Fifteen men on a dead man's chest - Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum! Drink and the devil had done for the rest - Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
In 1883, Scottish author Robert Lewis Stevenson created the above words and the most famous pirate story of the "Seven-Seas". Many a young boy dreamed of being "Jim Hawkins" of the "Admiral Benbow Inn". Who would meet the pirates that sailed with the notorious "Captain Flint". As they search and kill, to find "Flint's" legendary buried wealth on "Treasure Island".
It appears that the first documented pirate film was a short subject made in 1904, by the Warwick Trading Company in the United Kingdom. This short had three titles, "The Pirates", "The Buccaneers", or "Shanghaied by Pirates", but that was all I could learn about this picture.
Next, there were two pirate shorts made in 1908 of interest here. The first made in France, is sometimes listed as the first pirate movie, and is entitled "L'Honneur du corsaire (The Honor of the Corsair)". That short was directed by Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset, and released in France on July 15, 1908, and in the United States as "A Pirate's Honor", on November 6, 1908.
The other short was from the United States and also released on November 6, 1908, entitled, "The Pirate's Gold". The film was directed and written by David Wark "D.W." Griffith during the first year he made motion pictures. For those interested in Griffith's work, my article, "D.W. GRIFFITH: "The Birth of a Nation' (1915) and 'Abraham Lincoln' (1930): The Odyssey of a Kentucky Born Motion Picture Innovator", will be found at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2019/12/dw-griffth-birth-of-nation-1915-and.html
This article is not a list of the over 300 "Pirate", "Corsair", "Buccaneer", or "Swashbuckler" motion pictures currently in release, but a few examples, in different categories, to give my reader a taste of the High Seas the way the World's motion picture industry brought pirates to life.
Robert Lewis Stevenson's "Treasure Island"
After being warned by their lodger, "Billy Bones", about the danger from a one-legged pirate. A blind pirate gives "Billy" "The Black Spot" and, shortly thereafter, he's killed by "Flint's" crew without their discovery of the map. "Jim Hawkins" and his mother go through "Billy's" sea chest and find it. Next, "Jim", with "Captain Smollett", "Dr. Livesey", and the talkative "Squire Trelawney", will follow his map to adventure, but is the ship's one-legged cook, "John Silver", a pirate or a friend? Arriving at the island, sides are revealed within the crew, and "Jim Hawkins" finds himself torn between friendship and the search for the treasure. Which only the mysterious ship wrecked "Ben Gunn" may know the secret of.
The first filmed version of Stevenson's novel was a short made in 1912, for the "Edison Company", by director J. Searle Dawley. Ben F. Wilson was the first actor to portray "Long John Silver", Addison Rothermel was the first actor to portray "Jim Hawkins".
"Fox Film", in Culver City, a suburb of Los Angeles, would make the first full length version of the novel. Some lists of pirate films, show the one-hour motion picture as being released in 1918, but have seemingly overlooked the features premiere in Los Angeles, on December 23, 1917, with a general audience release date of January 27, 1918, causing the misinformation.
Actor, Francis Carpenter portrayed "Jim Hawkins", and actress, Violet Radcliffe, portrayed "Long John Silver".
Also, one-hour in length, was the "Paramount-Artcraft Pictures", 1920, version of the novel. This was the definitive silent era telling with Lon Chaney in the dual roles of "Bind Pew" and "Merry".
Above, Lon Chaney as "Blind Pew", with Shirley Mason portraying "Jim Hawkins". Below, is Charles Ogle portraying "Long John Silver", with Shirley Mason. Ogle portrayed the "Monster" in Thomas Edison's, 1910, "Frankenstein".
The next production of "Treasure Island", was the first sound version and a major production from "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer", that premiered in both Boston, and Los Angeles, on August 16, 1934.
The production was directed by Victor Fleming, between 1915 and 1919, Fleming was a cinematographer, and started directing feature films in 1919. Among his work prior to this film are the Gary Cooper and Walter Huston western, 1929's, "The Virginian", the Clark Gable and Jean Harlow, 1932, "Red Dust", and Harlow's, 1933, "Bombshell". Fleming would go on to be the credited director of both 1939's, "Wizard of Oz", and "Gone with the Wind".
John Lee Mahin was the credited screenplay writer. Mahin worked on 1932's, "Scarface", wrote the screenplay for 1932's, "Red Dust", was one of the writers on 1932's, "Rasputin and the Empress", and the following year, wrote the screenplay for Jean Harlow's, 1933, "Bombshell".
John Howard Lawson and Lenard Praskins were uncredited contributors to the screenplay.
Wallace Beery portrayed "Long John Silver". After running away to join the "Ringling Brothers Circus" in 1902, Beery started working in motion pictures in 1913. In 1925, Beery was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, "Professor George Edward Challenger", in stop-motion animator Willis O'Brien's classic, "The Lost World". In 1930, he was "Pat Garrett" opposite Johnny Mack Brown's title character of director King Vidor's, "Billy the Kid". In 1931, Wallace Beery portrayed "Andy 'Champ' Purcell", opposite Jackie Cooper portraying "Dink Purcell", in director King Vidor's, "The Champ". Just before this motion picture, Beery was "Pancho Villa", in 1934's, "Viva Villa", co-starring with Fay Wray.
Jackie Cooper portrayed "Jim Hawkins". Between 1929 and 1931, Cooper was one of the main child actors in producer Hal Roach's, "Little Rascals/Our Gang" comedies. At the age of nine, he was nominated for the "Best Actor Academy Award", for 1931's, "Skippy". He co-starred with Henry Fonda, and Gene Tierney in 1940's, "The Return of Frank James". In 1949, Cooper moved to early television, and from 1955 through 1958, starred in "The People's Choice", immediately followed by, "Hennesey", from 1959 through 1962. Jackie Cooper portrayed "Perry White" in 1978's, "Superman", 1980's, "Superman II", 1983's, "Superman III", and 1987's, "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace".
