Adventures of Captain Fabian ** (1951, Errol Flynn, Micheline Presle, Agnes Moorehead, Vincent Price) -Classic Movie Review 12,287

Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951, Micheline Presle),

Producer/ / director William Marshall’s fairly sprightly 1951 Republic Pictures black and white American adventure film Adventures of Captain Fabian stars Errol Flynn, Micheline Presle, Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead. The film is based on a script by Flynn, who had made a multi-picture deal with American actor William Marshall, and they produced it independently, though this turned out to be their only production.

An ageing Flynn went to France to make this low-budget swashbuckling adventure melodrama about Captain Fabian (Flynn), a sea captain who falls for and saves a not-so-sweet New Orleans serving woman Lea Mariotte (Presle) from a murder rap, after she has persuaded her rich, effete husband George Brissac (Price) to kill his uncle Henri (Victor Francen). But now she’s all set for revenge…

Though Flynn still had his contract with Warner Bros, his own independent production is pale shadow of Flynn’s great classic adventure pictures of yore at the studio. But it is still of interest because of the lively performances of the jolly cast, some zest in the handling, and its still potent reminder of the old days.

The script, largely by Flynn himself (with Charles Gross), is based on a book called Fabulous Ann Medlock by Robert T Shannon.

Micheline Presle was borrowed from 20th Century-Fox to play the female lead after being signed in 1950 by the studio, who changed her name to Prelle. She became William Marshall’s second wife.

Also in the cast are Victor Francen, Jim Gérald, Howard Vernon, Héléna Manson, Roger Blin, Valentine Camax, Georges Flatteau, Zanie Campan, Reggie Nalder, Marcel Journet, Gilles Quéant, Charles Fawcett, and Aubrey Bower.

Filming started on 15 July 1950 in Paris as The Bargain. Exteriors representing New Orleans were re-created in Villefranche, with studio scenes shot at the Victorine Studios in Nice and the Billancourt Studios in Paris.

It was planned to be shot in both French and English versions, but Marshall persuaded the French government to allow it to be made in English only. Robert Florey started the English production but Marshall took over soon after shooting began. Despite that, it  was successful in France.

French actress Micheline Presle was born Micheline Nicole Julia Émilienne Chassagne on 22 August 1922, celebrating her 100th birthday in 2022.

In 1950, she became American actor William Marshall’s second wife, and they had a daughter, Tonie. Marshall had teamed up with Errol Flynn and his production company, Silver Films, and in 1951 he directed Flynn and her in Adventures of Captain Fabian. Presle divorced Marshall in 1954.

She did not make another English-language film after The Prize (1963).

Flynn asked a court to end the partnership with Marshall in January 1952. Vincent Price sued Flynn and Marshall for $15,000 in unpaid wages In 1954, claiming he had been promised a fee of $35,000, and in 1957 a court awarded in his favour.

The cast are Errol Flynn as Captain Fabian, Micheline Presle as Lea Mariotte, Vincent Price as George Brissac, Agnes Moorehead as Aunt Jezebel, Victor Francen as George’s uncle Henri Brissac, Jim Gérald as Police Commissioner Germain, Héléna Manson as Josephine, Howard Vernon as Emile, Roger Blin as Philippe, Valentine Camax, Georges Flatteau, Zanie Campan, Reggie Nalder, Marcel Journet, Gilles Quéant, Charles Fawcett, and Aubrey Bower.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,287

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