Alan wrote and narrates a full length commentary track that accompanies Criterion’s 4K restoration of Hollywood’s greatest swashbuckling picture that made Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland instant stars!
About the Blu-ray Release:
The 2026 Criterion Collection 4K UHD release of *Captain Blood* (1935) offers a significant restoration, praised for its detailed 4K image quality, strong contrast, and rich, even grain. While it lacks HDR, the release is lauded for its impressive, clear mono audio and valuable bonus features, including a commentary by Alan K. Rode, making it a highly recommended, definitive edition of the classic Errol Flynn swashbuckler.
Visual and Audio Quality
Image: The 4K, often described as a “reconstruction,” boasts exceptional detail in costumes and sets, although some reviewers noted the grain can be harsh in spots and the grayscale has limited, non-absolute blacks.
Audio: The LPCM mono track is considered robust, clear, and well-mixed, effectively highlighting Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s score.
Restoration: The restoration is generally viewed as stellar, breathing new life into the 1935 film.
Special Features and Packaging
Commentary: Features a highly regarded, informative commentary by Alan K. Rode.
Documentary: Includes an archival “making-of” documentary.
Radio Play: Features a Lux Radio Theatre adaptation.
Verdict
Considered a “must-own” for fans of classic Hollywood, the 4K release represents the film’s best presentation to date.
Reviews of Alan’s Commentary
Washington Times:
Best extras: A rare meager offering from Criterion starts with a new commentary track by “Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film” author Alan K. Rode. This guy comes loaded with background, trivia, cast biographies and a wealth of information and opinions on the film. He even reads original correspondence from the studio executives.
Mr. Rode offers facts about Flynn: His father was a well-known marine biologist; he was expelled from the Sydney Church of England Grammar School for seducing the daughter of a laundress; he contracted malaria in New Guinea that plagued him throughout his life; and he was unknowingly a friend of a Nazi spy.
Production stories reveal that early scenes were reshot as Flynn grew more confident, some footage was reused from the 1924 version, and studio head Jack Warner refused to cast Black actors in major roles.
Additionally, creative tensions flared between executive producer Hal B. Wallis and Curtiz over the film’s visual style. Curtiz and Flynn never developed a collaborative relationship, with the director viewing actors as “marionettes” to be controlled.
Blueprint Review: “Alan K. Rode provides a commentary. This is fast-paced and loaded with fascinating, often quite revealing behind-the-scenes information. He includes numerous quotes from first-hand memos, interviews and such. It’s an excellent track.”
Slant Magazine: “The Criterion Collection has outfitted Michael Curtiz’s classic swashbuckler with a stunning new 4K transfer and small yet incisive batch of extras. In his audio commentary, author Alan K. Rode does an excellent job of contextualizing the release of the film, both through its importance in re-popularizing the swashbuckler film and its relevance in its director and lead actors’ careers. He also talks at length about the 1922 source novel and 1924 silent film.
Cinema Retro: “An audio commentary featuring Alan K. Rode, author of a Michael Curtiz biography, provides excellent background and context to the picture.”
CineSavant: “The key extra on the new release is a full audio commentary by Alan K. Rode, whose career biography of director Michael Curtiz is one of the better books on golden-age Hollywood. Rode has all the best stories to tell about the politics at Warner Brothers and the remarkable rise to stardom of Flynn and de Havilland. Especially good are Rode’s observations about the film’s censorable content. Captain Blood was filmed in the first full year of the newly-enforced Production Code.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.