Lionel Barrymore portrayed "Billy Bones". Stage Actor Barrymore started on-screen in 1905. In 1928, he co-starred in director Raul Walsh's silent classic, "Sadie Thompson", based upon British novelist, W. Sommerset Maugham's, novella, "Rain". In 1928, Barrymore co-starred with Lon Chaney in director Tod Browning's, "West of Zanzibar". While in 1929, Lionel Barrymore portrayed "Count Andre Dakkar" aka: "Captain Nemo", in the hybrid, part silent, part talkie, version of French author Jules Verne's, "The Mysterious Island". In 1932, Lionel Barrymore co-starred with his brother John Barrymore, and sister Ethel Barrymore, in "Rasputin and the Empress", the only motion picture all three siblings appeared in together.
Otto Kruger portrayed "Doctor Livesey". Kruger started out on Broadway as a "Matinee Idol", but moved to motion pictures and character roles. Fans of "Universal Pictures" horror movies know, if not by name, Otto Kruger as "Jeffrey Garth" in the studios Lesbian vampire story, 1936's, "Dracula's Daughter". In 1942, he co-starred with Priscilla Lane, and Robert Cummings, in director Alfred Hitchcock's, "Saboteur". In 1944's, "Murder, My Sweet", Otto Kruger portrayed "Jules Amthor", opposite Dick Powell as author Raymond Chandler's, "Philip Marlowe", and Claire Trevor portraying "Helen Grayle".
Lewis Stone portrayed "Captain Smollett". Stone started on-screen acting in 1915, in 1925, he portrayed "Lord John Roxton" in "The Lost World" with Wallace Beery. In 1929, Stone co-starred with Ruth Chatterton in the first sound motion picture version of the "tear-jerker" play by French playwright Alexandre Bisson, "Madame X". He co-starred with Chester Morris and Wallace Beery in 1930's, "The Big House". Lewis Stone was British author Sax Rohmer's, Scotland Yard inspector, "Nayland Smith", going after Boris Karloff and Myrna Loy as his daughter, in 1932's, "The Mask of Fu Manchu". However, starting in 1937, Lewis Stone became "Judge James K. Hardy", for the first time playing the father of Mickey Rooney's, "Andy Hardy".
Nigel Bruce portrayed "Squire Trelawney". Bruce's first on-screen appearance was in 1922, later in 1934, the actor portrayed "The Prince of Wales", in "The Scarlet Pimpernel", starring Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, and Raymond Massey. In 1935, producer Merian C. Cooper, 1933's, "King Kong", filmed British author H. Rider Haggard's novel, "She". Nigel Bruce portrayed "Horace Holly" to Randolph Scott's, "Leo Vincey". Watching Bruce as "Holly", is like watching the character the actor creating his "Dr. Watson", for the 1939, version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, "The Hound of the Baskervilles", that he co-starred in with Basil Rathbone portraying "Sherlock Holmes".
Above left to right, Nigel Bruce, Lewis Stone, and Jackie Cooper.
After the war ended, these same American studios including Walt Disney's, wanted to pull their money from the British banks, which had actually earned interest over the period of the war. However, they found a unexpected problem. Removing their money from the British banks required paying United Kingdom taxes. Bringing that same money to American banks required paying United States taxes on the same funds. Thereby, losing not only some of the originally deposited money, but the interest as well.
The solution came from England, make movies in the United Kingdom with British actors and film crews, and there would be zero tax payments due from any American studio.
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/09/walt-disneys-british-tax-motion.html
Right now, I want to look at the first of these four films, "Treasure Island", premiering in London, England, on June 22, 1950.
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2020/04/produced-by-george-pal-directed-by.html
The screenplay was written by Lawrence Edward Watkin. For Walt Disney, Watkin also wrote 1952's, "Robin Hood", 1953's, "The Sword and the Rose", and the same years, "Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue". In 1955 his novel "Marty Markham", became "The Adventures of Spin and Marty", in 1956, Watkin wrote the screenplay for "The Great Locomotive Chase", and in 1959, it was, "Darby O'Gill and the Little People".
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2022/08/bobby-driscoll-darkside-of-child-acting.html
The feature film was directed by Albert Parker. Two-movies earlier, Parker had directed John Barrymore in his 1922 film version of British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, "Sherlock Holmes".
The credited story went to Elton Thomas, note that the film's leading man was Douglas Elton Thomas Fairbanks.
The actual screenplay was by Jack Cunningham. He had written what are mainly called scenarios, during the silent era, since 1913. Cunningham was the writer of the sequel to Fairbanks "Mark of Zorro", 1925's, "Don Q Son of Zorro".
The pirate captain, his lieutenant, and some of the crew are on the other side of the island burying treasure. The two plan to murder the other pirates after the treasure is buried, because as the title card states:
Dead Men Tell No Tales!
However, the captain and his lieutenant's plans are put on hold, as a stranger calling himself "The Black Pirate" appears. The stranger offers to fight the pirate captain's best man to prove his worth to him. Of course the pirate captain's ego takes over and he is killed in the sword fight. Next, the lieutenant, who wants to be the new captain, tells the stranger that there is more to being a pirate than the sword tricks he used on the captain.
"The Black Pirate" tells the lieutenant, to again prove his worth, he will capture the next ship of prey, by himself, and he does accomplish that feat. He next convinces the pirates not to blow up the ship, or kill the crew, but keep them and the ship for ransom.
