Film — Captain Blood

Amongst a bunch of terribly worthy titles for the Warner Bros. retrospective, this by-the-numbers Errol Flynn swashbuckler, meant, I fear, for a less cynical age than this (or perhaps not for the 10:00 showing after Tine Crimes finishing at 01:00). For a tale of high adventure on the seven seas, it was remarkably low on moments of tension while Flynn as the roguish Irish physician sold into indentured labour in the Indies schmoozes his way into the affections of key people, before taking over an attacking Spanish ship while the crew are ashore looting.

Even then it lumbers along, with the obligatory rapier duel with Basil Rathbone coming pretty much out of nowhere, and then quickly returning there. And, given the dates, the resolution was obvious a mile off.