Although this print is a lot better than the scratched up Cinecolor version, it is only 78 minutes. The Film Detective should have honestly advertised this way. I don't know why R. K. O released a slight edited print. Unless this surviving print was the reissue that Classic films corporation released and when Cinecolor bought the rights that is when they only uses the two color components. In this version when John ,Collins, Escape from pirate ship is slightly edited. The Scene in which Serafina shows john he Castinette dance is slightly edited. The Frank Morgan bath tube sequence is eliminated. The first half of the Dancing finale ,the first part has been edited out..In spite of this it's better than nothing. By common since it should of been turned into powder by now .The color are very realistic and not garish ,like trial from the lonesome pine. This might have been from the darker colors and white back ground that they used for the sets. This movie ,unlike traditional 3 color technicolor shorts at the time ,bright and positively garish. I suspect that some of the reddish tint on some of the dark scenes, like The time Serafina was helping her Juannito escape, might be stemming from some difficulties Pioneer had with shooting the colors. It is nerveless a better print,form the beginning,where the dance Master ,Collins, is teaching his student in Boston in the 1820's the waltz ,the light none color of the walls , to where Serafina is begging her Alchalde father to not to hang him. Steffi Dunno portrays the daughters of the Mayor ,in her Hungarian accent disguised as a Spanish accent ,is one of the few films in which she was the lead. Victor Varconi playing the fired Monterey Captain using his own Austrian accent as the Spanish accent ,too. Frank Morgan is great as the Mayor of the Spanish town. He act the same way as always he act in films ,befuddled. There is a short on the history of Technicolor. There is also a discussion on the film. The release did not do well. Jock Whitney was hoping to use Fred Astaire,Imagine if the studio decide to use Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers,in which she would have grown back her auburn hair and used that, it would of demanded a better script and bigger budget. It would have been taken care of too, staying in 3 colors. There is a commentary,where it look like they are getting offend ,a little at the portrayal of the Spanish Indians. Certainly the 1937 Romana portrayed the Spanish Indian better and in sympathy. If your like me and been a classic film fan for years ,you except the past in it's good and bad. The commentator ,possibly, was expression criticism to make sure that no one would think they were bigots,out of fear of losing a job,maybe. This is worth the buy and if you got your VHS and DVD Cinecolor version ,keep it s,since it's 83 minutes and to compare. Film detective did a great job in it's restoration. They also might have used the incomplete technicolor negative, also. It might be incomplete cause of the third component missing,but, this is guess .03/21/22.
Review of Dancing Pirate
