Against All Flags (1952) Online

Enjoyable Pirate movie dealing with Brian Hawke of the Royal Navy versus the pirates of Madagascar . In 1700 A.D. , the Pirate Republic of Libertaria on the Island of Madagascar was a constant menace to the rich trade routes to India . Several days sail from his pirate fortress in the British merchant ship Monsoon . There appears Brian Hawke (Errol Flynn) , an English navy officer slashing his way through the fleet and pretending to be a deserter to infiltrate into pirate island . Once inside the port, Flynn meets the pirate captains called Stevens (Maureen O'Hara) and Roc Brasiliano (Anthony Quinn). Brian/Flynn is after Stevens , who has a valuable map . Hawke is after a map of the harbor fortifications so that it can be successfully taken by the English navy . Brian Hawke and Brasiliano capture and burn a ship carrying Princess Patma (Alice Kelley), daughter of the Great Mogul, and her governess, Molvina MacGregor (Mildred Natwick). After numerous adventures Hawke is able to aid his lover and help save his British empire , finding romance along the way . As Hawke ravished the pirate port of Madagascar to steal the love of its Corsair Queen .

Amusing pirate movie , plenty of action , thrills , colorful cinematography and luxurious costumes . Although the story has been told before , tight filmmaking and nice acting win out . The picture is fast-moving , exciting and thrilling right up to the almost balletic climatic confrontation between Errol Flynn and Anthony Quinn . Average-budgeted film by Universal Pictures , using appropriate ship shots and miniature sets when possible . Good acting by Errol Flynn as a deserter in order to penetrate a well-defended pirate stronghold on Madagascar . Though Errol Flynn did most of his own stunts, he balked at the one involving sliding down through a sail on a rapier blade, which was originated by Douglas Fairbanks in The Black Pirate , the stunt was performed by a double . Flynn suffered a broken ankle during filming, and while he was recovering, Universal took advantage of the unused sets by scripting and shooting a hastily assembled B picture, Yankee Buccaneer with Jeff Chandler. Flynn starred various swashbucklers and classic adventures such as ¨Captain Blood¨, ¨The Sea Hawk¨, ¨The Prince and the pauper¨, ¨Adventures of Don Juan¨ , ¨Adventures of Captain Fabian¨ and ¨The Master of Ballantrae¨. ¨Against all flags¨ results to be one of Flynn's swashbuckling best though hasn't achieved the same classic status . There appears the gorgeous Maureen O'Hara as a hot-tempered pirate moll who swoons over Flynn ; furthermore , Alice Kelley is a tarty eyeful as a likable princess in distress who Flynn saves from the burning ship and she falls for him , too . This is a good-natured Technicolor romp with splendid cinematography by Russell Metty and evocative musical score by Hans J. Salter . The motion picture was well directed by George Sherman , a craftsman and action specialist who had already filmed other adventures . Rating : 6'5 good pirate movie , wonderful stuff . It will appeal to Errol Flynn and Maureen O'Hara fans .

Excellent pirate entertainment! It has all the good ingredients to keep one's attention -- an absorbing tale of intrigue, a fiery lady pirate named Spitfire Stevens (Maureen O'Hara) who's attracted to the irresistible Mr. Hawke (Errol Flynn) who is out on a secret mission of his own. They make a fine romantic pair onscreen -- sigh!

Anthony Quinn is the mean, bad pirate weaving his villainous web of divide and conquer. I noticed the very familiar face of Mildred Natwick playing a supporting role as Mrs. MacGregor, the protector of young Princess Patma (Alice Kelley).

There is beautifully filmed scenery of shorelines, ships, and the bay. Lots of action too of sword fighting clashes, ship battles, daring leaps of Errol Flynn (Robin Hood on board ship!). From the flaming redhead herself I once heard in an interview of Maureen O'Hara that she boasted great command of the bullwhip and could also outdo Flynn in sword fighting in those days but there'd be no need to put it to the test here.

Very enjoyable movie.

AGAINST ALL FLAGS, Universal's 'take' on the WB swashbucklers of the previous decade, utilized the services of the quintessential Warner buccaneer, himself, Errol Flynn, in the lead. While he was no longer the devil-may-care young matinee idol he'd once been, the actor, finishing up his WB contract, negotiated a 'percentage of the gross' deal to make the film, and with a potential big payday as incentive, Flynn would show more energy and enthusiasm than in THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE (which would be released a year later, and would be his last WB swashbuckler).

