The film was adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Master of Ballantrae: , about two feuding brothers during the Jacobite Rebellion.

Very loosely based on a Robert Lewis Stevenson novel, Errol Flynn is Jamie Durrisdeer, the eldest son of a Scottish lord, who, after a coin toss, leaves to fight alongside Bonnie Prince Charlie, while his younger brother, Henry, seems to align himself with the British, in order to save their estate.

After the Scottish army is defeated, he finds himself a fugitive, allies himself with Irish mercenary Col. Francis Burke (a scene-stealing performance by Roger Livesey.)

After a reunion with his girl (Beatrice Campbell, ), Jamie awaits brother Henry’s arrival, with funds, on the coast…only to be betrayed, barely escaping with his life.

Jamie is taken onboard a waiting ship, although he is wounded, only to be told that the ship is heading for the Caribbean, not France.

Jamie becomes a successful buccaneer, and then later sets off for his home in Scotland to confront the brother who had ‘betrayed’ him…

The cinematography is by Jack Cardiff- one of the masters of his trade – so the film is visually stunning with Technicolor at it’s best – and that is about as good as it gets

It is a good film.

In this film Errol Flynn is perhaps past his best as a swashbuckler but he is still very good. On the other hand, playing his brother is Anthony Steel whose star is on the rise here. He had played starring roles in British films and had proved very successful. In this film he very much plays second fiddle to Errol Flynn – and Roger Livesey.

I remember Anthony Steel very well from a much later appearance in an epsiode of ‘Tales of the Unexpected’ – along with John Mills titled ‘ Galloping Foxley’. This was 30 years later than this film but he looked very suave, self confident and still handsome.

He did go to Hollywood later and was quite successful but he seemed to fall out of favour quite quickly – something that surprised me because he seemed to have everything that Hollywood would want for a leading man.

Roger Livesey (The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and I Know Where I’m Going!) as Colonel Francis Burke, is splendid here and seems to enjoy himself.

ABOVE – Roger Livesey and Errol Flynn

Everyone seems to having a good time during the filming and I have seen it reported that it was an unusually happy and stress-free film, the action is exciting enough and the camaraderie between Flynn and Livesey is great.

Master of Ballantrae was the first film that Bob Anderson worked on and all the fights are choreographed by him, as in the fight between Jamie and the treacherous Captain Arnaud, with help from stunt double Flynn.

This Warner Brothers release was an Anglo-American production, shot in Scotland, England and Italy with a mostly British cast (and some great British character actors like Felix Aylmer). Having Jack Cardiff as the cinematographer certainly helped. Director William Keighley does a fine job as well.

This story of revenge, betrayal and adventure is based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, a man who knew a thing or two about writing tales of adventure. Stevenson is a very underrated writer and The Master of Ballantrae is one of his most celebrated novels. The film lacks some of the complexity that Stevenson could bring to such a tale and the focus is on the straightforward revenge plot.

The film was shot in Technicolor.

Jamie Durie is the elder but wilder brother, a man who likes wine, women and gambling. Henry is the dull sensible one. Not surprisingly they’re not overly fond of one another.

The rebellion ends in disaster at Culloden and the English take their revenge on the Scottish rebels. The rebels are now being hunted down. Jamie hopes to escape to France on a smuggling ship along with an equally wild Irishman with whom he has hooked up, Colonel Francis Burke (Roger Livesy). They are betrayed to the English, Jamie blames Henry, there is a fight and somehow Jamie makes it to the ship. But his adventures and his troubles have only just begun.

Jamie has a future as a pirate but Scotland is always in his thoughts. He dreams of returning to reclaim his inheritance, and to reclaim Lady Alison. But first he must make his fortune, and piracy is a competitive business.

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