Search This Blog

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Adventures Of Don Juan (1948)

Away from Spain for over ten years, the legendary lover Don Juan (Errol Flynn) returns to Spain in disgrace over a scandal that caused a rift in diplomatic talks between England and Spain. The Spanish ambassador (Robert Warwick) makes a request to the Queen (Viveca Lindfors) to help Don Juan by proving himself of service to the court of Spain. Treachery and intrigue follows. By this stage of his career, Flynn was rather ragged looking and that dashing ember which sparked his performances in such entertaining swashbucklers as ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD and THE SEA HAWK was pretty much burned out and he seems to be going through the motions. The film looks quite handsome in Technicolor showcasing the imposing art direction and gorgeous Oscar winning costumes (by Marjorie Best, Leah Rhodes and Travilla) but sorely lacking in panache. Even the direction by Vincent Sherman seems tired. There is a robust score by Max Steiner which helps. With Alan Hale, Raymond Burr, Ann Rutherford, Una O'Connor, Helen Westcott, Fortunio Bonanova, Barbara Bates and as the film's villain, Robert Douglas as the Duke De Lorca.

No comments:

Post a Comment