How did Sydney Box manage to blow 500,000 quid on this? There's a few shots of ships, and some costumes but a remarkable lack of spectacle - I guess it's in colour but crappy 40s British colour, some scenes on ships, a few castles. Frederic March is in the title role - why? He was clearly on the decline. They would've been better off using someone local.
It's not an interesting story. Columbus raises money. Flirts with kathleen Ryan in some scenes that were inserted later apparently. Goes to the Indies. Helps start the slave trade. Gets opposition at home. Feels un appreciated. The end. Seriously, that's it - the film just ends.
I'm not a Frederic March fan but even they surely struggle with this. Boring. Not even good to look at. Was Sabatini's original novel any good? Did Sydney Box make any decent films at Gainsborough? I think he was a one picture wonder - The Seventh Veil. I don't mean to be mean, he had a lot of ability, Andrew Spicer wrote an excellent and fascinating book on him but... look at the scoreboard.
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