The Spanish Main Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

The Spanish Main Blu-ray Movie Review

Rated "arrrrr."

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 29, 2025

Only RKO's second three-strip Technicolor film after 1935's Becky Sharp (the industry's first, although it was produced by Pioneer Pictures and only distributed by RKO), Frank Borzage's crowd-pleasing 1945 production of The Spanish Main is a decently rousing adventure film starring Paul Henreid and Maureen O'Hara. The romantic undertones between our two leads drive its plot forward almost as much as the lightweight swashbuckling, with our pair's bristly first meeting eventually giving way to gradual tenderness. Turns out that all it took was a forced marriage.

So, how'd they meet up? The Spanish Main opens with a shipwreck that leaves Dutch sea captain Laurent van Horn (Henreid) and his crew stranded near the dangerous Spanish settlement of Cartagena. Gluttonous Viceroy Don Juan Alvarado (Walter Slezak) doesn't welcome them with open arms; he instead declares Laurent and his men prisoners and, after a near-scuffle, even sentences the brash captain to death. Not one to take a punishment lying down, Laurent eventually escapes with the help of a few merchant sailors including Pillory Gow (J. M. Kerrigan) and Paree (Curt Bois), later returning to the seas in command of a new pirate ship named after his new alias: the Barracuda. Five years have passed, and one day Laurent's vessel encounters a Mexican ship carrying lovely young Contessa Francisca Alvarado (O'Hara), Don Juan Alvarado's arranged bride-to-be. After she's taken prisoner by Laurent, the Contessa reluctantly agrees to marry him instead in exchange for sparing her approaching escort ship and the lives of its crew.

Stockholm syndrome ensues, but it takes its sweet time: after a quick wedding ceremony on board the Barracuda, Francisca nearly stabs him in their honeymoon cabin before deciding against it. He also softens, neglecting to plunder that booty and instead leaving her to a peaceful night's rest alone. From there, a pit stop is made at Tortuga and we're introduced to fellow pirate captains Mario Da Bilar (John Emery) and Benjamin Black (Barton MacLane), who lament the recent marriage and Don Juan Alvarado's forthcoming reaction to the news. We also meet fearless female pirate Anne Bonny (Binnie Barnes, playing a fictionalized version of the real-life swashbuckler), whose long-time friendship with -- and obvious attraction to -- Laurent is threatened by his new lass. They'll all factor greatly into the film's more linear second half, where Francisca is again captured for a trip to meet her "true husband" Don Juan Alvarado, setting up a rousing third-act infiltration in Cartagena and enough twists and turns to make new viewers slightly seasick.

That's not a complaint, mind you: side-switching, backstabbing, and other plot twists are expected during this kind of adventure film, but The Spanish Main does overplay its hand a little as it goes on. Even so, this is a mostly well-crafted crowd-pleaser and was actually spearheaded by star Paul Henreid himself, who was under contract with Warner Bros. at the time but took his treatment for the film -- which was a departure from previous roles -- to RKO after WB refused to make it. The story, casting, and actual production of the film was fittingly fraught with as many twists and turns as the final script itself, but luckily The Spanish Main ended up being a win for its cast and crew. It's not an example of airtight adventure or flawless filmmaking, but remains pretty entertaining from start to finish with solid fundamentals including great Technicolor cinematography. This plays nicely into Warner Archive's recent Blu-ray edition of the film, which as usual serves up top-tier A/V merits and includes a handful of thoughtfully curated bonus features to boot.

The Spanish Main Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

I've written at length about Warner Archive's expert treatment of three-strip Technicolor for their Blu-ray releases, which typically receive perfect or near-perfect ratings for their clarity, cleanliness, and commitment to purist-friendly presentations. The Spanish Main is no different, easily earning the full five stars for its dazzling appearance that was sourced from a recent 4K scan of the original camera negatives and treated to a round of the boutique label's careful manual cleanup. Film grain is ever-present and only adds to the sense of fine detail, which remains high throughout even when it means we can see wrinkles and other imperfections in now-obvious backdrops meant to mimic a sunny day on the ocean. Black levels hold steady, as do contrast and shadow detail, and color authenticity is off the charts with plenty of eye-catching vivid hues and carefully controlled muted tones as well. It's simply a perfect presentation and encoded well to boot, running at a consistently supportive bit rate even when low light and heavy smoke or fog threaten to derail it. Needless to say, fans and first-timers alike will love how this disc looks.

The Spanish Main Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix doesn't fall far behind and, in all respects, it's really only due to technical limitations. Dazzling Technicolor cinematography can't help but attract more attention compared to one-channel audio, though to its credit this split-channel track does feature a decently rousing dynamic range and an even-keel, satisfying presence that doesn't suffer from any age-related wear-and-tear. Dialogue is clean and easy to follow, sound effects -- from everyday interactions to heavy cannon fire -- are prioritized nicely, and there's plenty of room left over for the original score by Hanns Eisler, filling in for usual RKO composer Roy Webb. From start to finish, it's a solid effort indeed.

Optional English SDH subtitles are included during the film only, not the extras below.

The Spanish Main Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with vintage poster-themed cover artwork and a few era-specific extras.

• Movieland Magic (16:31) - This 1946 WB short film was made under their "Technicolor Specials" banner and basically offers a singing guided tour of the studio backlot with supporting footage from earlier catalog shorts including Musical Movieland, Quiet, Please, and Royal Rodeo. While this isn't exactly the most apt extra of the bunch, it's still decently entertaining with a good bit of time- capsule appeal.

• Buccaneer Bunny (7:30) - The first of two pirate-themed Looney Tunes shorts featuring Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam included here, this predictably enjoyable 1948 cartoon features all the treasure theft and swashbuckling you'd expect between the two sworn enemies.

• Captain Hareblower (6:58) - Made roughly six years later (and looking quite a bit cleaner in the restoration, though certainly a lot less grain-heavy), this like-minded follow-up is heavier on the slapstick but nonetheless another pretty great way to spend seven minutes.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:42) - It's rare to see any RKO trailer on disc, let alone one in full color.

The Spanish Main Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Working outside his usual comfort zone, Frank Borzage's The Spanish Main bites off a little more than it can chew but still stands decently tall as a swashbuckling crowd-pleaser that should appeal to fans of its cast. Warner Archive's solid Blu-ray offers plenty of support with another top-tier restoration of its three-strip Technicolor visuals and adds in a few era-specific extras too. It's very much recommended to fans and might even be worth a blind buy.