THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE

UK/US, 1953, 90 minutes, Colour.
Errol Flynn, Roger Livesey, Anthony Steel, Beatrice Campbell, Yvonne Furneaux, Felix Aylmer, Mervyn Johns, Ralph Truman.
Directed by William Keighly.

The Master of Ballantrae was directed by William Keighly who had directed Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood in 1938. He also directed Flynn in the western Rocky Mountain, 1950.

This seems a throwback to the swashbuckling days of Errol Flynn in the 1930s with such films as Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk. However, this is a ninety-minute Saturday matinee adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel – very loosely – with pirate elements added. These are reminiscent of Flynn in Captain Blood.

Two brothers in the Highlands toss a coin. Jamie, Errol Flynn, the older, goes to serve with Bonnie Prince Charlie and teams up with an eccentric Irishman, Colonel Francis Burke, played with vigour by Roger Livesey. Anthony Steel is the younger brother who stays at home to protect the family property by aligning himself with the English. Beatrice Campbell is the heroine, left behind. With a number of character actors from England, the film has a strong supporting cast giving it some vigour and quality.

The film is enjoyable in its own right – but only an echo of the good old days of the swashbuckler.

1. How good an adventure film was this How enjoyable? What were the main qualities of adventure films evident here?

2. How was the film in the Errol Flynn tradition of adventure and swashbuckling7 Why do audiences enjoy this?

3. What conventions of the Errol Flynn adventure film did this film use? an exotic Scottish background, battles, the clash of brothers, a noble heroism, an ordinary woman, betrayal, pirates, sword play, deaths etc.? How well were these integrated into the one film?

4. What values do such films portray? What values in the audience do they presuppose as regards history, romance, history and romance as larger than life, loyalty, oppression, fidelity? How well did the film utilise these values?

5. What is the world view of such swashbuckling adventure? A world of violence, courage, heroism, romance?

6. Why do audience find Scottish and English clashes so interesting and enjoyable? The film's portrayal of Scottish loyalty, the defeats of Culloden? Disillusionment with Bonnie Prince Charlie? The nature of the peace between England and Scotland? The question of Scots' honour?

7. Errol Flynn as Jamie? How attractive? The courageous hero of adventure? His role as the Master, relationship with Jeb, with Allison, with his father, with Henry? His attitude to the Scottish wars? His capacity for fighting? The amount of suffering in his life? His judging Henty and resentment against him? His friendship with Burke? The adventures with the pirates and his exercising his skill? Overturning the French captain? His return? The impact of the death sentence? That relief of his escape? What kind of hero figure was he?

8. How well did Henry contrast with him? The good brother, hard working, hard done by? The nature of the contrast of the two men? The fact that they were reconciled at the end? Would audiences be satisfied with this?

9. Allison as the conventional heroine? As a lady, her fidelity, her helping him to escape, riding off with him at the end? Could a heroine be otherwise in this film?

10. The contrast with Jenny Brown, her love for Jamie, her betrayal, her rescuing him, repentance and death? A conventional character? How well portrayed?

11. The portrayal of the father as a patriarchal figure?

12. Mc Kellar as a wise steward?

13. How important was Burke for the film? His Irish style, his helping of Jamie, life with the pirates, sharing of the adventures and the death sentence, riding off happily at the end? What quality did this characterization add to the whole film?

14. How important were the escapes? As adventures?

15. Life on the French ship? The walking of the plank? The sword fighting, the betrayal of the French, the final sword fight?

16. The portrayal of pirate life? Mendoza, the dancing girl, the banquet, the taking over of the galleon?

17. How fitting a climax to the film was Jamie's return, the banquet scene, and the fighting, the narrow escape from hanging?

I8. How beautiful was the film to look at? The background of Scotland, its beauty and history? The values of an adventure film?