Swashbuckling Thought of the Day: 2026-07-31

A few months ago, I watched Men of Sherwood Forest (the first Robin Hood movie from Hammer Films) for the first time, and though I intended to write a review immediately, I didn't, and now I remember nothing about it. So, I need to watch it again, despite it having failed to leave any impression, in order to write a review for my hapless swashbuckling blog. I may have a few more free days in August, which will free me to write this review for free. You are free to read it and you are free to comment on it if you feel the inclination.

And that is this month's Swashbuckling Thought of the Day. (Sorry.)

Maybe I'll hold the movie in higher regard after a second viewing. (It's a possibility!)

Swashbuckling Thought of the Day 2026-06-30

Lately, I've been watching The Buccaneers (1956-1957), a British television show from the same studio that produced The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Adventures of Sir Lancelot. I just watched the seventh episode, "The Slave Ship," and I must say the show is getting better and better. I must find it on DVD or Blu-ray, if possible. So far, I'm enjoying it, and I look forward to reviewing it.

Swashbuckling Thought of the Day 2026-05-10

In a previous thought, I noted the scarcity of swashbuckling blogs and my intention to search for more. After another moderately long search, I am left unrewarded. Using the terms "swashbuckling" and "blog," the majority of results by far consist of definitions of the word "swashbuckling" and old news items in which someone refers to someone as a "swashbuckler." Links to actual blogs about swashbuckling are rare indeed. Six of the eight blogs in my blogroll haven't been updated in a year or more. Wake up, swashbucklers! Blog for a bit!

Swashbuckling Thought of the Day 2026-04-27

I realize it may seem that I dislike swashbuckling movies based on the last however many reviews I've written, but I assure you I greatly enjoy great (and even slightly less than great) swashbuckling movies. The problem is that swashbuckling was once a hugely popular genre, and, like anything, only a fraction of that number was actually good. Now, you could ask me why I don't just review the movies I consider good and leave the rest to molder as they deserve. To which I answer: I am on a journey of discovery. Many of these movies I am watching for the first time. I do not know what I will like or dislike until I have watched them. If I dislike a movie, should I not at least give my readers a fair warning? If nothing else, it contributes to the overall picture of the history of swashbuckling in cinema. There are highs and lows. Lately, it may have resembled a whirlpool, but I promise there are calm waves and fair winds ahead. Eventually.

The Son of Robin Hood (1958) Reviewed

The Son of Robin Hood (1958) is a semi-romantic, semi-comedic, semi-dramatic, semi-adventurous romp through a setting reminiscent of many other faux medieval sets that were all the rage in the 1950s.

When the late Robin Hood's band of merry men discover a plot to usurp the throne of England by the ruthless Des Roches (David Farrar), they send an urgent message to Robin's only descendant, who resides in Spain. They are heartened by the reply and eagerly await the arrival of Robin Hood's son to lead them to victory. Alas, Robin Hood had no son, and it is his daughter, Deering Hood (June Laverick), who answers their call. This will not do according to Little John (George Woodbridge), for surely the merry men would never accept a woman to lead them even if she is the daughter of Robin Hood and can shoot as well as or better than he. Enter Jamie (David Hedison), with whom Deering had an encounter when she first landed. Jamie already has an axe to grind with the villains as they have imprisoned his elder brother, and it is decided that he will assume the name of Deering and pretend to be the son of Robin Hood. The real Deering may tag along.

With Jamie pretending to be Deering and Deering pretending to be his page, and eventually Jamie pretending to be Deering pretending to be a French nobleman and Deering pretending to be his page pretending to be a French noblewoman, the film devolves into a poor imitation of the Doris Day and Rock Hudson school of romantic comedy.

The spirit of Robin Hood is a faint echo in this tawdry pantomime that fails to render history or legendry with any accuracy or sense of adventure. It fails in every regard except possibly cinematography, but since it was filmed in Cinemascope and I can only find it in the wrong aspect ratio, I shall refrain from judging it in that category. Perhaps someday, if I can watch it in its original aspect ratio, I'll revisit this review, but for now the sentence is banishment.

Writing: Poor
Directing: Poor/Mediocre
Acting: Mediocre
Cinematography: n/a
Stunts: Poor
Swordplay: Poor
Panache: Mediocre

Overall Rating: Poor
Swashbuckling Rank: Poor

Written by: George George and George Slavin
Directed by: George Sherman
Performed by: David Hedison (as Al Hedison), June Laverick, David Farrar, Marius Goring, Philip Friend, Delphi Lawrence, George Coulouris, George Woodbridge, et al.