As Brian Hawke, a British naval officer 'undercover' to destroy the batteries of a pirate island stronghold, Flynn looks far older and more jaded than in his halcyon days (when his commander refers to him as 'young', you can almost see both actors wince), but his rakish smile is still present, and his dialog is ripe with the sexual innuendo audiences had come to expect from a Flynn film (to female pirate Maureen O'Hara, he says, with tongue in cheek, "I'd looked forward to serving under you, ma'am"...). Posing as disgraced and discharged, his obvious refinement draws the suspicion of ruthless pirate captain Anthony Quinn, but stirs the long-suppressed sexual yearnings in O'Hara, whose father had built the artillery emplacements. Discovering that the plans are located in O'Hara's bedchamber, Flynn goes to work on her, combining his mission with his infamous off-screen reputation for seduction, in a funny scene that both actors play to the hilt.

Placed under Quinn's command, Flynn participates in the capture of a galleon, then discovers that the 'cargo' is a virginal Indian princess (Alice Kelley), who'd never been close to a man before, other than her father. Having Errol Flynn as a 'first' provides another point of humor, as, after he gives her a platonic kiss, she nearly swoons, and begins incessantly begging, "AGAIN!" (A chant O'Hara would take up, as the film's final line).

There is the 'mandatory' discovery of Flynn's true identity, O'Hara's betrayal to rescue him, and O'Hara and Kelly both held as hostage aboard Quinn's ship, leading up, of course, to a 'by-the-numbers' final swordfight between Flynn and Quinn. Unfortunately, in filming the final duel, Flynn fell, breaking his leg, and the production was halted until the aging actor could heal (Universal, ever conscious of budget, filmed YANKEE BUCCANEER, with Jeff Chandler, on the Flynn sets, as he recuperated).

The shooting was, overall, a pleasant experience for Flynn, at a time when the WB had relegated him to 'B' pictures, and he advertised AGAINST ALL FLAGS in theatrical trailers as one of his favorite films. While it wasn't the hit he had hoped for, it did do well enough that the WB would 'green light' THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE, to be made in England. (Universal would remake AGAINST ALL FLAGS, 15 years later, as THE KING'S PIRATE, with Doug McClure in Flynn's role.)

Financial difficulties would soon force Errol Flynn to leave the United States, and the pirate yarn would be his last film shot in America for five years.

A new stage of his rollercoaster career was about to begin...

This is a very good pirate movie! It has all the typically good elements that a good pirate movie needs. An engaging tale of intrigue, a fiery lady pirate -- aptly named "Spitfire" Stevens, and ably played by the great Maureen O'Hara. Of course she is attracted to Errol Flynn's character, Mr. Hawke. But Hawke is on a top secret mission of his own. These two actors are great together! But my favourite is Anthony Quinn as the villain. He is fantastic in this movie. The performances are the main reason I like the film. The plot itself is nothing special, so I give it 7 out of 10. The visuals are often just okay but sometimes fantastic.

"Against All Flags" is every bit the classic swashbuckler. It has all the elements the adventure fan could hope for and more for in this one, the damsel in distress is, well, not really in distress. As Spitfire Stevens, Maureen O'Hara is at her athletic best, running her foes through in defiance of the social norms of the period. Anthony Quinn rounds out the top three billed actors as the ruthless Captain Roc Brasiliano and proves to be a wily and capable nemesis for Brian Hawke (Flynn). For the classic adventure fan, "Against All Flags" is a must-see. While it may not be in quite the same league as some of Errol Flynn's earlier work (Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk, for instance), it is still a greatly entertaining romp.

If you like pirate films, you shouldn't miss this one. "Against All Flags" is not a great film of the genre, but it is entertaining and enjoyable.

It has all the ingredients. Battles at sea, the hero, the villain, the hero's romantic interest, the final sword duel, good settings and color and special effects are very good too (don't forget we are in the early 50's).

I think the cast helps a lot if not for outstanding performances (there are not very demanding roles) but for actors that were symbols in this kind of movie. Errol Flynn -probably the all time swashbuckler- was aging here but he still had his unique screen presence. Maureen O'Hara was often casted in adventure films and her undeniable beauty was always welcome. And Anthony Quinn -not a major star back then, but a classical villain- was on his way.

Pure pirate adventure; no more, but no less.

