Watch The Spanish Main For Free

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

The Spanish Main (1945) was very much Paul Henreid's baby; he wanted to shake up his image by playing a red-blooded, two-fisted romantic hero. Many feel he was miscast in the lead, too effete to be a swashbuckling pirate captain. I disagree. Henreid's character is an unlikely pirate, but that's because he is, in truth, just an ordinary schlub, a guy who wanted to peacefully make his way to the Americas and ended up getting screwed over. Thus he turns to piracy in an act of rebellion. I think he was fine in the part; however, he's ultimately upstaged by Maureen O'Hara, whose fiery, feisty presence blows everyone else off the screen. It doesn't help Henreid that O'Hara's character has a full-fledged arc too, making her more the center of the film than he. But I love O'Hara, especially when she gets to tote a gun around while wearing gorgeous period clothes, so I'm not complaining.The rest of the cast is a lot of fun. Silent film fans will be delighted to see Antonio Moreno. The color photography is ravishing and the action scenes are well-choreographed. The story is relatively standard pirate fare, but it is a lot of fun for a lazy afternoon. I just had a pretty difficult, exhausting week, so such old school popcorn fare was great for me.

I have never appreciated the manly-jawed Maureen O'Hara. I never thought she could act, and I never particularly thought she was pretty. She was NO Rita Hayworth, nor was she even a Rhonda Fleming, if you're going to compare redheads. BUT! Paul Henreid was the most gorgeous creature ever to don a pirate costume. His only flaw in this film was, that he actually could ACT. Walter Slezak was, as usual, the Evil Walter Slezak, so I didn't appreciate him, either. He's always the same.It's a greatly enjoyable flick, especially if you are a Henreid fan. Have fun!studiojudio

I'm following pirate movies now. Its because of The second Depp pirate movie and its success — Success even by the Ted-o-meter in the way the environments are exploited. So I've been digging out movies featuring sailing ships and most of those are pirate movies.This one follows the pattern set by "Black Pirate." I'm not sure if there is a strong precedent before that.The setup is simple: you have a beautiful princess, strongwilled but privileged and arrogant (but a worthy soul). You have a pirate who forces himself on her, is rejected by our womanly prize, but she finally is "won." Sure, he is a murdering thief, but he was forced into it, you see, so his brutishness is a sort of honorable characteristic.(Oh, she's a redhead.) Everything else is secondary to this spine, the idea of a man taking a woman and her eventually appreciating him, even though initially she finds herself in a violent, exploitive marriage.A whole industry has been built around this notion, the idea of manliness, action and possession. So it must tap something in women. The appeal to men is easy to suss.I saw this on a double feature with classic Bettie Page bondage films. A perfect fit, a tight knot.Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

What fun!! Get some popcorn (or nachos in this day and age) and just hunker down for a evening of fun and romance. Maureen O'Hara at her red-haired best as the aristocratic lady, and Paul Henreid the swashbuckling pirate have a merry romp in this film. The villainous Walter Slezak is so very good being bad.All in all, for this type of film from 1945, a pleasure to watch. It all comes out in the end with a beautiful sunset, the lovers together and all is well as the music rises. What more can you ask for an hour and a half of your time?