A woman is discovered on board and the pirate lieutenant claims her, but "The Black Pirate" uses his wits, states he has seen her before, and she's a princess worth a lot in ransom. However, to "The Black Pirate", seeing this lady is love at first sight, while the pirates cheer and want to make him their new captain. The lieutenant is not sure of such a move, but agrees he will wait until noon the following day to see if the ransom is paid.
Later, "The Black Pirate" is caught by the lieutenant attempting to release the "Princess". She is kept locked up in a cabin and "The Black Pirate" finds himself walking the plank into the ocean below the ship's keel.
The ransom ship doesn't show up at noon on the following day and the pirate lieutenant now goes to the cabin to claim his prize. He opens the cabin door and enters the small room. Just then, "The Black Pirate" appears inside, alive, having been saved by a one-armed pirate named "MacTavish". Accompanying "The Duke of Arnoldo" are military troops and a fight with the pirates takes place. After the pirates are defeated, "The Duke of Arnoldo/The Black Pirate" and his "Princess", who is a noble born lady, will be married.
Shortly, after blockading Charleston Harbor, in May 1718, the pirate refused to accept a full pardon, offered him on June 10, 1718, from the King, and "Blackbeard" ran "Queen Anne's Revenge" aground in what is today known as Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. Shortly afterwards, Edward Teach reconsidered and did accept a pardon for himself and his remaining crewmen from Governor Charles Eden, at Bath, North Carolina, but still returned to piracy on the much smaller ship, "The Adventure".
BLACKBEARD THE PIRATE premiered in Los Angeles on December 24, 1952
The motion picture was directed by One-Eyes Raul Walsh. Among Walsh's 140-films as a director are Douglas Fairbanks, Sr's, 1924, "The Thief of Bagdad", the first western with the actor he renamed John Wayne, 1930's, "The Big Trail", the James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart, 1939, "The Roaring Twenties", Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart's, 1941, "High Sierra", the Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, 1941, "They Died with Their Boots On", and 1951's, "Captain Horatio Hornblower", that starred Gregory Peck and Virginia Mayo.
DeVallon Scott wrote the story and his writing credits included in 1953, the "Conquest of Cochise", "Slaves of Babylon", and "Prisoners of the Casbah". While on television, it was shows like "Captain Midnight" and westerns like "Broken Arrow", and "The Lone Ranger".
Robert Newton portrayed "Edward Teach/Blackbeard". Newton had portrayed "Inspector Javert" opposite Michael Rennie's "Jean Valjean", in the 1952 version of French author Victor Hugo's, "Les Misérables". Robert Newton followed this feature by co-starring with Richard Burton, and James Mason in the World War Two feature, 1953's, "The Desert Rats".
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/07/torin-thatcher-career-of-great-british.html
"British Naval Lieutenant Robert Maynard" is assigned to prove that privateer "Sir Henry Morgan" is still engaging in piracy. "Maynard" posing as a surgeon is to become a member of the crew of the pirate "Charles Bellamy", who is believed in league with "Morgan". However, he finds "Bellamy" killed and the ship in the command of "Blackbeard".
On board is "Edwina Mansfield", the daughter of a pirate and the woman "Henry Morgan" is in love with. Knowing that fact, "Blackbeard" figures "Morgan" will come looking for her and he can get his revenge for what he considered as past injustices toward him. Meanwhile, "Maynard" is ordered to remove a bullet from "Blackbeard's" neck under the watchful eyes of a sailor named "Gilly", played by Skelton Knaggs, who slips "Maynard" a note to kill the pirate leader. There has been trouble between "Blackbeard" and his crew and they want him dead.
"Maynard" enters "Blackbeard's" quarters to locate "Bellamy's" logbook in the hope it will have evidence that "Henry Morgan" is still a pirate. After defending "Edwina" from a pirate's advances, she informs him that her planned marriage to "Bellamy" would have stopped her marriage to "Morgan". Apparently, "Edwina" has stolen and hidden a large amount of treasure that belonged to "Bellamy" that "Blackbeard" wants. Later, 'Blackbeard" breaks open one of "Edwina's" chests, but the pirate leader only finds letters that implicate "Henry Morgan" with "Charles Bellamy". "Maynard" attempts to get one of the letters, but is stopped by "Blackbeard". Who tells him, if "Morgan" were arrested, all the pirating would end.
My article, "Richard Eyer and Charles Herbert: Youthful Actors", may be read at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/06/richard-eyer-and-charles-herbert-child.html
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2018/12/growing-up-on-diet-of-mr-big-bert-i.html
Basically, "Steve" is staying at a hotel named "Blackbeard's Inn", run by the elderly "Daughters of the Buccaneers", the descendants of "Blackboard's" crew. and at a charity auction, "Steve" wins an antique bedwarmer that contains, in its handle, the spells of "Blackbeard's" 10th-wife, "Aldetha", a known witch. Reading the spell ties him to "Blackbeard's Ghost" and typical Disney family values begin. As "Blackbeard" and "Steve" try to find a good deed for the pirate to perform to free him of "Aldetha's" wrath and stop the dean and crime boss from taking over "Blackbeard's Inn" through foreclosure.
A year later, selected as commander of the buccaneers, he captured the city of Puerto Principle (now Camaguey), Cuba. In August 1670, he made his most famous and daring move to capture the Spanish city of Panama. This was an extremely fortified city from the sea side, that had caused the destruction of many English naval and other country's war ships.