A featherweight plot and dubious characterizations don't make any difference when a movie is as fun to watch as this one is. Lively action and spectacular stunts - for their day - give this movie some real zip. And there's some actual comedy from the ripping chemistry between the two leads. Quinn makes a good villain also, although his role is completely overshadowed.

But don't be fooled by Maureen O'Hara's tough broad role, this is as sexist as any Hollywood movie of this era. You might be able to forgive that because of the time in which it was made, but it's still hard to get past. For all the heroism and gruesomely adult off-screen situations, this is still little more than an adolescent good time.

By 1945, and after a string of solid WWII propaganda pieces, Errol Flynn’s hold over U.S. box office had started to decline so, in spite of the increased burden of waning looks, he embarked on a series of films pertaining to that genre which had earlier made his name: the swashbuckler. The first of these was a good one actually – ADVENTURES OF DON JUAN (1948) – but it also proved to be his last big-budget Hollywood starring vehicle. The rest of his sword-wielding days were spent wandering all over Europe: in England for KIM (1950), THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE (1953) and THE DARK AVENGER (1955), in France for ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN FABIAN (1951) and Italy for the aborted THE STORY OF WILLIAM TELL (1953) and the little-seen CROSSED SWORDS (1954). However, Hollywood did beckon him one last time to his old seafaring ways – albeit for a modestly-budgeted Universal picture rather than a Warner Brothers ‘A’ production to which he had been accustomed when at his peak…

Still, the glorious Technicolor cinematography leaps off the screen here and, while an older and flabbier Flynn may look like the pale shadow of his former self, his red-headed leading lady Maureen O’Hara has a field day as a tomboyish buccaneer leader who deep down craves romance and wants to be treated like a lady. Anthony Quinn was still a few years away from his larger-than-life starring vehicles, so here he is typically seen as the baddie – the pirate captain Roc Brasiliano, a role he attacks with gusto. Like THE BLACK SHIELD OF FALWORTH (1954) – a viewing of which preceded this one – AGAINST ALL FLAGS takes me back to my cherished childhood days of constant TV viewing when vintage Hollywood movies were the order of the day on both the local and neighboring Italian channels.

For all I know, this might well have been the very first pirate movie I’ve ever seen and I cringe at the thought of today’s generation of youngsters supposedly believing that the grossly overblown PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN trilogy is what buccaneering is all about! As I said earlier, AGAINST ALL FLAGS might not be the finest pirate yarn ever brought to the screen but it’s a solid example of this prolific genre all the same. Nowadays, the amorous persistence of the child-like Indian princess (Alice Kelley) towards her pirate captor Flynn may strike one as being awfully silly but the rest of it – despite clearly not scaling the heights of THE SEA HAWK (1940) and THE BLACK SWAN (1942), to mention the finest seafaring ventures of its respective stars – is briskly paced and reasonably engaging. Incidentally, the film would later go on to be remade as THE KING’S PIRATE (1967) with Doug McClure!

For what it’s worth, the unprecedented box office success of that unappetizing modern franchise is most probably what induced reluctant movie studios to dust off their catalogue swashbuckling titles and release them on DVD and, as a matter of fact, AGAINST ALL FLAGS itself was the one gem in a poorly-thought out “Pirates Of The Golden Age Movie Collection” set from Universal which also consisted of obscure dross like BUCCANEER’S GIRL (1950; with Yvonne De Carlo), DOULE CROSSBONES (1951; with Donald O’Connor) and YANKEE BUCCANEER (1952; with Jeff Chandler)! Value for money, perhaps but, so far, I have only acquired the Errol Flynn flick from other sources; even so, if the mood strikes me in future, I might wish to lay my hands on similar marine adventures like Edward Dmytyk’s MUTINY (1952), the afore-mentioned YANKEE BUCCANEER and PIRATES OF TORTUGA (1961).

Being the prototype of the classical Errol Flynn adventure movie and having a good story as well as two more brilliant co-stars in Maureen O'Hara (what an exquisite beauty!) and Anthony Quinn, I can only recommend this movie to all those having even the slightest liking for romance and adventure.

Hollywood at its best!

Errol Flynn was well past his prime when this film was made in the early 1950s, but the charm is still there, and you could not ask for better in the rest of the cast, Anthony Quinn, Maureen O'Hara and Mildred Natwick, among others.

A delightful, well written and frequently witty pirates movie.

