The lore of the fictional Spanish libertine Don Juan dates back as far as the early part of the 17th century from a play by Tirso de Molina. While that particular iteration portrayed the man in a more contemptible light, the archetype has evolved over the centuries from the moralistic rebuke of a hedonistic society to something more charismatic and even romantic in some respects. Of course, the Lothario is very problematic in numerous regards, but he is one that can still captivate when written with a deft hand. As a matter of fact, combine this with the roguish charms of Errol Flynn and you have the recipe for a potential hit.
At least, that is what Warner Bros. hoped when they first began the troublesome production of the project. With the runaway success of the classic swashbuckler The Adventures of Robin Hood in 1938, the studio was eager to capitalize on another “Adventure.” Adventures of Don Juan was first slated to go into production the next year with Flynn in the title role, but production delays, conflicts with creative visions, and a little thing called World War II really stretched production out to unheard of lengths. The war caused swashbuckling tales to fall from grace a bit in favor of Westerns (Santa Fe Trail) and war pictures (Edge of Darkness, Objective Burma!), yet the stars aligned as we reached the tail-end of the 1940s. Vincent Sherman (Mr. Skeffington) took on directing duties for a tale filled with tongue-in-cheek humor and adventure that would finally hit screens in 1948. Flynn’s declining health put up a fight to keep this film from ever being completed, but luckily cinema found a way to persist and deliver a grand spectacle audiences had been missing.
Spanish noble Don Juan de Maraña (Flynn) is introduced in classic form as he climbs up a balcony to consort with a potential lover, one who may have been a bit misleading when it comes to her marital status. The movie establishes its liberal use of levity early on, making Don Juan a scoundrel with a hint of morality and a self-awareness that keeps him likable. An exchange with his intended paramour’s husband allows for such obvious nuggets such as that you should continue to romance your wife even after vows have been exchanged. Focus too much on the game you are hunting and Don Juan just might steal your girl! One too many boundaries is pushed when a scandal lands him back in his native Spain at the behest of Count de Polan (Robert Warwick, Sullivan’s Travels). The noble seeks to rehabilitate his image from his illicit love affairs by taking on the role as a fencing instructor in the court of Queen Margaret of Spain (Viveca Lindfors, Moonfleet) and her nebbish husband, King Philip III (Romney Brent).
This role provides many avenues for Flynn to tackle the plot from different fronts. First and foremost, the adventure and intrigue comes into play upon learning that the king’s premier minister Duke de Lorca (Robert Douglas, Ivanhoe) is trying to usurp the throne from within. Flynn is as good as ever when it comes to his fencing, valiantly tackling some epic sequences that genuinely provide thrills throughout the finale. This movie might be executed with more of a wink than many of this genre, but it gives the stalwarts what they want. The lighter touch during his time as an instructor allows for him to come into proximity with a number of comely ladies and memorable gentlemen who give Flynn a fine counterpart to expose his devilish charm.
The final avenue is perhaps the most true to his character while simultaneously exhibiting some amount of growth. In a lifetime of companionship with many women, Don Juan falls in love perhaps for the first time with Queen Margaret, whose ineffectual husband is not exactly giving him stiff competition. The desire does become mutual, but in a way that feels perfectly organic given the context. What makes it all the more intriguing is the honor with which Don Juan approaches his service to the throne, putting his self-interest to the side for the good of his Queen and his country at large. Flynn and Lindfors sizzle with a bubbling passion every time they are opposite one another which really sells the drama of the situation. It is a nice character-based anchor that supplements the more spectacle-driven action which is provided for an even-handed experience.
Swashbuckling films such as this one can be a bit of a mixed-bag for me personally, but the way in which this one balances the different tones really clicked with me. While often dealing with serious situations, there is always a sense that the movie is not taking itself too seriously – it knows how to have fun. This is made even more palatable knowing that it also takes its craft seriously; the costumes are simply dazzling with their ornate detailing while the production design fully immerses you into this world with grand sets. The performances likewise do not suffer from a weak link in the bunch; Flynn is great in the titular role, but the ensemble is deep with numerous standout performances including his longtime collaborator Alan Hale as Leporello. The creation of this film was a feat of determination for most involved, yet hopefully they felt it was all worth it when they saw what a fun film they had crafted. There are better Errol Flynn films in his output, but Adventures of Don Juan is certainly one of our favorites from the latter half of his career.
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents Adventures of Don Juan with a truly sumptuous new 1080p master transfer sourced from a 4K scan of the Original Nitrate Technicolor Negatives. Warner Archive always makes a meal out of their Technicolor transfers, and this one is an absolute feast. The film features some jaw-dropping colors within the costumes and set design that leap off the screen with a wondrous intensity. Black levels are also very deep with a nice stability throughout to go along with some stable highlights that never bloom. The level of detail and clarity is tremendous with the perfect amount of natural film grain intact that always resolves well. The film appears to be entirely free of dirt and damage which gives the film more of a timeless feeling. There does not appear to be any irritating digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. This presentation is a wondrous effort from Warner Archive on all fronts.
Audio Quality
Warner Archive has delivered a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio presentation that is very impressive. The track balances vocals with the environmental sounds with magnificent clarity. Even in the most kinetic moments, there are no instances where the track ever truly struggles with stability. Dialogue makes up a large portion of the film, and it comes through without any major blemishes. When it comes to the music in this feature, the track handles the different core elements well with only a minor amount of strain in the highest registers. The soaring score from Max Steiner feels almost like another character in the film and it comes through with remarkable fidelity. Warner Archive has provided a great audio presentation that does not exhibit any overwhelming instances of age-related wear-and-tear. The disc also comes with optional English (SDH) subtitles.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Vincent Sherman and film historian/Author Rudy Behlmer work in tandem, presumably recorded separately, to provide some rich background about the production and history of the film. Behlmer covers the factual tidbits such as the backgrounds on the performers in the film, ties to other Errol Flynn projects, the development timeline of this project, where Flynn was at this point in his career and more, while Sherman provides memories of working with composer Max Steiner, the issue of the bulge in Flynn’s pants and many more amusing anecdotes you will not want to miss.
- Warner Night At The Movies
- Newsreel: A minute-long vintage newsreel piece which shows off Miss America 1948.
- Jack McDoakes Short – So You Want To Be On The Radio: An 11-minute comedy short in which McDoakes and his wife try to indulge in their love of participating in radio contests while they keep running into increasingly comical obstacles.
- Warner Bros. Short – Calgary Stampede: An 18-minute Technicolor short directed by Saul Elkins which shows off the historical celebrations of the past complete with a rodeo show.
- Warner Bros. Cartoon – Hare Splitter: A seven-minute Merrie Melodies cartoon which finds Bugs Bunny attempting to go out with Daisy Lou, but the situation evolves into Bugs dressing up in different disguises to fool Casbah.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Adventures of Don Juan is an entertaining interpretation of the classic archetype brought to life flawlessly with a classic Errol Flynn performance. The film stands out somewhat within the genre for its general lack of self-seriousness, as the screenplay realizes the ridiculous qualities of the character and laughs along with it. Nevertheless, traditional fans also have plenty to delight in with the action set pieces and even a classic romance. It’s a full-service spectacle that shows Flynn in his most natural environment. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a tremendous A/V presentation and a great assortment of special features. If you enjoy this genre of Flynn in general, this is a good time all around. Recommended
Adventures of Don Juan can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers. The release will be available beginning on July 19, 2022.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.