For that exploit, Henry Morgan assembled 36 ships, and nearly 2,000 buccaneers, and set sail to take Panama City. However, he did not approach the city by water, but landed his men on the opposite side of the Isthmus of Panama and force marched across the land attacking the city from the unfortified side. No one had ever considered such an attack, while the city burned and his men freely looted Panama, Morgan planned to steal all their loot for himself.
There was a unknown problem with Henry Morgan's timing of his attack on Panama City, England and Spain were negotiating peace. In April 1672, Henry Morgan was arrested and sent to London. Two years later, relations between England and Spain deteriorated and in 1674, King Charles II knighted Henry Morgan and sent him back to Jamacia as Deputy Governor. Where he lived as a respected and wealthy planter until his death on August 25, 1688.
According to the website, Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Morgan-Welsh-buccaneer
It was one of his original crew that created exaggerated stories of his exploits that became his privateer legacy.
The first motion picture about Henry Morgan was a three-part serial from France entitled, "Morgan le pirate (Morgan the Pirate)". The first part was released on March 25, 1909, and starred French actor Jean-Marie de I'lsle in the title role. I could not locate any photos of this series.
THE BLACK SWAN released on December 4, 1942
The screenplay was based upon the Rafael Sabatini novel of the same name.
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2022/10/laird-cregar-excellent-character-actors.html
England and Spain have made peace and as a reward, former pirate "Henry Morgan", now "Sir Henry Morgan", is made the new governor of Jamaica, but he has a mandate to rid the Caribbean of his former comrades one way, or another. "Morgan" replaces the previous governor, "Lord Denby", who was never trusted by the residents of Jamaica and especially the pirates "Morgan" must eliminate.
Next, "Roger Ingham" announces that "Lady Margaret" will accompany him to England, and there, will inform the King about "Henry Morgan" being removed as governor and replaced by "Lord Denby". While, "Morgan" believes it's "Jamie Waring" who betrayed his trust in him.
The two are captured by "Captain Leach", and "Jamie" pretends that he ran away from "Morgan" to join with "Leach" and marry "Lady Margaret", who reluctantly agrees to this ruse.
All leading to a climax against "Captain Leach", "Henry Morgan" learning the truth about his perceived betrayal by "Jamie", the fall of both "Roger Ingham" and "Lord Denby", and, of course, the real marriage between "Jamie" and "Lady Margaret".
MORGAN IL PIRATA (MORGAN THE PIRATE) released in Italy on November 17, 1960
The first was Hungarian American Andre DeToth, 1949's, "Slattery's Hurricane", starring Richard Widmark, 1950's, "The Gunfighter", starring Gregory Peck, 1953's,
The second was Italian Primo Zeglio, 1954's, "Attila", starring Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren, and the 1959 pirate movie, "The Son of the Red Corsair", starring American Lex Barker.
There was a third screenplay writer, Italian Filipo Sanjust, director Mario Bava's, 1959, "Caltiki, the Immortal Monster".
Steve Reeves portrayed "Henry Morgan". The American body builder had appeared in director Edward D. Woods, Jr's, 1954, "Jail Bait", as a detective. In 1958, American producer Joseph E. Levine, took an Italian movie, "Le fatiche di Ercole (The Labor of Hercules)" and dubbed it into English, not using Reeves real voice, and shorten the title to "Hercules", and Steve Reeves became an international star. My article, "STEVE REEVES: A Look At His Films", can be read at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/01/steve-reevesa-look-at-his-films.html
Largely due to de Toth's direction, Morgan the Pirate is a lively, fast-paced entertainment with moments of tongue-in-cheek humor that is several notches in quality above the usual turgid, Italian-made spectacle.
The picture begins in 1670, with the Freeborn Englishman "Henry Morgan" in Panama City, becoming enslaved by the Spanish authorities during their war with England. At the docks he is sold to "Donna Inez", the daughter of "Governor Don Jose Guzman", portrayed by Ivo Garrani. "Morgan" falls in love with "Donna Inez", but her father reacts by having him sentenced to hard labor on board a Spanish galleon.
"Morgan" is able to break free and leads a revolt of the other prisoners taking over command of the galleon. To his amazement he discovers that the woman he loves is on galleon, but she spurns him for his actions. However, he advises her not to mention who she is and he will protect her identify. As "Henry Morgan" now becomes a pirate attacking Spanish merchant shipping.
"King Charles II" of England learns of "Henry Morgan" and commissions him as a English privateer with other ships under his command. Fearing for "Donna Inez", she is permitted to return to her home in Panama City, but she warns her father of "Morgan's" planned attack.
"Morgan" loses several of his ships and many of his men from the counterattack lead by "Don Jose". Rethinking his plans, "Henry Morgan" now leads his men overland and attacks the fortified city from its unprotected rear side facing the Panama jungles.
After the city falls, "Donna Inez" admits her love for now, "Sir Henry Morgan", Governor of Jamaica.
JEAN LAFFITE
Jean Laffite, also spelled Lafite, was born possibly in 1780, possibly in France. According to the website, Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Laffite
However, according to the August 2006, issue of "Smithsonian" magazine, in the article, "Saving New Orleans", Jean Lafite was born possibly in 1782, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
In short, very little is known about Jean's early life, but by 1809, with his brother Pierre, born in 1770, possibly in Biarritz on France's Atlantic Coast with Spain, they established a blacksmith shop, in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a front for smuggling of goods and slaves from pirate ships. Today, the Lafite brother's blacksmith shop is a bar, seen below.
From 1810 through 1814, the brothers had formed a secluded colony of operation in Barataria Bay, south of New Orleans, where they received and sold stolen goods and slaves from pirates to the wealthy families of Louisiana. The brothers were operating under privateer commissions from the republic of Cartagena, today part of modern Columbia.
