Olivia de Havilland), purchases the humiliated Blood. Arabella suggests Blood as a replacement for the gouty governor's bumbling doctors. Blood takes advantage of this to plot escape for himself and his fellow slaves. Bishop, suspecting, whips Jeremy for information, then prepares to whip Blood for interfering, when the town is attacked by Spanish pirates. In the confusion, Blood and the slaves escape and seize the Spanish ship (with the ransom taken from the colonists), and set forth on a career of [[{{pirate}} piracy]].

In order to curb Blood's activity, King James makes Colonel Bishop Governor; meanwhile, Arabella sails to England on a visit. On her return, she and Lord Willoughby, who has been sent by the King to deal with Blood, are captured by the evil French pirate Levasseur, with whom Peter has unwillingly gone into partnership on the condition that Levasseur will abide by his humane rules. When Peter discovers Arabella's capture, he "purchases" her; the furious Levasseur refuses to give her up, and they DuelToTheDeath -- Levasseur's. His love rejected by Arabella, Peter decides in a fury to take her and Willoughby on to Jamaica, though he knows that Governor Bishop has sworn to hang him.

When he gets there, the capital is under attack by the French, and the protecting English fleet is out pirate-hunting under the command of the Governor; Lord Willoughby entreats Peter to save the town, saying he has been sent by the King to offer him a pardon and a commission. Blood and his crew reject the offer with scorn -- until they realize that the king in question is not the hated James, but William of Orange, who has seized the throne. They battle the French and win.

----

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: George Jeffreys; King James II; Robert Spencer, Earl of Sunderland.
** Interestingly, the film changes Judge Jeffreys' progressively fatal illness from kidney disease (''[[GratuitousForeignLanguage pyelonephritis]]''), as in history and the novel, to a "[[IncurableCoughOfDeath bleeding death in the lungs]]" -- unspecified, but probably meant for tuberculosis.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Sure he's the hero, but "Doctor Blood" does not inspire confidence.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: The character of Captain Peter Blood is almost certainly based partly on Colonel ''Thomas'' Blood, a 17th century Irish rogue who nearly succeeded in stealing the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London and ''did'' succeed in gaining the favor of Charles II, and especially on Captain Henry Morgan, who, like Peter Blood, was a pirate who wound up as (lieutenant) governor of Jamaica.

* [[OohMeAccentsSlipping Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping]]: Basil Rathbone's French pirate has dialogue of the "Zees so vairy 'andsome Engleesh prize say, « ''Bonjour, Monsieur le Capitaine Levasseur'' ! » variety.

* PropertyOfLove: Inverted for both genders. Blood gets sold as a slave and bought by his eventual love interest. Later she gets taken prisoner and is sold to him in a similar fashion. They both find the experience to be humiliating in a bad way, and a total turnoff to the point of stopping them from admitting their feelings for each other. It is only later, when they are both free, that their love for each other can bloom.

* SlaveBrand: Colonel Bishop has Slaves who attempt to escape branded on the face with an '''FT''' for "Fugitive Traitor."
* StarMakingRole: For Flynn and de Havilland both.

Sabatini's wildly popular novel had already been filmed as a silent in 1924. The 1935 [[Film/CaptainBlood film]] was originally intended as a vehicle for English actor Robert Donat, who had had a great success as Edmond Dantes in ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' the previous year, but had to bow out of ''Blood'' due to health problems. Flynn, whose most important part to date had been in a wordless flashback in the PerryMason mystery, ''The Case of the Curious Bride'', was tapped by Jack Warner himself to replace Donat; the devil-may-care Tasmanian of Irish extraction had exactly the quality he desired for the adventurous [[{{Oireland}} Irishman]], [[TheCaptain Captain]] [[AwesomeMcCoolname Peter Blood]]. Olivia de Havilland, having enjoyed a notable success as the feisty Hermia in the Warners' film of WilliamShakespeare's ''AMidsummerNightsDream,'' was assigned the part of the equally spirited [[TheChick Arabella Bishop]]. The fine dramatic actor Lionel Atwood played TheHeavy part of Arabella's uncle, and Basil Rathbone displayed a fine talent for fencing and sneering villainy (if rather less at imitating a French accent) as the evil {{pirate}} Levasseur. Henry Stephenson played the [[CoolOldGuy kindly Lord Willoughby]], and Ross Alexander made a striking impression as the ship's navigator, [[TheWoobie Jeremy Pitt]].

