Disturbing yet enthralling

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

This story was written by a famous writer Kenneth Roberts and this story takes place at the beginning of the War of 1812. An American merchant ship was sailing from Maine and was attacked by the British Navy and the captain was killed and his daughter, Corunna Dorman,(Louise Platt) took command of the ship and Corunna wanted her boyfriend, Daniel Marvin, (Victor Mature) to be the first mate, however, Dan had different ideas. Corunna then decides to make Dan jealous and becomes close to Lehrman Slade,(Bruce Cabot) who is a man that is self-centered and only cares about his own future and disregards anyone else on the ship. Leo Carrillo,(Lucien Argandeau) gives a great supporting role as a first mate to Daniel Marvin. There is plenty of cannons going off and ships colliding with each other and plenty of swords flashing. If you look real close, you will see a very young Alan Ladd playing a very minor role, but Hollywood was watching him and his next role would be "This Gun for Hire". Nice entertaining 1940 Class film.

This misty, seafaring film looks and sounds very beautiful, and atmospheric. I just couldn't get involved with the story; and found the acting fantastically uneven. I can imagine the direction given to Victor Mature before he enters the French tavern - "Enter left and look startled!" - The ship had a sort of "beatnik/hippie" type character on board. The French waitress was cast against type, I though. The characters really treat her poorly! I wonder, is the film's message that women are "bad luck"? It's a fair film - probably, kids in theaters would have enjoyed spending an afternoon in the theater on the "Captain Caution" ship. If I was a 10-year-old kid boy the '40s, I would have liked this movie more. **** Captain Caution (1940) Richard Wallace ~ Victor Mature, Louise Platt, Leo Carrillo

The first few minutes of this film hooked me and I had hopes that it would be an excellent film. After all, the idea of a film set during the War of 1812 was intriguing--this is a subject rarely talked about in movies. However, after a short time, it became obvious that the film was high on the anachronism factor--in other words, having people behaving totally uncharacteristically from that time period. The notion of a lady sea captain setting off to attack and punish the British just never would have or could have happened in 1812. While this was silly, it still didn't mean the film couldn't have been exciting. Unfortunately, even if you ignore this plot problem, about a half hour into the film it also became amazingly dull and talky. Instead of an Errol Flynn-style adventure film, it just all ground to an almost complete halt. Sure, it picked up for the rousing conclusion, but by then I had really lost interest and just wanted the whole thing to end due to poor writing. Plus, in this conclusion, it made fighting in a naval battle look FUN! This "fun" element is pretty stupid as well as a bit disturbing--and further evidence it is a mediocre film.

VICTOR MATURE was an actor on the rise in the early '40s and here he gets his star turn in what is essentially a "B" picture, more lavish in its appearance than most low-budget films, and interesting because it gives us a glimpse of the early ALAN LADD in the background. LOUISE PLATT is too demure in appearance to play the spitfire type the script designates, as the feisty daughter of slain sea captain ROBERT BARRAT.BRUCE CABOT and LEO CARRILLO are among the Americans that get caught up in the skirmish aboard ship when the British attack during the War of 1812. The action sequences are robust enough but sub-standard in presentation. Cabot plays his usual role as a scheming villain with romantic notions about the captain's daughter and Carrillo is supposed to serve as comedy relief but gets on the nerves with his accent and obvious comic ways.With plot complications that are typical of Kenneth Roberts' historical novels, none of it stirs more than ordinary interest--routine film-making at best from the Hal Roach studios.Summing up: Action film ruined by a boring cast of cardboard characters not worth caring about and a very miscast leading lady.