Barataria Bay was a major back area approach to New Orleans and at the start of the "War of 1812", the British offered Jean Lafitte the equivalent of $30,000, and a captaincy in the Royal Navy for his allegiance, Lafitte gave the British the impression he was co-operating with them and went to Governor W.C.C. Claiborne to report what the British had offered him, but Claiborne instead, sent the United States Army and Navy to wipe out the pirate colony.
Even after losing some ships and men, Jean Lafitte went to Army General Andrew Jackson, whose forces were under heavy pressure by the superior British forces. Lafitte offered his help to defend New Orleans, if his men and himself would receive full pardons for their previous piracy, and Jackson accepted.
After the "Battle of New Orleans", December 1814 into January 1815, Andrew Jackson stated that Jean and Pierre Lafitte's men served the United States with distinction. While, President James Madison, issued a public pardon to the brothers and their men.
However, Jean Lafitte returned to piracy and organized a commune he called "Campeche" on the island site of the future Galveston, Texas. Problems arose in 1820, when several of Lafitte's lieutenants attacked United States merchant ships. Shortly, thereafter, Jean Lafitte burned "Campeche" to the ground, handpicked a crew and sailed away on his own ship, "The Pride", and continued in piracy until his death.
THE EAGLE OF THE SEA released on October 18, 1926
The first motion picture about Jean Lafitte was "Paramount Pictures", "The Eagle of the Sea". It starred Ricardo Cortez portraying "Lafitte" disguised as "Captain Sazarac". However, first billing went to actress Florence Vido portraying "Louise Lestron". While actor, George Irving portrayed "General Andrew Jackson". This had nothing to do with the "Battle of New Orleans", but was a typical drama about "Jean" being in love with "Louise". Whose evil uncle is hatching a plan to rescue "Napoleon" from St. Helena Island and blame the pirate.
It would be another 12-years before Jean Lafitte was again seen on-screen.
THE BUCCANEER released on February 4, 1938
The motion picture was produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Two-years prior, DeMille had released his 1936, "The Plainsman", starring Gary Cooper as "Wild Bill Hickok" and Jean Arthur as "Calamity Jane". He would follow this feature with 1939's, "Union Pacific", starring Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea.
The screenplay was based upon Baton Rouge born Lyle Saxon's novel "Lafitte the Pirate".
There were six writers involved in the screenplay. The first was Jeanie Macpherson, the stage and film actress adapted the novel for a screenplay.
The actual writers were Edwin Justus Mayer, 1936's "Desire" starring Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper.
Harold Lamb, historical novelist and writer for DeMille's 1935 "The Crusades".
C. Gardner Sullivan, 1930's "All Quiet on the Western Front" starring Lew Ayers.
Grover Jones, 1935's, "Lives of a Bengal Lancer" starring Gary Cooper and Franchot Tone.
Jesse Lasky, Jr. director Alfred Hitchcock's 1936 "Secret Agent".
Frederic March portrayed "Jean Lafitte". March had just been seen in the original 1937 version of "A Star is Born" opposite Janet Gaynor. He would follow this role with the musical comedy, 1938's, "There Goes My Heart", co-starring with Virginia Bruce.
Franciska Gaal portrayed "Gretchen". The Hungarian actress had just been in the Austrian motion picture, 1936's, "Fraulein Lilli", and co-starred with Franchot Tone in the 1938 comedy, "The Girl Downstairs".
Akim Tamiroff portrayed "Dominique You". The actor had been in the Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, and Dorothy Lamour, 1937, "High, Wide and Handsome", and followed this movie co-starring Anna May Wong, 1938, "Dangerous to Know".
Above, Tamiroff, Gaal, and March.
Margot Grahame portrayed "Annette de Remey". The British actress had just been on-screen in the 1937, comedy "Fight for Your Lady", starring John Boles, Jack Oakie, and Ida Lupino. She followed this film with 1947's, "The Fabulous Joe", co-starring with Walter Abel.
Walter Brennan portrayed "Ezra Peavey". Brennan had just been in the child star Jane Withers comedy western, 1937's, "Wild and Woolly". Walter Brennan portrayed "Muff Potter" in the 1938 version of author Mark Twain's, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer".
Above to Walter Brennan's right is Hugh Southern as "General Andrew Jackson", on his left is Ian Keith as "Senator Crawford".
Anthony Quinn portrayed "Beluche". Quinn was just on-screen in the Anna May Wong and Buster Crabbe, 1937, "Daughter of Shanghai". He followed this feature film with the Akim Tamiroff and Anna May Wong, 1938, "Dangerous to Know".
The screenplay opens with "Dolly Madison", portrayed by Spring Byington, finishing packing her valuable's and leaving in a carriage from "The White House", as the British arrive in Washington and start burning the city. Meanwhile, "Jean Lafitte" asks "Annette de Remy" to marry him, but she will not until he gives up piracy.
Cut to "Jean Lafitte" and his pirates, in "Lafitte's" camp in the Louisiana bayous, selling to New Orleans society, what they have stolen from the British and French merchant ships. The sales are stopped by the arrival of "Governor Ferdinand Claiborne", portrayed by Douglass Dumbrille, with troops to arrest "Lafitte", whom he had placed a bounty on his head. The privateer is able to get out of the situation and meets with "Senator Crawford", who is working with the British army and offers "Lafitte" money to work with the British against "General Andrew Jackson" and the American army.