The Crimson Pirate (1952) Reviewed

The Crimson Pirate (1952) is a comedic action tale set somewhere in the Caribbean sometime in the 18th Century. Burt Lancaster is Captain Vallo, a pirate of undetermined origin who has a penchant for carefree acrobatics and extravagant heists. His closest comrade and co-conspirator is Ocho (played by Nick Cravat, Lancaster's friend and fellow former circus performer), a mute pirate who is perhaps Vallo's only equal. Vallo's latest elaborate plan is unexpectedly complicated, however, by the arrival of Consuelo (Eva Bartok), the daughter of a rebel leader. It would require a flow chart to describe the plot, but here is the basic structure: A prideful pirate captain undertakes a daring heist, adds a double cross, tops it off with a triple cross, falls in love at first sight, becomes moody and sullen because of confusing emotions that are obstructing his amoral moneymaking schemes, decides to help the rebels only because he has a crush on the rebel leader's daughter, and then a montage ensues wherein the pirate captain becomes an idealistic and inspirational leader who motivates the oppressed to work industriously towards an ingenious plan to free the rebel leader and topple their oppressors. When Vallo isn't grumbling and feeling sorry for himself for liking someone, he's swinging from ropes, jumping through windows, and generally engaging in joyous gymnastic shenanigans. The story takes another whimsical turn after the rescue of Professor Prudence (James Hayter), an academician with an enthusiasm for invention that rivals that of Leonardo da Vinci. His fascination with fabulous contraptions will be central to the montage and the ingenious plan.

The primary ingredients of a satisfactory swashbuckling movie are sadly lacking, though. Even with Lancaster's introductory monologue imploring the audience to indulge the film's flagrant use of poetic license, every single thing in The Crimson Pirate defies believability. The most fantastical Sinbad movie has more solid grounding than any aspect of this film. The characters are shallow, the dialogue is rudimentary, and the story lacks spirit. The only time Vallo picks up a sword is to cut a rope, and the swordplay that does occur is embarrassingly unconvincing. The stuntwork in itself is impressive, but—without the foundation of believable characters and meaningful story—it falls flat. We just don't care.

The swashbuckling romance of The Crimson Pirate seems less like a promise than a prank, which would be forgivable if it were funny, but it isn't. It's a bit of a drag.

Writing: Mediocre
Directing: Fair
Acting: Mediocre/Fair
Cinematography: Good
Stunts: Great
Swordplay: Poor
Panache: Mediocre

Overall Rating: Fair
Swashbuckling Rank: Mediocre

Written by: Roland Kibbee
Directed by: Robert Siodmak
Performed by: Burt Lancaster, Nick Cravat, Eva Bartok, Torin Hatcher, James Hayter, et al.

The Prince of Thieves (1948) Reviewed

The Prince of Thieves (1948), based vaguely on Alexandre Dumas' Le Prince des voleurs, begins with a jolly outing by Sir Allan Claire (Michael Duane) and his sister, Lady Marian Claire (Patricia Morison), which is rudely interrupted by an assassination attempt by an anonymous bowman (I. Stanford Jolley). Luckily for the plot, Robin Hood (Jon Hall) just happens to be in the vicinity and is soon drawn into it. Hall's Robin Hood has the charm and bravado of a middle manager, which is apparently enough to lead a band of half-lucid merry layabouts. Sir Allan was promised the hand of Lady Christabel (Adele Jergens), but she is now a prisoner being forced to marry a villainous nobleman who is a supporter of King John. Naturally, Robin agrees to help Sir Allan win her hand, which results in a breakneck series of battles, jailbreaks, rescues, and predictable cheers upon any mention of "Good King Richard."

Filmed, ironically, in Cinecolor, a technique infamous for its inability to accurately render the color green, The Prince of Thieves is dazzling only in the vividness of its earth tones, which may be appropriate for a film that has more in common with a western than an English folktale. A handful of British actors lend a hint of legitimacy, but the American cast does little to dispel the pervading artificiality. The acting and writing are equally uninspired, the directing and fight choreography are equally clumsy, the music is bland (and usually mismatched to the scenes), and the humor is stale. This film has nothing to recommend it except, perhaps, to completionist fans of Alan Mowbray, who is adequate as Friar Tuck.