I just finished a mini-marathon of Errol Flynn pirate movies: Captain Blood (1935), The Sea Hawk (1940), and Against All Flags (1952). Strangely, I'd never heard of AAF, though I knew most of Flynn's other films. It was interesting to see Flynn's face change so dramatically over the years, and listen to his accent become more American. I've never heard anyone mention this before, but I find that in his 40s, Errol Flynn looked a great deal like John Wayne. In fact, I had to blink more than once during AAF to remind myself that this was *not* John Wayne!

I enjoyed this film, mainly thanks to the three leads, as others have said. I had read a previous review about how sexist this movie is, so I was prepared for the worst, but I didn't find it *that* bad (comparatively speaking), except for the stupid ending. The insistence of Maureen O'Hara's character that she will only kiss a man when she feels like it, instead of the other way around, her intelligence, confidence, honesty and her kindness to her "rival" all seem pretty feminist to me. On the other hand, apparently it's quite all right to sell the Indian princess's nine companions into marriage, as long as the princess herself is saved!

Overall, though, I found this film more racist than sexist. The villain is once again the olive-skinned Hispanic (Anthony Quinn), and the "Indian" princess in her harem outfit (played by a white actress, naturally) is so stupid she shouldn't be allowed to cross a street by herself!

I wasn't that thrilled by the sword-fighting, but that might be due to an overdose after watching three movies' worth! I don't know whether it was the soundtrack, but Errol Flynn spoke so softly throughout this film that often I had trouble understanding what he said. One little question: if you'd just stabbed someone, wouldn't the owner expect to see a little blood on his knife when you returned it to him? The technicolor shows to good advantage, and I'd like to know where they filmed the outdoor scenes! All in all, an enjoyable pirate movie for an evening's entertainment.

Flamboyant leading lady Maureen O'Hara, having just completed her favorite film role, in "The Quiet Man", with John Wayne, now got her one chance to costar with another legendary film man of action, albeit during his declining years. I was unaware of this Technicolor Flynn-starring pirate yarn, filmed when he was looking and sounding rather middle-aged, being consumed by his rampant alcoholism. Nonetheless, he put forth a credible performance in this, unique for him, Universal-sponsored film. This is one of a rash of pirate-centered films that Universal sponsored in the early '50s: some straight adventure stories, others farcical spoofs. A number of these are currently available in a collective DVD offering. Of this group of films, this one certainly sports the greatest collection of high profile actors, if not being your personal favorite.

Maureen was no stranger to being cast in pirate and other adventure-type films. In contrast to her previous roles in "The Black Swan" and "The Spanish Main" as an aristocratic lady desired, in this film, she is cast as one of the pirate captains, having inherited this position from her deceased father. This role enhances her opportunities to display her trademark fiery tomboyish personality. As in the case of feisty Alexis Smith, Flynn's leading lady in a number of previous films, her flaming red hair and green-grey eyes were made for Technicolor, sometimes denied her in her early career. This was one of a rash of films released in the early '50s that featured feisty women of a bygone era in roles traditionally reserved for men only. This includes: "Anne Get Your Gun", "Calamity Jane", "Montana Belle" "Comanche Territory", and "The Redhead from Wyoming" the last two again featuring Maureen.

Charismatic Anthony Quinn was the third lead, as another pirate captain. He played a rather similar role in the previous "The Black Swan", with Maureen again the leading lady. As usual, he ends up the odd man out in a romantic triangle. Although physically he clearly belies his partial Mexican heritage, Quinn was cast as a wide variety of exotics during his career, often villainous, as exotics tended to be. Here, he curiously takes on the namesake of the otherwise forgotten historical Dutch-Brazilian Caribbean pirate Roc Brasiliano. Just why the screenwriters decided to so anoint his character is beyond me. The brutal Brasiliano never had anything to do with Madagascar nor Indian Ocean piracy, which are the centerpiece of this film. Furthermore, Quinn's character is apparently Italian, or perhaps French.