Instead, "Jean Lafitte" sets sail and finds that one of his lieutenants, "Captain Brown", had disobeyed his orders and taken the American ship the "Corinthian", seeming having killed all on aboard. However, "Jean Lafitte's" loyal "Dominique You" has saved one passenger, "Gretchen", whom "Brown" was having walk the plank to leave no witnesses. "Jean Lafitte" hangs "Captain Brown" and spares the potential witness "Gretchen". She becomes his maid and starts to fall in love with "Jean", even though "Dominique" doesn't hide his own love for "Gretchen".
Again, "Jean Lafitte" is offered wealth and high position, if he will ally himself with the British. Should he not, the British threaten to obliterate his stronghold, if he doesn't help them take New Orleans. Although "Lafitte's" men like the idea, his loyalty to Louisiana causes him to delay responding to the offer and to warn the authorities about the planned attack. Unfortunately, it is "Senator Crawford" that "Lafitte" speaks to and the senator goes to "Brevet General Andrew Jackson" with a different story. He informs the general that the privateer plans to join forces with the British. "Jackson", who has never trusted the pirate, attacks "Lafitte's" encampment, killing many innocent people who were told by "Jean" not to resist.
Even with very little ammunition and men at his disposal, "Jackson" will not take "Crawford's" advise to surrender the city to the British. Risking everything, "Jean Lafitte" goes to the general and offers his services. He can supply gunners to man the canon, flints and powder, to strengthen the defense. There is one condition for this assistance, pardons for his men and himself, which "Andrew Jackson" agrees too.
"The Battle of New Orleans" is fought and the pardons given. At a victory ball "Gretchen" is recognized as a passenger of the "Corinthian" and she is wearing jewelry belonging to "Annette's" sister, a passenger on the ship. It is revealed that "Jean Lafitte's" men sank the ship, he accepts responsibility for the attack, and is saved from a lynching mob by "Andrew Jackson". Who gives him a one-hour head start leaving a heart broken "Annette" behind. At sea it is discovered that "Gretchen" has stowed away and the two watch the coast of Louisiana disappear into the night.
Cecil B. DeMille wanted to remake "The Buccaneer", after the 1956 success of the remake of his original 1923, "The Ten Commandments", but he was very ill. The position of co-producer went to his friend, and actor in many of his feature films, Henry Wilcoxon, to direct the motion picture was actor Anthony Quinn.
The screenplay was the original 1938 with the exception of adding screenplay writer Bernice Mosk to make slight character changes to the two women in Jean Lafitte's life. Mosk's only other work had been as an uncredited actress in director Billy Wilder's 1950, "Sunset Blvd", and before that, the production secretary on DeMille's 1947, "Unconquered", starring Henry Fonda and Paulette Goddard, and DeMille's field secretary on his 1956, "The Ten Commandments".
The remake premiered in New York City on December 22, 1958.
In the main roles were:
Yul Bryner portraying "Jean Lifitte". He had just been seen in director Richard Brooks', 1958, version of Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky's, "The Brothers Karamazov". He would follow this picture opposite Debra Kerr in 1959's, "The Journey".
Claire Bloom portrayed "Bonnie Brown", the reworked "Gretchen". Bloom had just been seen opposite Bryner in 1958's, "The Brothers Karamazoz". She followed this feature with 1959's, "Look Back in Anger", co-starring with Richard Burton.
Charles Boyer portrayed "Dominque You". Boyer had just been in the French motion picture, 1958's, "Maxime", and followed this feature with 1961's, "Fanny", co-starring with Leslie Caron and Maurice Chevalier.
Inger Stevens portrayed the reworked role of now "Annette Claiborne". Stevens had just been in 1958's, "Cry Terror", co-starring with James Mason and Rod Steiger. She followed this picture with 1959's, "The World, the Flesh and the Devil", co-starring with Harry Belafonte, and Mel Ferrer.
Henry Hull portrayed "Ezra Peavey". Just prior to this motion picture, the actor was seen in his final motion picture, the 1958 western comedy, "The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw", co-starring with Kenneth More and Jane Mansfield. After this picture, Hull started to appear on different television programs.
Charlton Heston portrayed "General Andrew Jackson". Heston had co-starred with Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carrol Baker, and Burl Ives, in director William Wyler's, 1958 western, "The Big Country". The actor followed this feature film co-starring with Gary Cooper in the 1959, "The Wreck of the Mary Deare".
In 1953, Heston had portrayed "President Andrew Jackson" in "The President's Lady", co-starring Susan Hayward in the title role.
THE LAST OF THE BUCCANEERS released October 25, 1950
The motion picture was a low budget typical "Columbia Pictures" action adventure production. It was produced by Sam Katzman, who knew how to make something out of a nothing budget. My article, "Superman' Meets 'The Giant Claw' to the Tunes of 'Bill Haley and the Comets': Executive Producer Sam Katzman", will be found at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2018/10/superman-meets-giant-claw-as-earth-vs.html
The 176-titles of director Lew Landers work went back to 1934, and that number is misleading as it it based upon film titles and not the number of episodes of each of the television shows Landers directed, like the 21 of "The Adventures of Kit Carson", or the 22 of "The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin".
The screenplay was by Robert E. Kent, Bela Lugosi's, 1945, "Zombies on Broadway", 1947's, "Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome", starring Ralph Byrd and Boris Karloff, and later, 1956's, overlooked and excellent, "The Werewolf", and director Roger Corman's, 1962, "Tower of London", starring Vincent Price.
Paul Henreid portrayed "Jean Lafitte". In 1942, Henreid was at the top of his profession co-starring in "Joan of Paris", with Michele Morgan and Thomas Mitchell, "Now, Voyager", co-starring with Bette Davis, and "Casablanca", co-starring with Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, and Claude Rains. Now he was at bottom, having been unofficially black listed for alleged Communist sympathies.
