John Paul Jones (VHS)

Although this 2 hour film is presented like a biography of the life of the American Revolutionary Navy hero, John Paul Jones (Robert Stack), quite a few liberties have been taken with historical facts to make this film more entertaining than factual. Yet, the film does provide a very good glimpse into the contexts and cultures during the 18th century and why Jones left such a long lasting mark upon history.

The film depicts how disenchanted Americans were with Jones; enough to send him to Czarist Russia's Empress Catherine the Great (Bette Davis). The film implies that Catherine the Great hired John Paul Jones to be a Russian Rear Admiral in the Navy. Her reason for doing so is because the Empress found him personally appealing. In truth, the Empress most likely hired Jones because the Russian Navy needed Jones' skill as a commander to battle in the Black Sea against Turks. Due to jealousy of the Empress' many lovers (probably true!), who were also naval commanders, Jones wasn't as successful as was hoped.

Jones was forced to leave the Russian Navy after being arrested for allegedly having relations with an under age girl. Because of that scandal, Jones moved to Paris and there he died, in 1792.

Since Benjamin Franklin died in Philadelphia, in 1790, 2 years before Jones, and Franklin had been replaced by Thomas Jefferson, in 1784, as the Minister to France, it wasn't possible for Benjamin Franklin to have been alive and with Jones at the time of his death, as is depicted in this film. Nevertheless, showing that Jones was a contemporary of Jefferson and Franklin was probably the film's embellished point.

However, some of the history seems accurate enough, such as when reflecting upon Jones' life in the King's court and why he left for the colonies. Perhaps the most significant part of the film is how well it depicts Jones' positive impact upon the US Navy.

Interestingly, Robert Stack is very well cast as John Paul Jones. James Coburn's performance as Benjamin Franklin is quite impressive.

As usual, however, Bette Davis' Russian Empress Catherine the Great, although hardly more than a cameo appearance, is captivating. For this reason, I will call this yet another "Bette Davis film," that is excellent, regardless of the film's ahistorical liberties.

It remains very interesting how Bette Davis' performance with a star-studded cast, like this film can boast, seems to always have a way of being the glue that holds the integrity of the film together~