Instead of the single damsel in distress Flynn previously fought and romanced with in his pirate films,here he has two beautiful women characterized as extreme opposites in the spectrum of female personalities, competing for his romantic attentions. Besides the sharp, gutsy, outspoken Maureen, he happens upon the demure, extremely sheltered,unbelievably stupid, Princess Patma, daughter of the Indian Grand Mogul. She happens to be a passenger on a ship that Brasiliano attacks, rescued from the burning ship by Flynn, Brasiliano's crew member. Man-starved throughout her life, this gorgeous creature(played by Alice Kelley) immediately takes a romantic fancy to Flynn, who responds standoffishly after he learns who she is. Presumably, he doesn't want to run afoul of the Grand Mogul, who no doubt has his own marriage plans for his daughter. What was the Princess doing on this ship? A favorite target of Indian Ocean pirates was shiploads of Indian Muslims, going to fulfill their lifetime quest to visit the holy city of Mecca. Probably, this was her case, as suggested by Flynn's character.

When the Princess is put up for sale as a slave, Maureen outbids Flynn, assuming he wants her as a concubine, whereas Flynn actually wants to protect her. He hopes to ultimately get her aboard a British warship scheduled to arrive. Unfortunately, instead, she falls into the hands of Brasiliano, who uses her as a 'shield' to discourage the British warship from firing on his ship, as he tries to make a getaway, with Maureen aboard, to Italy. Brasiliano sent the Princess's chaperone to the warship to tell he has the Princess. Flynn saves the day by sneaking aboard the ship and dueling with Brasiliano to the death, abetted by rapier-wielding Maureen, after Brasiliano tried to rape her.

Maureen keeps going back and forth in her allegiance between Flynn and Brasiliano, when they are at odds. Although attracted by Flynn's charm and seeming gentlemanly persona, she is scorned by his inexplicable refusal to make love to her at her beckoning, at one point, and is suspicious of his relationship with the Princess, among possible others. As she is leaving, having been frustrated, she suggests that another woman will probably soon show up. Flynn quips "no, not another woman, 10 of them!"

Flynn plays an undercover agent, intent on infiltrating the Madagascar pirate rings, and disabling the numerous cannons protecting their main base at Diego-Suarez. He is successful at this, but seemingly outmaneuvered by Brasiliano's use of the Princess as a shield.

My favorite film role for Maureen, with great chemistry with Flynn. Quinn also great. Superb Technicolor cinematography. Unfortunately, Flynn is really trying to play his irresistible self 5-15 years earlier, with only modest success.

Errol Flynn plays a British naval officer who goes undercover with pirates and romances pirate captain Maureen O'Hara. Jealous pirate Anthony Quinn is suspicious and believes Flynn to be a spy. Expect a swordfight at some point.

Touted as being one of Flynn's better '50s films. I'd have to agree with that, although this still doesn't hold a candle to his best films from 1935 to 1945. As everybody pretty much knows, Flynn was an alcoholic and, by this time, years of abuse had started to take its toll on his handsome features. While he would look much worse just a few short years later, here he still looks like he's ten years older than his actual age. That being said, it doesn't affect his ability to act. He still has a good screen presence, charm, and pleasant chemistry with O'Hara. Speaking of Maureen O'Hara, she's as lovely and feisty as ever. She's always a treat to watch and here she's the highlight of the picture for me. Anthony Quinn goes through the motions as the villain. Dig his velvet coat, though. It pops like so many of the colors in this. Gotta love Technicolor. It's not Flynn's last swashbuckler but it's his last good one.

Against All flags is directed by George Sherman and written by Joseph Hoffman and Aeneas MacKenzie. It stars Errol Flynn, Maureen O'Hara, Anthony Quinn, Alice Kelley and Mildred Natwick. A Technicolor production out of Universal with cinematography by Russell Metty and music scored by Hans J. Salter.

In 1700 A.D. the Pirate Rebublic of Libertatia on the Island of Madagascar was in constant menace to the rich trade routes to India. Several days sail from this pirate fortress is the British merchant ship, Monsoon......

Plot, in simple terms, sees Flynn as a British officer who goes under cover to smash the pirate ring operating on the coast of Madagascar. Swooning, jealousy, heroics, moustache twirling villainy and big hoorays do follow. It's a lesser Flynn swashbuckler that came at a time when he was fighting some personal issues as well as the onset of age. Filmed mostly on the Universal stages in California, with a small amount of location work shot at Palos Verdes, picture is far better than it probably had right to be.

Duel with landing pikes!