John Dehner portrayed "Sergeant Belchue". Dehner's first five roles starting in 1941, were as a voice actor for Walt Disney. His next twenty-roles, including some for Disney, were all uncredited. His second credited role was in the cast of the horror fantasy, 1946's, "The Catman of Paris". Dehner was a familiar face in 1950's westerns, such as portraying "Pat Garrick" in the Paul Newman as "Billy the Kid", 1958, "The Left Handed Gun", and the "Viceroy", on Walt Disney's, 1958, "Zorro" television series. The actor became the recurring character, "Duke Williams", in 26 episodes of televisions 1960 to 1962, "The Roaring 20's".
Above left to right, Dehner, Henreid, and Oakie.
Karin Booth portrayed "Belle Summer". The "B" actresses 65 roles between 1941 and 1964 started out with 32 uncredited ones, but those included the Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, and Alan Ladd, 1942's, "This Gun for Hire", the Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, 1942, "Holiday Inn", and "Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood". Booth started getting credited roles with 1947's, "The Unfinished Dance", in which she co-starred with Margaret O'Brien and Cyd Charisse. The movie is known for introducing Danny Thomas. Just before this picture, Karin Booth was billed fourth behind Randolph Scott, George "Gabby" Hayes, and Bill Williams, in the western "The Cariboo Trail".
Mary Anderson portrayed "Swallow". Mary Anderson's film roles of different sizes include 1939's, "Gone with the Wind", 1940's, "The Sea Hawk", 1943's, "Song of Bernadette", director Alfred Hitchcock's 1944's, "Lifeboat", director Henry King's, 1944, "Wilson", and in 1951, the actress moved to television. Her last motion picture was 1980's, "Cheech and Chong's Next Movie".
Months later, "Jean Lafitte" and the other buccaneers have established a kingdom on Galveston Island and he has built himself a castle. All the treasure taken from the Spanish ships is stored in an underground tunnel with a lever that once pulled, will set off explosives that will block the entrance and fill the tunnel with earth.
One of "Lafitte's" ships, under command of "Craig Brown", portrayed by Harry Cording, attacks an American ship against the express orders not to touch them of "Jean Lafitte". For that offense, "Brown" is hung. In New Orleans, news of the attack reaches the people, but "Belle" is able to convince everyone to let her prove "Lafitte's" innocence.
However, just before their wedding day, "Belle", still not knowing of the hanging of "Brown", finds documents that show that "Jean Lafitte" does have the goods from the American ship. She goes to the authorities, and they send troops to destroy "Jean Lafitte" and his kingdom.
Just before the troops arrive on Galveston Island, "Belle" learns the truth, but will be unable to stop them from reaching "Lafitte's" kingdom. As the troops land, "Swallow", the daughter of one of "Lafitte's" men, enters the tunnel, pulls the lever and the treasure is forever buried. "Jean" and "Belle" take a rowboat and escape to start new lives together.
He claimed he wasn't a pirate and it is said he buried a great treasure.
CAPTAIN KID
William Kidd is thought to have been born in 1645, in Greenrock, Renfew, Scotland. His youth is unknown, but by 1689, Kidd was a privateer sailing for England against the French in the West Indies and off the American northern coast. A year later, William Kidd had established himself as a shipbuilder in New York City. However, both New York and Massachusetts's would employ Kidd to rid the North American coast of pirates. In 1695, the English King commissioned William Kidd to apprehend pirates who attacked English shipping, that were owned by the "East India Company", in both the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
On February 27, 1696, on the ship "Adventure", Kidd sailed from Deptford, New Jersey, arrived in New York City, on July 4, 1696 to take on more men and set sail for Africa, arriving in February 1697, at the Comoro Islands, of Africa's east coast.
In August 1697, "Captain Kidd", made several unsuccessful attempts to take prize ships sailing from Yemen with mocha coffee beans. In October 1697, Kidd faced a possible mutiny from his crew and fatally shot his gunner William Moore. In January 1698, "Captain William Kidd", took his most valuable prize ship, it was the "Quedagh Merchant", scuttled the "Adventure" and took command of the Armenian ship.
He reached the West Indies in April 1699, to discover that he had been declared a pirate. Kidd left the "Quedagh Merchant, probably scuttled with legendary treasure still on it, purchased the "Antonio", and sailed to New York. There he attempted to convince the colonial governor, the "Earl of Belmont" of his innocence of piracy. Instead William Kidd was arrested, sent to England for trial, where the jury was not permitted to hear two piracy charges that might have proved his innocence, and he was hanged. Some of Kidd's legendary treasure was recovered on Gardiners Island, off of Long Island, and treasure hunters, still today, look for the rest of it.
In 1915, a documentary film entitled "In the Footsteps of Captain Kidd" was released. I could not locate any specifics about the title, other than it was part of three different films on a program put together by authors Rex Beach, 1905's, "The Spoilers", and Mary Roberts Rinehardt, 1926's, "The Bat".
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This was the last of 58 motion pictures directed by Rowland V. Lee. In 1939, Lee directed for "Universal Pictures", "The Son of Frankenstein", and for "RKO Pictures", "The Tower of London". In 1935, Roland Lee had purchased land in the San Fernando and on his ranch overlooking the Chatsworth Reservoir, raised cattle and alfalfa. In 1940, while away, two girls drowned in Lee's private lake, and in 1951, Lee turned part of his ranch into a filming location. Among those features filmed were director Alfred Hitchcock's, 1951, "Strangers on a Train", director William Wyler's, 1956, "Friendly Persuasion", and Walt Disney's, 1958, "The Light in the Forest". In 1971, a major portion of the ranch became the exclusive "Hidden Hills Estates", with the reservoir as a central feature.