Writing: Poor
Directing: Poor
Acting: Poor
Cinematography: Mediocre
Stunts: Mediocre
Swordplay: Poor
Panache: Mediocre

Overall Rating: Poor
Swashbuckling Rank: Mediocre

Written by: Charles H. Schneer and Maurice Tombragel
Based on: Le Prince des voleurs by Alexandre Dumas
Directed by: Howard Bretherton
Performed by: Jon Hall, Patricia Morison, Adele Jergens, Alan Mowbray, Michael Duane, H.B. Warner, Lowell Gilmore, Gavin Muir, I. Stanford Jolley, et al.

7th Sea 3rd Edition Crowdfunding Soon to Be Launched

Studio Agate has announced an upcoming Kickstarter project for a new edition (3rd) of the fantasy swashbuckling role-playing game, 7th Sea. I have no experience with the game in any edition and have never read it, but it has been a popular topic of online discussion amongst a subset of gamers for years. Click here for more information.

Talk Like a Pirate in the Year of Our Lord Twenty Hundred and Twenty-Five

Ahoy! 'Tis the day after International Talk Like A Pirate Day, and I may deserve to be keelhauled for the effrontery of forgetting such an auspicious holiday, but I'll make amends and wish you a Belated International Talk Like A Pirate Day in the hopes you'll spare a scurvy seadog who had to labor that day without the company of a single living soul... on a desert isle as 'twere.

Arrrrrrrrrrrr!

Swashbuckling Thought of the Day 2025-08-30

In a previous thought, I contemplated utilizing tiddlywinks for a swashbuckling game. Now, I am thinking how apropos it would be to incorporate a rapid card-based combat mini-system in a swashbuckling role-playing game. I know of one role-playing game (Lace & Steel) that uses special fencing cards, but I've never actually played nor seen it. What I have in mind would involve quick, vigorous gameplay using either special cards or ordinary playing cards. Is it doable? Could it be adapted to any game; or would it have to be tailored to a specific system? That's what I'm pondering in late August.

If anyone knows where I can find an affordable copy of Lace & Steel, please leave a comment.

The Spanish Main (1945) Reviewed

The true star of The Spanish Main (1945) is the color cinematography for which it received an Academy Award nomination. It is a visually beautiful spectacle that draws the viewer in only to abandon said viewer to the usual monotony of lower tier pirate movie clichés. If it were a book, it would be unremarkable except for its lavish illustrations.

The story (for want of a more accurate word) begins with the usual unjust treatment of a good-natured fellow by a colonial governor in the Caribbean and the good-natured fellow's inevitable rise to infamy as a pirate captain and thorn in the governor's side. In this case, the good-natured fellow/scourge of the Spanish Main is Captain Van Horn (played by Paul Henreid), and the comically tyrannical governor is Don Juan Alvarado (played by Walter Slezak). There must, of course, be a noblewoman who alternately and repeatedly finds herself besotted with and repelled by the hero, and that part is Contessa Francesca (played by Maureen O'Hara). In such a story, misunderstandings are the primary tool of the writer, and the writers are unsparing in its employment. In The Spanish Main, if anything can be misconstrued by anyone, it will be.

While Slezak seems to savor his lines as he chews the scenery (and his dialogue is usually the only entertaining aspect of most scenes), O'Hara's performance wavers between middling and exceptional, and Henreid's is uniformly uninspired. The best performance comes from Fritz Leiber in a comparatively minor role as the Bishop.

The least convincing scenes (and there is plenty of competition for that title) are those involving any two of the unlikely love triangle consisting of Van Horn (who, by this time, is known as the Barracuda, captain of the Barracuda), the Contessa, and historical pirate Anne Bonney (played by Binnie Barnes). Anne Bonney could have been an interesting character, but neither the writing nor the portrayal live up to the potential.

The cinematography alone, though impressive, cannot save this excessively produced B movie. Despite the vivid color, it is bland and lifeless.

Writing: Mediocre
Directing: Mediocre
Acting: Mediocre
Cinematography: Good (Color: Great)
Stunts: Mediocre
Swordplay: Fair
Panache: Mediocre

Overall Rating: Mediocre
Swashbuckling Rank: Mediocre

Written by: George Worthing Yates and Herman J. Mankiewicz
Directed by: Frank Borzage
Performed by: Maureen O'Hara, Paul Henreid, Walter Slezak, Binnie Barnes, et al.

