 An earlier 1924 silent film version of "Captain Blood" starred J. Warren Kerrigan as Peter Blood, the physician-turned-pirate in this Vitagraph production.Warner Bros. Pictures took a serious risk in pairing two relatively unknown performers in the lead roles.Flynn's performance made him a major Hollywood star and established him as the natural successor to Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and a "symbol of an unvanquished man" during the Depression.