OK! This is hardly a rip snorter akin to Flynn's triumphs of the past, nor is it a particularly potent story, but it's a picture full of lovely optical delights whilst the lead performers have an ebullience that's utterly beguiling. Colour photography and costuming lead the way, both of which off set some of the cheapo corner cutting by producer Howard Christie. Direction is steady, with the actors comfortable with the jovial material to hand, and the finale doesn't lack in the crash, bang, wallop & hooray department. Flynn oozes laid back charisma, his unassuming kisses stealing the ladies hearts, Quinn enjoys being the dandy dastardo, O'Hara wields a good blade and broods a sexuality to knock the boys off their feet, and Mildred Natwick is as always worthy of observation, her visual acting most enjoyable.

The flaws are evident from the off, it's an easy film to kick and dismiss if in a particularly demanding mood. As pirate adventures go, or as Flynn swashers go, it's very much a minor work. But that doesn't mean it isn't colourful or fun, for it happens to be both. Universal's Region 1 Pirates of the Golden Age release of Against All Flags comes in full frame and is a rather good transfer to disc. 7/10

There's nothing like an Errol Flynn pirate movie, is there? He's so handsome and dashing, but he's also incredibly intimate and sensitive-in other words, he's the perfect fictional love interest! There are a million to choose from, but if you happen across Against All Flags, give it a whirl because it's pretty good.

Errol is a secret spy, and he smuggles himself aboard Captain Anthony Quinn's pirate ship to gain information, but he doesn't count on Tony and his right-hand lady Maureen O'Hara catching onto his act. Before long, he's summoned before the entire crew and forced to prove himself as loyal. Well, when he makes a play for the captain's girl, that doesn't make him look very loyal, does it? Maureen herself doesn't really mind, because she's been playing hard to get with Tony for quite a while, and it's clear to the audience from the get-go that she prefers Errol.

Against All Flags has it all: pirate ships, a love triangle, a kiss and a slap within seconds, and swordfights. Plus, the ladies in the audience are posed with a very difficult dilemma: choosing between handsome Errol or passionate Tony. I still haven't made up my mind.

I have no idea if Maureen O'Hara liked roles such as the one she played in AGAINST ALL FLAGS or not. On the one hand, she got to play a woman with pluck and strength. On the other, she was a walking cliché--an anachronistic lady who never could have existed in 1700--let alone 1952. In the film, she is a female pirate--one that is the boss of bosses and makes men cringe. She is "the man"...something that never could have happened in real life. History DOES record two pirate women (Mary Read and Anne Bonney) but they were NOT the captain and it appears that the crew on board the tiny boat they served even knew that they were women. There were no boss-lady pirates except in film...and all too often, they were played by Maureen O'Hara. A silly idea really, as the way she played these petulant roles was rather cartoonish--a tough as nails lady who instantly is taken by the studliness of the male lead!

Despite this, the film is a very watchable piece of fluff that features Errol Flynn as an English naval officer who pretends to go pirate so that he can infiltrate their base. As for Flynn, while he was a serious hard-core drunk when he made the film, he doesn't show the puffiness and effects of alcohol like he did just a few years later. It's one of his last good roles.

In the role of the rival and hot-headed pirate is Anthony Quinn--playing a very typical role for him as well. However, despite his having made quite a few films in similar circumstances, he was quite well-suited to the role.

As far as the script goes, that is by far the worst part of the film--being mostly clichés and predictable outcomes. But, on the plus side, the color cinematography is nice, the film is lite and easy on the brain and is basically harmless escapist fluff.

By the way, my favorite line in the film was a great double-entendre:

Errol Flynn (to Maureen O'Hara): "I shall regret not having the honor of serving...under you". Umm....yeah.

Against All Flags is a daft high seas adventure but is rather fun although the plot does not stand up to much scrutiny and some of the pirates characters are lacking any kind of consistency.

Errol Flynn, looking a little old and portly plays Hawke, a British naval sailor going undercover to infiltrate the pirates. Anthony Quinn is suspicious of him making you wonder why Quinn did not just kill Hawke and the lovely and fiery Maureen O Hara is Spitfire Stevens, a lady pirate in the High Seas who somehow up to know has managed to get Quinn's grimy hands off her or all the other male sailors.

O Hara immediately gets the hots for Hawke and both actors seem to have good chemistry. In the mix comes a ship sailing from India carrying a princess who also also falls for Hawke and brings some comic relief but also happens to be daft as a brush.

The film is beautifully made in technicolour and both O Hara and the Princess look lovely. Quinn is snarling and Flynn is a gentleman on screen at least.

Plenty of fights, battles and although some of the ship based scenes look like they were filmed in a studio its entertaining enough but in a daft way as the script and characterisation is nonsense.