Zorro (1957-1959) Semi-Reviewed

Walt Disney's Zorro, a television show originally airing in the U.S. on ABC, ran in half-hour episodes from 1957-1959, and in four longer episodes from 1960-1961. It starred Guy Williams as Don Diego de la Vega (Zorro), Gene Sheldon as his loyal servant Bernardo, George J. Lewis as Don Alejandro de la Vega (Diego's father), Henry Calvin as Sergeant Garcia, and Don Diamond as Corporal Reyes. This is a semi-review of the episodes from 1957-1959 as the later episodes are not available to me.

It is honestly far harder to review an entire television series than a film, so this will be another jumble of thoughts like my semi-review of Robin of Sherwood (q.v.).

Williams and Sheldon consistently deliver the best performances in both versions of their respective characters. It's gratifying to see a Don Diego who isn't a hopeless fop and a Bernardo who can assume swashbuckling responsibilities as needed. As I mentioned in my semi-review of The Sign of Zorro (which was composed of several episodes of the television show edited into a movie), "...Guy Williams was superb at imbuing his portrayal with subtlety and complexity. His Zorro is genuinely interesting and not a mere cliché." Calvin and Diamond are also consistent in their performances as Sergeant Garcia and Corporal Reyes respectively, but their roles are steadily reduced to comic relief with frequent forays into the maudlin. The guest appearances are often very good, although there are exceptions—all in the second season— for which the actors can probably share the blame with the writers (the most regrettable appearances being Cesar Romero, Jonathan Harris, and Jeff York as the especially egregious singing mountain man, Joe Crane).

The stunts and swordplay are considerably above average for a television show of any era and far above the quality of many swashbuckling movies and serials. Despite a few missteps, I think the Zorro of Walt Disney Studios remains the best of all Zorro adaptations for television.

Writing: Good
Directing: Good
Acting: Good
Cinematography: Good
Stunts: Great
Swordplay: Great
Panache: Great

Overall Rating: Good/Great
Swashbuckling Rank: Great

Written by: various
Based on: The Curse of Capistrano by Johnston McCulley
Directed by: various
Performed by: Guy Williams, Gene Sheldon, Henry Calvin, Don Diamond, George J. Lewis, et al.

Tales of Robin Hood (1951) Reviewed

Tales of Robin Hood, an American film from 1951, was originally intended to be the pilot for a television series. Fortunately, it did not come to pass. Unfortunately, the film survived, and I had the misfortune of watching it out of a sense of obligation to report on all manner of things that are theoretically swashbuckling in nature. You, of course, are under no such obligation, and this review serves as your fair warning.

Apparently, those responsible for this travesty thought the title was not enough to inform viewers what this film might possibly be about, so it begins with a narrator announcing "Merrie England in the Twelfth Century [this part appeared in writing so we know it's "merrie" and not merely "merry"] gave to the world the mysterious figure of Robin Hood. Forester or nobleman, thief or benefactor, all or any of these names befitted him. Our story begins in Loxley Castle, the home of the Earl of Chester, one of the few Saxon nobles who refused to bow meekly to the arrogance of the Norman conquerors. Attended by his son and faithful retainers, he's giving audience to Sir Alan Beaulieu, representative of Gui de Clairmont, Norman overlord of Nottinghamshire." And with that introduction sheepish acting ensues. Expository dialogue is vomited in every scene in service to the script/ipecac. The regurgitation is periodically interrupted by action scenes on par with the playacting of schoolchildren at recess. Exterior shots are of paintings with unskillfully constructed model trees and shrubbery. The pacing is that of a last-minute school play. Does anything redeem Tales of Robin Hood? Anything at all? One actor with a bit part is all that comes to mind. I know neither the name of the actor nor the part he played, but mark my words, if you pay close attention, you might catch a glimpse of some actual living, breathing talent like a single spark in the wilderness under a starless sky (approximately at the 29-minute mark). If you blink, you will miss it. Better to miss the entire movie.

Writing: Poor
Directing: Poor
Acting: Poor
Cinematography: Mediocre
Stunts: Terrible
Swordplay: Terrible
Panache: Mediocre

Overall Rating: Poor
Swashbuckling Rank: Terrible/Poor

Written by: Leroy H. Zehren
Directed by: James Tinling
Performed by: Robert Clarke, Mary Hatcher, Paul Cavanagh, et al.

Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950) Reviewed

Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950) begins with the following statement:

The Bill of Rights and the Liberty and Justice we enjoy today stem from the Magna Carta, the great charter which the oppressed people of England forced from their tyrannical King John. In the year 1215, King John was secretly planning to crush all who stood in the way of his ruthless ambition.