The script, by Casey Robinson, was a [[YourMileageMayVary skillful]] adaptation of Sabatini's picaresque novel. Much of Sabatini's own prose was included, but several events and characters were omitted or conflated, notably Lord Willoughby and a rival for Arabella's hand, Lord Julian Wade. It is perhaps notable that the script [[PoliticallyCorrectHistory toned down]] [[HollywoodHistory to some extent]] the religious and national rivalries that are emphasized in Sabatini's more historically grounded novel. Moreover, the script somewhat changed Blood's character, in an effort to increase his level of {{Badass}} at the expense of the more complex, touchy-feely aspects of his personality. Thus, fans of the book may see it as inferior, despite the film's undisputed status as a classic.

Sabatini's wildly popular novel had already been filmed as a silent in 1924. The 1935 [[Film/CaptainBlood film]] was originally intended as a vehicle for English actor Robert Donat, who had had a great success as Edmond Dantes in ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' the previous year, but had to bow out of ''Blood'' due to heath problems. Flynn, whose most important part to date had been in a wordless flashback in the PerryMason mystery, ''The Case of the Curious Bride'', was tapped by Jack Warner himself to replace Donat; the devil-may-care Tasmanian of Irish extraction had exactly the quality he desired for the adventurous [[{{Oireland}} Irishman]], [[TheCaptain Captain]] [[AwesomeMcCoolname Peter Blood]]. Olivia de Havilland, having enjoyed a notable success as the feisty Hermia in the Warners' film of WilliamShakespeare's ''AMidsummerNightsDream,'' was assigned the part of the equally spirited [[TheChick Arabella Bishop]]. The fine dramatic actor Lionel Atwood played TheHeavy part of Arabella's uncle, and Basil Rathbone displayed a fine talent for fencing and sneering villainy (if rather less at imitating a French accent) as the evil {{pirate}} Levasseur. Henry Stephenson played the [[CoolOldGuy kindly Lord Willoughby]], and Ross Alexander made a striking impression as the ship's navigator, [[TheWoobie Jeremy Pitt]].

* WhatAboutTheMouse?: In the climatic battle at sea when Captain Blood's ship is sinking and the crew has to board one of the enemy ships, what exactly was the elderly Lord Willoughby doing during all this?

* CompressedAdaptation: Parts cut from the book include, amongst others, a long stretch of time when Blood drank heavily due to depression, and a very powerful scene in which he cried at [[spoiler:the loss of his ship]]. This was part of a general re-interpretation of his character for the film (from a nuanced, sensitive man to a comparatively flat action hero).

Notable Austrian composer ErichWolfgangKorngold had been requested by the respected co-director Max Reinhardt of ''AMidsummerNightsDream'' to adapt Felix Mendelssohn's incidental music for the play as a [[PublicDomainSoundtrack motion-picture score]]; at the same time the Warner Brothers engaged him to compose an original score for ''Film/CaptainBlood''. Korngold's fine Late Romantic score, characterized by [[RichardWagner Wagnerian]] themes and [[{{Leitmotif}} Leitmotifs]], was a write-in candidate at the [[AcademyAward Academy Awards]], despite the fact that the composer had not the time to complete an entirely original score before the début, but was forced to [[PublicDomainSoundtrack adapt]] some of the music from Franz Liszt's symphonic poem ''Mazeppa''.

----
<<|{{Film}}|>>

* AcceptableNationalityTargets: The [[UsefulNotes/{{Spain}} Spanish]], particularly in Sabatini's original novel. This may well be because Sabatini was a naturalized British subject, and the British have long kept alive the "black legend" of Spain as an imperialistic Roman Catholic juggernaut sweeping over Europe and threatening England, as in the episode of the Spanish Armada.

* EvilIsSexy: Basil Rathbone's Levasseur is considerably more attractive than the bestial figure described in the novel. Not a few female fans have been known to consider him more attractive than ErrolFlynn's Peter Blood.

* NarmCharm: One must have a very hard heart not to smile at the film's Silent Era-style supertitles, including "Carving a Crimson Career"; "He began with nothing but a Ship, a Handful of Men -- and a Brain"; and "Blood!" '''"Blood!" "BLOOD!"''' in successively larger letters.

* [[WhyDidntYouJustSaySo Why Didn't Your Just Say So?]]: This is Peter's response when the long-winded Lord Willoughby reveals that the king who seeks the crew's service is William, not James.
* TheWoobie: Jeremy Pitt has a tendency to assume this role.

