"This is a story of the Spanish Main -- where Villainy wore a Sash, and the only political creed in the world was --- Love, Gold, and Adventure
" is an apt introduction to this swashbuckling story. "The Black Swan" was made while Tyrone Power (here as James "Jamie Boy" Waring) was at the peak of his second wave of popularity. This began with the re-make of "The Mark of Zorro" (1940), and Mr. Power was suddenly compared to Douglas Fairbanks; as a man, he was more like Rudolph Valentino, though not quite showing it all in "Blood and Sand" (1941). Each of these adventure films retains their sense of hokey fun.
In this one, Power's "sex symbol" status is complimented by a bare chest, stubble, and the beautiful Maureen O'Hara (as Margaret Denby). All in Technicolor. Director Henry King and friendly co-stars like George Sanders (as Billy Leech) helped keep both Power and the public happy. Power performs smoothly with sword in "The Black Swan" but felt he deserved more varied roles.
As an aside, a writer at Paramount in the late 1980s mentioned walking over to Tyrone Power's grave, which was near the studio, so I tagged along. It was a beautiful fall day, and the graveyard was deserted. At the time, I had only a vague notion of who Power was - probably from seeing movies like "The Black Swan" on television - and was startled to see the star's final resting place so well-kept, and adorned with fresh flowers. Three decades after his death, Tyrone Power was still missed and admired.
******* The Black Swan (12/4/42) Henry King ~ Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara, George Sanders, Laird Cregar
In this one, Power's "sex symbol" status is complimented by a bare chest, stubble, and the beautiful Maureen O'Hara (as Margaret Denby). All in Technicolor. Director Henry King and friendly co-stars like George Sanders (as Billy Leech) helped keep both Power and the public happy. Power performs smoothly with sword in "The Black Swan" but felt he deserved more varied roles.
As an aside, a writer at Paramount in the late 1980s mentioned walking over to Tyrone Power's grave, which was near the studio, so I tagged along. It was a beautiful fall day, and the graveyard was deserted. At the time, I had only a vague notion of who Power was - probably from seeing movies like "The Black Swan" on television - and was startled to see the star's final resting place so well-kept, and adorned with fresh flowers. Three decades after his death, Tyrone Power was still missed and admired.
******* The Black Swan (12/4/42) Henry King ~ Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara, George Sanders, Laird Cregar