Sounds like something you can't miss: a pirate movie starring Errol Flynn, Maureen O'Hara and Anthony Quinn... Well, not really. You can miss it, no problem at all. Flynn plays a British Navy officer who could be living on the edge since he is spying a pirate community in Madagascar. But he looks like someone who is having a good time, his heart divided between pirate O'Hara and a foolish Indian princess. Action sequences are unconvincing, even fencing is weak. Only the final duel between Flynn and Quinn holds some interest. The same story was remade as "The King's Pirate" in 1967, a B-movie less pretentious but funnier than the original.

Technicolor, Pirates, O' Hara and Flynn. How could this movie be bad? It's not. It is a delightful tale of romance and deception. I have wanted to see this movie since I noticed it on IMDB, but had to wait for Amazon to start streaming it. Similar to the Black Swan with Tyrone Power but it lacks a little something. But still pretty good, no great surprises but honestly were you expecting any? And there is a sword fight. What more do you need? A great movie for a rainy Saturday or Sunday.

Copyright 2 November 1952 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. A Universal-International picture. New York opening at the Capitol: 24 December 1952. U.S. release: December 1952. U.K. release: 16 February 1953. Australian release: 23 July 1953. Sydney opening at the State. 7,513 feet. 83 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: A British naval officer attempts to break the pirate hold on Madagascar.

NOTES: Universal re-made this film in 1967 as King's Pirate. Don Weis directed the re-make from a script refurbished with only minor changes by Paul Wayne. The leading roles were played by Doug McClure, Jill St John, Guy Stockwell and Mary Ann Mobley.

COMMENT: Errol can still swash with the best of them, but Against All Flags marks the end of Errol Flynn's Hollywood career as a swashbuckler. (The three swashbuckling pictures he made after this were filmed in Europe, whereas Against All Flags was lensed mostly on the Universal sound stages and back lot, with some location work at Palos Verdes on the Californian sea-coast). To my mind, it is a fitting end to the career Warner Brothers launched so auspiciously 17 years before in Captain Blood.

Universal made a brave attempt to recapture the scope and vigor of the Warner pictures and, while Against All Flags does not equal the best of them, it runs the second echelon pretty close.

Against all Flags has at least 4 major factors in its favor: (1) a fine cast. Miss O'Hara was never more attractive, or Quinn so delightfully villainous, and there's a rib-tickling performance by Alice Kelley as a dumb princess. Flynn himself is at his most charming and, athletically, in top form. In fact, he applied himself so energetically to the action sequences, he broke his left ankle five days before the film was due for completion. It was five months before he could resume, during which time the ship (a standing set on Universal's back lot) had been converted for use in Yankee Buccaneer ("setting sail" with Captain Jeff Chandler and much the same crew under Joseph Pevney's direction) and had to be re-converted back again!; (2) a highly entertaining script, with plenty of scope for action, colorful characterisations, and some ingenious and original plotting; (3) zestful direction by George Sherman (no relation to Vincent Sherman who handled Flynn in The Adventures of Don Juan); (4) excellent production values, including Russell Metty's Technicolor photography.

OTHER VIEWS: Good swashbuckling yarn, with plenty of action and nice color. The performances are spirited, and the direction smooth. Miss O'Hara looks very fetching in her pirate costume.

In his one and only film done for Universal Studios Errol Flynn plays a king's spy, an officer in the British navy sent to infiltrate the pirate lair on Madagascar and put their harbor guns out of commission. The head pirate Anthony Quinn doesn't trust him as far as he can throw a yardarm. But he does interest lady pirate Maureen O'Hara who is letting her hormones get control of her judgment.

This was probably a script that was meant for Jeff Chandler and possibly Rock Hudson or Tony Curtis, but they were all probably occupied so Flynn got the nod, loaned out from Warner Brothers by Jack Warner.

The story of Against All Flags has Flynn and two other crewman pretending to be deserters from a merchant ship and eager to join Quinn and fight as he put it Against All Flags, save the Jolly Roger. On one of the pirate raids the daughter of the Mogul of India played by Alice Kelley and her Scottish nursemaid Mildred Natwick. Only Flynn realizes who she is and that knowledge adds to his mission as he tries to keep her from harm's way. Kelley is a bit of a dim bulb and her failure to forget she's a princess puts the whole enterprise in danger.