* Character Exaggeration: Compared to Sabatini's novel, Blood has become much more of a FlatCharacter in order to better fit an archetypal ActionHero role. Key moments (and lengthy segments) of the book that helped establish him as a sensitive, complex character [[CompressedAdaptation were cut]], and many parts that were left ''in'' were changed as well: At least two of the Captain's pivotal scenes with Arabella, for example, were kept in, but drastically altered to ''reverse completely'' the tone they had in the book, making Blood appear more traditionally ''macho''.

* CompressedAdaptation: Compared to Sabatini's novel, Blood has become much more of a FlatCharacter. Parts cut from the book include a long stretch of time when Blood drank heavily due to depression, and a very powerful scene in which he cried at [[spoiler:the loss of his ship]]. His relationship with Arabella was altered dramatically to make the Captain appear more ''macho'', and much less tender, with at least two of their pivotal scenes changed to ''reverse completely'' the tone they had in the book.

The script, by Casey Robinson, was a [[YourMileageMayVary skillful]] adaptation of Sabatini's picaresque novel. Much of Sabatini's own prose was included, but several events and characters were omitted or conflated, notably Lord Willoughby and a rival for Arabella's hand, Lord Julian Wade. It is perhaps notable that the script [[PoliticallyCorrectHistory toned down]] [[HollywoodHistory to some extent]] the religious and national rivalries that are emphasized in Sabatini's more historically grounded novel. Moreover, the script somewhat changed Blood's character, in an effort to increase his level of {{Badass}} at the expense of the more complex, touchy-feely aspects of his personality. Thus, fans of the book may see it as a case of AdaptationDecay, despite the film's undisputed status as a classic.

* AdaptationDecay: Sure, the film is a classic, but compared to Sabatini's novel, Blood has become much more of a FlatCharacter. Parts cut from the book include a long stretch of time when Blood drank heavily due to depression, and a very powerful scene in which he cried at [[spoiler:the loss of his ship]]. His relationship with Arabella was also altered to make the Captain appear more ''macho'', and much less tender, with at least two of their pivotal scenes changed to ''reverse completely'' the tone they had in the book.

The script, by Casey Robinson, was a [[YourMileageMayVary skillful]] adaptation of Sabatini's picaresque novel. Much of Sabatini's own prose was included, but several events and characters were omitted or conflated, notably Lord Willoughby and a rival for Arabella's hand, Lord Julian Wade. It is perhaps notable that the script toned down [[HollywoodHistory to some extent]] the religious and national rivalries that are emphasized in Sabatini's more historically grounded novel. Moreover, the script somewhat changed Blood's character, in an effort to increase his level of {{Badass}} at the expense of the more complex, touchy-feely aspects of his personality. Thus, fans of the book may see it as a case of AdaptationDecay, despite the film's undisputed status as a classic.

Sabatini's wildly popular novel had already been filmed as a silent in 1924. The 1935 [[Film/CaptainBlood film]] was originally intended as a vehicle for English actor Robert Donat, who had had a great success as Edmond Dantes in ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' the previous year, but had to bow out of ''Blood'' due to heath problems. Flynn, whose most important part to date had been in a wordless flashback in the PerryMason mystery, ''The Case of the Curious Bride'', was tapped by Jack Warner himself to replace Donat; the devil-may-care Tasmanian of Irish extraction had exactly the quality he desired for the adventurous [[Oireland Irishman]], [[TheCaptain Captain]] [[AwesomeMcCoolname Peter Blood]]. Olivia de Havilland, having enjoyed a notable success as the feisty Hermia in the Warners' film of WilliamShakespeare's ''AMidsummerNightsDream,'' was assigned the part of the equally spirited [[TheChick Arabella Bishop]]. The fine dramatic actor Lionel Atwood played TheHeavy part of Arabella's uncle, and Basil Rathbone displayed a fine talent for fencing and sneering villainy (if rather less at imitating a French accent) as the evil {{pirate}} Levasseur. Henry Stephenson played the [[CoolOldGuy kindly Lord Willoughby]], and Ross Alexander made a striking impression as the ship's navigator, [[TheWoobie Jeremy Pitt]].

