swashbuckler

REVIEW:  The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer

REVIEW: The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer

Dear Readers, We did a series of reviews of Georgette Heyer novels here last year and it dawned on me just how many I hadn’t read. A recent comment here about this book mentioned that it was funny and when I remembered that it is a Georgian, that made up my mind as to which(…)

Friday Film Review: The Three Musketeers (1948)

Friday Film Review: The Three Musketeers (1948)

The Three Musketeers (1948) Genre: Romantic swashbuckler Grade: D+ Am I the only one who doesn’t like this version? True it’s not the absolute horror of the latest Musketeers x steampunk movie. And I liked it better than the Charlie Sheen one – never could get past my feeling that I was watching those actors(…)

Friday Film Review: The Black Shield of Falworth

Friday Film Review: The Black Shield of Falworth

The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) Genre: Medieval Swashbuckler Grade: B- The second Friday Film Review I did was of “Captain Blood” and in the comments Kathleen MacIver described this movie and asked if anyone could help her figure out the title. I knew immediately what she was talking about as I’d seen it a(…)

Friday Film Review: The Flame and the Arrow

Friday Film Review: The Flame and the Arrow

The Flame and the Arrow (1950) Genre: Adventure/Romance Grade: Kinda depends My recent review of The Crimson Pirate made me curious about TFATA. It had been years since I saw either film and I remember not liking this one *quite* as much as TCP. I found that I still liked TCP but what about TFATA?(…)

Friday Film Review: The Crimson Pirate

Friday Film Review: The Crimson Pirate

The Crimson Pirate (1952) Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance Grade: B- I’ve wanted to review this one for a while but after it was taken down off of youtube, finding it turned out to be an issue. Part circus, part slapstick, part swashbuckler – The Crimson Pirate is campy fun but don’t go into it expecting much seriousness(…)

Friday Film Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel

Friday Film Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) Genre: Historical Romance/Adventure Grade: well….it depends I don’t think I’d be too far off in saying that this is the definitive version of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Note I didn’t say the perfect version as there are plot problems galore plus some truly awful acting from a few of the cast members.(…)

Friday Film Review: The Sea Hawk

Friday Film Review: The Sea Hawk

The Sea Hawk (1940) Genre: Historical swashbuckler/romance Grade: B- Since Flynn’s birthday is next week, I thought I’d review another of his Warner Brothers swashbucklers. Released in 1940, it bears little resemblance to the Raphael Sabatini novel of the same name. Instead, it was supposed to be a take on the war that had just(…)

Friday Film Review: The Mark of Zorro

Friday Film Review: The Mark of Zorro

The Mark of Zorro (1940) Genre: Swashbuckler/romance Grade: B When you do a search of movies/TV shows based on the character of Zorro, it’s amazing just how many there are. But for me, this one is still right up there. Made in the golden age of Hollywood swashbucklers, it features Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell,(…)

REVIEW: The Wind and the Sea by Marsha Canham

REVIEW: The Wind and the Sea by Marsha Canham

Dear Ms. Canham, When I started reading romances again and discovered your books “The Wind and the Sea” was like the Canham Holy Grail. Long OOP, copies were prized and VHTF. I remember finding mine in a USB and fighting to stay casual as I took my purchases to the cashier – kind of like(…)

Friday Film Review: Cyrano de Bergerac

Friday Film Review: Cyrano de Bergerac

Cyrano de Bergerac (1990 and a bit of 1925) Genre: Historical Romance/Drama Grade: B+ In honor of Edmund Rostand today’s film review is for Cyrano de Bergerac. It’s swashbuckling, it’s funny, it’s romantic and it’s ultimately tragic. It’s perfect for clearing out the tear ducts by either weeping in a hankie or crying in your(…)

Friday Film Review: Nate and Hayes

Friday Film Review: Nate and Hayes

Nate and Hayes (aka Savage Islands) (1983) Genre: Adventure/Swashbuckler Grade: B- Did I understand correctly that we like our swashbucklers here? I think I did and here’s another entry into the genre. I first saw it when it was broadcast on the Cinemax cable TV channel, oh quite a while ago, but honestly have no(…)

Friday Film Review: Bardelys the Magnificent

Friday Film Review: Bardelys the Magnificent

Bardelys the Magnificent (1926) Genre: Silent Swashbuckler/Romance Grade: B- Based on yet another Rafael Sabatini novel, “Bardelys the Magnificent” must have wowed audiences of 1926 with its dashing star John Gilbert wooing lovely Eleanor Boardman before escaping death at the hands of the evil villain. Long thought lost except for a few key scenes, an(…)

Friday Film Review: The Spanish Main

Friday Film Review: The Spanish Main

The Spanish Main (1945) Genre: Pirate romance Grade: B- After my review of “Captain Blood,” I began looking back into my pirate movie collection for another one to write about. Here’s a lesser known swashbuckler from the golden days of pirate movies complete with a Dutch pirate hero and a woman pirate! Dutch Captain Laurent(…)

Friday Film Review: The Adventures of Robin Hood

Friday Film Review: The Adventures of Robin Hood

Robin Hood (1938) Genre: Historical Romance/Swashbuckler Grade: A Back when I did a review of the first Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland movie “Captain Blood,” I said I’d eventually get back to doing more swashbuckling reviews. Yes, it’s taken me a while but here is one of the best of the genre and perhaps(…)