The Black Swan (1942)

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

Rafael Sabatini (novel)
Seton I. Miller (adaptation)

Release Date:

4 December 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Romance

Tagline:

Seas Ablaze...with black villainy, with fiery romance, with breathless deeds of daring...in the roaring era of Love, Gold and Adventure!

Plot:

When notorious pirate Henry Morgan is made governor of Jamaica, he enlists the help of some of his former...

Plot Keywords:

Shirtless Male Bondage | Animal In Title | Gagged And Bound | Color In Title | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Jamie Waring
Maureen O'Hara	...	Lady Margaret Denby
Laird Cregar	...	Captain Sir Henry Morgan
Thomas Mitchell	...	Tom Blue
George Sanders	...	Captain Billy Leech
Anthony Quinn	...	Wogan
George Zucco	...	Lord Denby

Also Known As:

Rafael Sabatini's The Black Swan (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

UK:85 min | 87 min (copyright time) | USA:85 min (current existing footage)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:PG | UK:A (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #8421)

Filming Locations:

Cuba

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

To help out the war effort, the actors tried hard to keep the number of takes low so as to conserve film. Roughly thirty of the scenes were done in one take.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Although the story is supposed to take place in the 17th century, Lady Margaret has a medallion with a colour photo inside. You can clearly see it's a photo when Jamie first finds the medallion and then opens it. Photography was not invented until the 19th century.

Quotes:

Capt. Sir Henry Morgan: [addressing Jamie Waring] Now put your shirt on. You look much too naked for a decent English gentleman.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 20 Dates (1998)

Soundtrack:

Heave Ho

Swashbuckler Tyrone Powers is vanquished by the beauty of Maureen O'Hara

With an excellent screenplay, outstanding cinematography, and stars who galvanize the screen, The Black Swan promises to satisfy its viewers. Made in the period when the Hollywood Studio System was at the peak of its creative, industrial powers, this swashbuckler is a visual feast. Maureen O'Hara and Tyrone Powers shine as lovers who begin their romance by loathing each other. The clever dialogue and sexual innuendo between the leads tantalizes us as we see them fall more deeply in love. But don't think this movie is only about romance. There's plenty of action, adventure, and swordplay, too! If you enjoy this one, you'll also enjoy other adventures starring Tyrone Power, Mississippi Gambler and King of the Khyber Rifles.