The statement itself is ambitious, but the film falls short of being anything other than a vehicle for the son of Robin Hood to influence the course of British history and, as a result, American history as well. We'll return to that in a moment.

Robin Hood's son is played rather like an American athlete in a high school play by John Derek, and his love interest (and stand-in for Maid Marian), Lady Marianne de Beaudray, is played like a character from Father Knows Best by Diana Lynn. George Macready gives a standard villainous performance as King John. And for the third time in his life, Alan Hale plays Alan Hale as Little John.

It begins with a fiendish plot by King John to slay the son of Robin Hood (also known as Robin) in what Robin thinks is an innocent joust for sport against a Flemish knight. We also learn that Robin is besotted with Lady Marianne de Beaudray, that he and Little John have recently returned from the Crusades, and that King John is negotiating with the Count of Flanders for the use of Flemish mercenaries for suitably villainous purposes. King John blames his ills on Robin Hood, Sr. and the "democratic reign" of his late brother, King Richard. Once again, Richard the Lion-Hearted becomes the nucleus of a fantasy Golden Age, when in reality he was largely absent from England and couldn't be bothered by his subjects except when they needed to be taxed to fund his ransom. In this tale, however, he is apparently the father of democracy. By failing to be assassinated, Robin Hood, Jr. earns the further ire of King John and hastens to return to Nottingham, but not before igniting a classic love-hate misunderstanding between himself and Lady Marianne.

I shan't recount the typical goings-on that went about, but I will say that it took me three or four nights to get through this relatively short film. I could have done it in one night, but I would have slept through 75% of it. It is, to put it bluntly, boring by any measure.

Writing: Poor
Directing: Mediocre
Acting: Mediocre
Cinematography: Mediocre
Stunts: Mediocre
Swordplay: Poor
Panache: Mediocre

Overall Rating: Poor/Mediocre
Swashbuckling Rank: Poor/Mediocre

Written by: George Bruce and Ralph Gilbert Bettison
Directed by: Gordon Douglas
Performed by: John Derek, Diana Lynn, George Macready, Alan Hale, et al.

Robin Hood (1912) Reviewed

The first depiction of Robin Hood on screen occurred in 1912 in the short film Robin Hood. Filmed in Fort Lee, New Jersey with a runtime of 30 minutes, it amounts to little more than a pantomime with its simplistic plot, cartoonish characters, and rudimentary fight choreography (which one might suspect was limited to instructions on the order of, "Just wave your sword about and try not to hurt anyone"). Cinematography was still in its relative infancy, but there is nothing remotely innovative or adventurous on display here. The camera is stationary in every scene, indoors or outdoors, as if the viewer is attending a play, except a play would flow more naturally and be easier to follow. The acting is exaggerated, the pacing is awkward, the scene changes are jarring, and the action sequences are laughable. In one static scene, Robin Hood's merry men hastily arrange an ambush for their pursuers by holding up tree branches and lying down behind them in an open field. I doubt it would fool a blindfolded man, let alone a mounted man-at-arms, but the ambush succeeds, there's a general kerfuffle of pulling soldiers off their horses, and soon their antagonists are all tied to trees. All of the conflict in this version of Robin Hood's adventures is caused by Guy de Gisbourne's unrequited lust for Maid Marian and her father's disapproval of Marian and Robin's dalliances. So much does he disapprove of Robin that he informs Guy that if he can apprehend Robin, he is more than welcome to his daughter. Fights and flights ensue. The characters are all caricatures, and the revelation that the unknown personage is King Richard the Lion-Hearted is clumsy and anticlimactic. Fortunately, the legend of Robin Hood is too powerful to be consigned to oblivion by this half-hearted effort. The only value this film holds is historical. It was the first, and may well be the worst (or one of the worst). At least it is short.

Writing: Poor
Directing: Poor
Acting: Poor
Cinematography: Poor
Stunts: Poor
Swordplay: Terrible
Panache: Poor

Overall Rating: Poor
Swashbuckling Rank: Terrible/Poor

Written by: Eustace Hale Ball
Directed by: Étienne Arnaud
Performed by: Robert Frazer, Barbara Tennant, Alec B. Francis, Lamar Johnstone, Arthur Hollingsworth, et al.

