Maureen O’Hara and Paul Henreid, The Spanish Main
I absolutely love swashbucklers – they’re pure fun and great escapism from the real world when it tends to act up. I’ve always thought they should have their own category, rather than simply lumped with all fantasy movies or all action movies. I also think more should be made today!
Having said that, I’m certain they could never rival the truly great swashbucklers from old Hollywood. These classics were colorful, deliciously over the top, and in many ways like westerns on the high seas… simply with more pageantry and swords instead of rifles.
One of my absolute favorite swashbucklers is The Spanish Main (1945), Directed by Frank Borzage, the colorful movie stars Paul Henreid, Maureen O’Hara, Binnie Barnes, and Walter Slezak (always so entertaining!). The only knock (and honestly it isn’t even a knock) I have with this film is I truly wish Binnie Barnes had been in it more. She really was extraordinary.
When I first sat down to watch The Spanish Main, I was so excited to see Paul Henreid in the role of a swashbuckling hero. I had, at the time, only known (and love) him from Now, Voyager, Casablanca, and Between Two Worlds. I knew him as a wonderful leading man but, somehow, couldn’t envision him as a pirate! I was very anxious to see how he’d pull it off. I should have known that he would have done it with style and, what’s more, make it seem effortless in the process.
He truly was one of the most gifted actors ever and one of the few who never gave less than a perfect performance.
As for Maureen O’Hara, if you know me at all you know she’s one of my top favorite actresses – I’m basically as associated with her as Popeye is with spinach – so I fully knew what to expect from Maureen. After all, I’d seen all of her other swashbucklers and knew full well she was the best thing to every happen to the genre (in my opinion anyway).
You can find The Spanish Main on dvd (Amazon link) or watch Paul Henreid and Maureen O’Hara work their magic on Prime Video!
Maureen O’Hara and Paul Henreid, The Spanish Main