Errol Flynn shot to stardom as Peter Blood, a 17th-century physician turned pirate after escaping unjust political imprisonment. It was a role the handsome, sea-loving Tasmanian was born to play, and he shaped it into Hollywood's archetypal image of the adventurous hero. That he also became a romantic idol and a vision of gallantry in love is due in large part to his ideally cast co-star: radiant Olivia de Havilland in the first of their eight films together. Directed with panache by Michael Curtiz, scored with flair by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and featuring Basil Rathbone and Lionel Atwill as villains to remember, Captain Blood will skipper you on the high seas of unparalleled enjoyment.

In the classic swashbuckling epic that catapulted him to worldwide stardom, Errol Flynn plays Dr. Peter Blood, an English physician unjustly convicted of treason and sentenced to slavery in the West Indies. Relying on his formidable nerve and wit, he escapes and soon becomes a feared pirate known as Captain Blood, a brilliant swordsman and seaman whose fiercely loyal crew is made up of runaway slaves grateful to him for winning their freedom.

Olivia de Havilland, in the first of eight films starring opposite Flynn, is alluring as Arabella Bishop, the dashing pirate captain's romantic interest. Lionel Atwill, famed for his demented performances in horror films, is satisfyingly despicable as Arabella's uncle, a despotic plantation owner. Director Michael Curtiz (CASABLANCA) pulls no dramatic punches, filling the screen with thrilling battle scenes, stampeding horses, hurtling, wave-tossed ships, and a rousing Erich Wolfgang Korngold score to make CAPTAIN BLOOD a truly lavish seafaring odyssey. Flynn, only five years removed from piloting a daring four-man, seven-month boat trip from Sydney, Australia, to New Guinea (described in his memoir BEAM ENDS), signals with his every joyfully kinetic onscreen moment the full-fledged arrival of a huge, inimitable talent.