Sabatini's wildly popular novel had already been filmed as a silent in 1924. The 1935 [[Film/CaptainBlood film]] was originally intended as a vehicle for English actor Robert Donat, who had had a great success as Edmond Dantes in ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' the previous year, but had to bow out of ''Blood'' due to heath problems. Flynn, whose most important part to date had been in a wordless flashback in the PerryMason mystery, ''The Case of the Curious Bride'', was tapped by Jack Warner himself to replace Donat; the devil-may-care Tasmanian of Irish extraction had exactly the quality he desired for the adventurous [[TheCaptain Captain]] [[AwesomeMcCoolname Peter Blood]]. Olivia de Havilland, having enjoyed a notable success as the feisty Hermia in the Warners' film of WilliamShakespeare's ''AMidsummerNightsDream,'' was assigned the part of the equally spirited [[TheChick Arabella Bishop]]. The fine dramatic actor Lionel Atwood played TheHeavy part of Arabella's uncle, and Basil Rathbone displayed a fine talent for fencing and sneering villainy (if rather less at imitating a French accent) as the evil {{pirate}} Levasseur. Henry Stephenson played the [[CoolOldGuy kindly Lord Willoughby]], and Ross Alexander made a striking impression as the ship's navigator, [[TheWoobie Jeremy Pitt]].

''Synopsis (Spoilers Follow)''
-->In the reign of [[TheHouseOfStuart King James II]] of [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} England]] a rebellion to place the Duke of Monmouth on the throne breaks out. Rebel [[TheWoobie Jeremy Pitt]] (Ross Alexander) comes to seek the aid of Irish physician and retired soldier, Dr. Peter Blood (ErrolFlynn), to tend on his friend, Lord Gildoy, wounded in battle against the King's Men. While Blood is tending to his patient, he is arrested; brought before HangingJudge [[HistoricalDomainCharacter Lord Jeffreys]] (a creepily memorable performance by Leonard Mudie). Blood and all the rebels are condemned to death. King James (Vernon Steele), however, prompted by the [[DeadlyDecadentCourt venal Lord Sunderland]], [[MadeASlave sells them into slavery]] in Jamaica instead, where brutal Colonel Bishop (Lionel Atwill) buys most of the men and his sprightly niece, Arabella (Olivia de Havilland), purchases the humiliated Blood. Arabella suggests Blood as a replacement for the gouty governor's bumbling doctors. Blood takes advantage of this to plot escape for himself and his fellow slaves. Bishop, suspecting, whips Jeremy for information, then prepares to whip Blood for interfering, when the town is attacked by Spanish pirates. In the confusion, Blood and the slaves escape and seize the Spanish ship (with the ransom taken from the colonists), and set forth on a career of [[{{pirate}} piracy]]. In order to curb Blood's activity, King James makes Colonel Bishop Governor; meanwhile, Arabella sails to England on a visit. On her return, she and Lord Willoughby, who has been sent by the King to deal with Blood, are captured by the evil French pirate Levasseur, with whom Peter has unwillingly gone into partnership on the condition that Levasseur will abide by his humane rules. When Peter discovers Arabella's capture, he "purchases" her; the furious Levasseur refuses to give her up, and they DuelToTheDeath -- Levasseur's. His love rejected by Arabella, Peter decides in a fury to take her and Willoughby on to Jamaica, though he knows that Governor Bishop has sworn to hang him. When he gets there, the capital is under attack by the French, and the protecting English fleet is out pirate-hunting under the command of the Governor; Lord Willoughby entreats Peter to save the town, saying he has been sent by the King to offer him a pardon and a commission. Blood and his crew reject the offer with scorn -- until they realize that the king in question is not the hated James, but William of Orange, who has seized the throne. They battle the French and win. Arabella, finding Peter at the Governor's palace, begs him to escape; he forces her to admit that she loves him. Bishop meanwhile returns and is arrested; Lord Willoughby informs him that the new Governor will decide whether he is to be hanged or not. Bishop goes to find Arabella pleading for his life with that official, only to find that he is -- Peter Blood, who greets him with a "Good morning, Uncle!"

'''''Captain Blood''''' is a 1935 WarnerBrothers {{Swashbuckler}} of [[{{Pirate}} piracy on the Caribbean]], directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring ErrolFlynn and {{Olivia de Haviland}}, based on the 1922 novel ''Captain Blood: His Odyssey'' by RafaelSabatini. The film was nominated for an AcademyAward as Best Picture; interestingly, though Michael Curtiz was not nominated, he nevertheless received the second highest number of votes for best director as a write-in candidate.

* ThoseTwoActors: This was the first of eight films Flynn and de Havilland appeared in together. Common in the StudioEra.

'''''Captain Blood''''' is a 1935 WarnerBrothers {{Swashbuckler}} of [[{{Pirate}} piracy on the Caribbean]], directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring ErrolFlynn and Olivia de Haviland, based on the 1922 novel ''Captain Blood: His Odyssey'' by RafaelSabatini. The film was nominated for an AcademyAward as Best Picture; interestingly, though Michael Curtiz was not nominated, he nevertheless received the second highest number of votes for best director as a write-in candidate.