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946) Reviewed

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946) is a passable and largely forgettable tale in the history of Robin Hood's various modern-concocted progeny, which, in this case, is Robert of Nottingham (played by Cornel Wilde). Early in the film, the master plan is revealed. The King's Regent, William of Pembroke (Henry Daniell), is plotting the assassination of the young King Henry III (Maurice Tauzin) and his own ascension to the throne, which will culminate in the destruction of the Magna Carta and anything else that stands in the way of his assumption of absolute power. The threat of autocratic rule was painfully fresh in the memories of those who survived the Second World War, and this is by far the most powerful and memorable scene in the film. Unfortunately, the film devolves rapidly into a series of standard genre clichés conveyed with generic adequacy (except for Henry Daniell's outlandish scenery-chewing that may have directly inspired Henry Polic's Sheriff of Nottingham in When Things Were Rotten and Edgar Buchanan's wiley prospector take on Friar Tuck). The only surprise is the quality of Cornel's fencing (which wouldn't surprise those who know that Cornel once turned down a place in the U.S. Olympic fencing team), but it is, alas, compromised by its brevity. Other action scenes are rendered less effective by being shrouded in darkness. What could have been a rousing swashbuckling parable against tyranny is instead a hasty romp through the usual Robin Hood wardrobe and sets.

[Slightly edited on 15 March 2025.]

Writing: Mediocre
Directing: Mediocre
Acting: Mediocre
Cinematography: Mediocre/Fair
Stunts: Fair
Swordplay: Good
Panache: Mediocre

Overall Rating: Mediocre
Swashbuckling Rank: Fair

Written by: Wilfrid H. Pettitt and Melvin Levy
Based on: Son of Robin Hood by Paul A. Castleton
Directed by: Henry Levin and George Sherman
Performed by: Cornel Wilde, Anita Louise, Jill Esmond, Henry Daniell, Russell Hicks, Edgar Buchanan, George Macready, Maurice Tauzin, et al.

Haphazard Chandelier-Swinging in 2025

I admit I am disappointed that I have been unable to fulfill my Theoretical Swashbuckling goals at the beginning and middle of 2024, but I shall strive to achieve them however long it takes in this topsy-turvy world (even if it means continuing the blog in an alternate format such as physical zine, podcast, or video). In this era, until further notice, I am abandoning my self-imposed blogging quota, but I shall continue to blog as circumstances permit. In addition to the lists of goals mentioned above, I am adding several more.

1. Discuss GURPS Robin Hood.
2. Find, watch, and review more Robin Hood movies.
3. Research, play, and review Robin Hood board games.
4. Reread Robin Hood and books written about the subject.

The Black Arrow (1948) Reviewed

The Black Arrow (1948) is an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel of romance and revenge set in England during the Wars of the Roses. It begins with the unexpected return of Sir Richard Shelton (Louis Hayward) to his father's castle and his discovery of his father's murder. Conspiracies abound, mysterious assassinations occur, and underground movements are revealed. In the midst of it all, he meets Joanna Sedley (Janet Blair), the daughter of the man accused of killing Sir Richard's father.

Despite the shadowy plots of both the powerful and the rebellious, the film is fairly straightforward, the pace is brisk, and the action scenes—although not staggering in their scope or execution—are adequately enjoyable. It is not a big budget blockbuster by any means, but it is reasonably entertaining as a swashbuckling flick if one can forgive its brevity and the inordinately western folksiness of Edgar Buchanan's portrayal of Lawless, the archer with the black arrows.

Writing: Fair
Directing: Good
Acting: Good
Cinematography: Good
Stunts: Good
Swordplay: Fair
Panache: Good

Overall Rating: Good
Swashbuckling Rank: Good

Written by: Richard Schayer, David P. Sheppard, and Tom Seller
Based on: The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson
Directed by: Gordon Douglas
Performed by: Louis Hayward, Janet Blair, George Macready, Edgar Buchanan, et al.

Talk Like a Pirate in the Year of Our Lord Twenty Hundred and Twenty-Four

Looking astern from this here vessel on the sea of Time, it appears I failed to chart the Isle of International Talk Like a Pirate Day in the Year of Our Lord Twenty Hundred and Twenty-Three, so I'll be observing that elusive land with twice the jollity this year.

Arrrrrrrr!

Ongoing Chandelier-Swinging in 2024

Although the task of fulfilling the objectives listed in "Swinging from Chandeliers into 2024" is far from complete, I feel compelled to add to them.

1. Add All for Me Grog to How to Create a Swashbuckler.
2. Play Swashbuckler by Yaquinto Publications.
3. Possibly compile lists of swashbuckling games.
4. Research swashbuckling arcade games.
5. Review animated adaptations of classic swashbuckling characters and stories.
6. Explore the parameters of the genre.