No one will ever mistake this pirate film for Flynn's screen triumphs in Captain Blood or my favorite Errol Flynn film, The Sea Hawk. No great production values went into this film, you can really recognize the phoniness of the sets to easily.

As this was done tongue in cheek it gave the players a chance to indulge in a bit scenery chewing. Especially Anthony Quinn who digests a whole dining room set. Flynn gets by on his usual charm and O'Hara looks like a dominatrix in those skin tight thigh high boots she had to wear.

Still Against All Flags is entertaining and the fans of the principal players will enjoy it.

Against all Flags is a standard 50's pirate film featuring an aging Errol Flynn.

It's thin on plot and doesn't bother with any historical accuracy. Still I suppose it was intended as a light hearted romp and that's exactly what you get. There are a few decent fight scenes and it's filmed in vibrant colours. The obligatory romance(s) are laboured and unconvincing and take up way too much of the film. It's all fairly ridiculous but at least some enjoyment can be gained from the impressive sets.

This isn't a film that's aged well and it's hard to imagine it figured high on the achievements of any of the big star names in it, even at the time. It's worth watching for historical value but has little to offer the modern audience.

Maureen O'Hara is hardly the Spitfire character she portrays in this 1952 film. Although, in the dueling scenes, she appears just as good if not better than co-star Errol Flynn.

Flynn, as a member of the royal navy, goes undercover to infiltrate a pirate's group. There he meets a cantankerous Anthony Quinn with that deep voice of his.

For a film supposedly about pirates, there is very little adventure and at 1:23 minutes, not that much may be told here.

Mildred Natwick has the part of a lady in waiting to an Indian princess that would have been much more suited for Una O'Connor.

Latter day Errol Flynn pirate adventure, filmed in sumptuous colour and with Anthony Quinn and Maureen O'Hara providing fine support as the villainy and love interest respectively (of course!). O'Hara was in the not dissimilar Black Swan but I much prefer her in this, as a feisty pirate captain called Spitfire. She wears Lincoln green a lot, perhaps as a nod to Flynn's Robin Hood many years earlier.

Sadly, I found Flynn to be the weakest link here. People say he's aged a lot in this, but no more than many of us do in over a decade, certainly no more than Bond stars Connery and Moore did in the same amount of time. I don't mind the 19th-hole, fetch-me-a-double-whiskey-and-Xerox-it pallour, rather that Flynn seems to be a man with the fight completely knocked out of him. There's none of the animus or spirit of his earlier performances - and Flynn without spirit is like Connery without his dangerous edge - or, as Connery appeared in Never Say Never Again. In fact, this vehicle has the feel of a belated comeback picture like NSNA or Indy and the Crystal Skulls, there's the sense that something is not quite right with the leading man. There's a defeated, shifty look in Flynn's eyes that's very uncharismatic.

It doesn't help that the script seems written for Flynn in his younger glory years, a lady killer who can turn Spitfire's head without preamble. It's a scene that anticipates Connery and Karin Dor in YOLT, but at least Connery had a bit more of the youthful, indolent way about him still then.

I didn't care either for the plot, a Donnie Brasco-type thing where Flynn is a naval officer posing as a deserter to infiltrate the pirate colony, but that's just my taste. Like Lazenby in OHMSS going undercover as Sir Hilary Bray, it works against the leading man's natural brio and bravado. It would have helped to show some dastardly, nasty pirate behaviour early on to justify his undercover actions, because often Flynn plays the outraged insubordinate rather than an establishment figure. Still, the look of the film carried me through and I wish Captain Blood had been filmed in that sort of colour.

This film is a swashbuckling "Captain Blood" style, in which the immortal heartthrob Errol Flynn plays a British officer who infiltrates a pirate den to undermine his coastal defenses and allow an English attack. Flynn is in a comfortable role and provides us with a performance within what we could expect from him. Next to him are Maureen O'Hara and Anthony Quinn, the latter in the role of the villain. Quinn had a relatively contained performance, despite his character being a bully. O'Hara seeks to establish himself in a middle ground between the feminine sensuality and the strength and personality that her character demanded. I don't know to what extent this effort was fruitful, but I believe the actress could have done better. In addition, being a period film and being piracy a strongly masculine activity, her character lacks verisimilitude. Worse than that is just Alice Kelley, in a character very stereotyped and loaded with subliminal sexual allusions. In short: its a film that satisfies swashbuckling connoisseurs but is far from the greatness of other films of this genre.