Christopher Columbus (1949)

Films centered around the man credited with "discovering" America tend to be on the dreary side, and 1949's Christopher Columbus is no exception. The producer threw a lot of money at the story, and it shows in the exquisite costumes, lavish sets and lush Technicolor. But it took more than Queen Isabella's money to make the real Columbus' voyage a success, and it would have taken more than money to turn this Columbus into something more than a well-intentioned but ponderous spectacle. The screenplay is the chief culprit, a mish-mash of history and drama with poor structure, weak dialogue, unconvincing characterizations and an almost total lack of tension and suspense. That said, director David MacDonald still deserves his lumps for his leaden production, which is stilted and lacking in variety of pacing. Even such a talented actor as Fredric March comes across poorly, posturing wildly and vainly in an attempt to give the film an anchor but ultimately failing. Francis L. Sullivan does add some life as the villain of the piece, and as previously mentioned, the production benefits visually from its generous budget. But there's little else to recommend here. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide