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CAPSULE COMMENTS
July 19, 2007
Swashbucklers
The following materials are available to Library patrons and may be checked out from the main library.
An American swashbuckler, originated by Johnston McCulley who, in addition to 30 Zorro novels, wrote many of the TV scripts.
In Zorro: the Legend Begins, Zorro is played by Duncan Regehr in this tale of daring do in the cause of justice for the little people in the face of oppressive government.
In the TV serial it is the original Zorro’s descendant who rides about defeating villains. Zorro is played by John Carroll.
In 2005 Isabel Allende wrote Zorro: a novel. Her Zorro harkens back to the heroic defender of the powerless in 18th century California by way of Spain and the America bayous along with the pirate Lafitte.
The Library owns Zorro, in his various incarnations, in print, VHS and DVD.
That great entertainer, Rafael Sabatini wrote, in addition to Captain Blood, several other swashbuckling novels including The Black Swan.
Priscilla Harradine is on her way to England after the recent death of her father, accompanied by the stuffy Major Sands. On board ship Pris meets the dashing Charles de Bernis who turns out to be a former pirate. In spite of his unsavoury past, they set up a flirtation which is interrupted by the sighting of the titular Black Swan, an infamous pirate ship.
On board are some of de Bernis former mates, cutthroats which include the merciless Tom Leach, bane of shipping in the Caribbean.
The Black Swan was written in 1932 and in 1942 a movie was made which was very loosely based on the book.
Tyrone Power stars as our hero, whose name has been changed to Jamie Waring and Maureen O’Hara as our heroine, whose name has been changed to Margaret Denby, but other than that and some major plot changes, it’s the same story, right…?
The Library owns this title in book, audio and VHS formats.
Because young sailor Edmund Dantes has performed well on a difficult voyage he is to be promoted to the captaincy of a ship. Three enemies, jealous of his success in life and love conspire against him. They write a letter falsely incriminating him in a plot against the current regime.
The letter falls into the hands of a public prosecutor whose goals are to protect himself from his family’s unfortunate political history and prove his own loyalty. The prosecutor throws Dantes into prison where he remains for 14 years despite a change in government; just one of the little people chewed up by the machinations of the powerful.
When another prisoner dies, Dantes changes places with the body and escapes prison by being thrown into the sea as a "corpse." He becomes a smuggler, retrieves a great treasure and, re-creating himself as the immensely wealthy "Count of Monte-Cristo," sets out to exact vengeance on those who harmed him.
This is an exciting adventure story and a fascinating psychological study which nevertheless takes little account of the harm the vengeful do to themselves.
The Library owns this title in print, audio, and DVD formats. Of the DVDs, one, made in 2002, stars Jim Caviezel and the other, made in 2005, stars Gérard Depardieu.