The screenplay was by Norman Reilly Raine, 1937's, "The Life of Emile Zola", 1938's, "The Adventures of Robin Hood", and the American 1951, remake of director Fritz Lang's "M".
Charles Laughton portrayed "William Kidd". Laughton had just been in the film-noir from director Robert Siodmak, 1944's, "The Suspect", and followed this feature with the musical comedy, 1946's, "Because of Him", starring Deanna Durbin.
Randolph Scott portrayed "Adam Mercy/Adam Blayne". Scott had co-starred with Ruth Warrick, and Ellen Drew in 1945's, "China Sky". He would follow this picture co-starring with Ann Dvorak in the 1946, western, "Abilene Town".
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2019/09/the-history-of-cisco-kid-on-motion.html
The King sends "Captain Kidd" on the "Adventure" to meet the ship the "Quedagh Merchant" and provide an escort back to England. The "Quedagh Merchant" carries the King's ambassador, "Lord Fallsworth", portrayed by Lumsden Hare, to the Grand Mughal, the ruler of the empire of India, his daughter, "Lady Anne Dunstan", and a chest of treasure from the Indian ruler to the English King, "William III".
"Kidd" tells "Lord Fallsworth" a lie about a nearby pirate, that gets the Lord, his daughter, and the treasure switched to the "Adventure". Next, "Captain Kidd's" navigator, "Lorenzo", on board the other ship, lights a candle, leaves the "Quedagh Merchant", just before it blows up. On the "Adventure", "Lady Anne", turns to the only person she believes she can trust, "Kidd's" servant, "Cary Shadwell". Who
On the voyage toward England, "Kidd" makes plans to kill his three associates to be able to keep the treasure for himself. Along with killing "Adam Mercy", who he suspects is a spy, "Mercy" is in reality, the vengeance-seeking son of "Admiral Lord Adam Blayne", the captain of "The Twelve Apostles". Two of the three are killed and only "Orange Povey" remains.
"Lorenzo" admits to forcing himself on "Lady Anne" and a sword fight between him and "Ada lm Mercy" takes place. During the fight, " Mercy's" medallion is cut off from around his neck and "Kidd" finds it. On the medallion is the "Blayne" crest and "William Kidd" now suspects that "Adam Mercy" is a relative of "Captain Blayne".
"Captain Kidd" has the "Avenger's" anchor dropped in a lagoon and taking the only surviving associate, "Orange Povey", who protects himself with a letter that tells everything about "Kidd" and will be sent to England upon "Povey's" death, and accompanied by "Mercy", go ashore. The three dig up of the treasure from "The Twelve Apostles" and seeing his family crest, "Mercy" ignores it, but "Kidd" goads him with talk about his father. Enraged, "Adam Blayne" attacks "Captain William Kidd", but out numbered, the two knock "Blayne" unconscious and he falls into the water. "Kidd" and "Povey" assume "Adam" has drowned, However, he was able to swim back to the "Avenger", gets "Lady Anne", and with "Shadwell's" help, the two get into the jolly boat. "Kidd" spots them, but "Shadwell" sacrifices himself to try and let them escape. However, "Kidd" blows the jolly boat up and returns to England and the court of "King William III".
"Captain William Kidd" now presents the Grand Miughal's treasure and believes he will claim his reward of the estate and titles of "Lord Blayne". However, "Lady Anne" and "Adam Blayne" had returned to court before "Kidd". Who is arrested, after the King's men find "The Three Apostles" treasure in his cabin aboard the "Avenger". "Captain Kidd" is tried and hanged for piracy and "Adam" and "Anne" will be married.
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET CAPTAIN KIDD release on December 27, 1952
Charles Lamont directed the motion picture, he had already directed the comedy duo in 1950's, "Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion", 1951's, "Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man", and the duo in 1951's, "Comin' Round the Mountain". After this picture he continued to direct the comedy team in 1953's, "Abbott and Costello Go to Mars", 1953's, "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", 1955's, "Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Cops", and 1955's, "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy". In 1958, Lamont switched to Walt Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club", the mini-Disney series "Annette", and episodes of Walt Disney's "Zorro".
The screenplay was written by two men, Howard Dimsdale, the 1942, horror mystery, "The Living Ghost", 1943's, "Air Raid Wardens", starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, and 1946's, "Love Laughs at Andy Hardy", starring Mickey Rooney.
John Grant wrote exclusively for Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, starting with three films in 1941's, "Buck Privates", "In the Navy", and "Hold That Ghost". Grant wrote the next 32 feature films and then became the team's primary writer for their television appearances, followed by 1955's "Abbott and Costello Meets the Mummy".
Lou Costello (Louis Francis Cristillo) portrayed "Oliver Johnson" aka "Captain 'Puddin Head Feathergill".
My article, "Abbott and Costello Meet the Universal Studios Classic Monsters", will found at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/04/abbott-and-costello-meet-universal.html
The plot is simple and pure Abbott and Costello, as the boys are asked to deliver a love note from "Lady Jane" to "Bruce" at the tavern they work at, but it gets switched with the map to "Captain Kidd's" buried treasure on Skull Island. To avoid being tricked by "Kidd", the lady pirate, "Captain Bonny", who has a right to half the treasure, follows "Kidd's" ship with her own. The boys having the real map, become part of "Captain Kidd's" crew and will only turn it over once they reach the island. Meanwhile, "Kidd" attacks a ship carrying "Lady Jane" and kidnaps her. Not to worry, "Bruce" had already been shanghaied onto the pirate ship. While, "Captain Bonny" believes "Lady Jane's" love note was written to "Oliver".
Once on Skull Island, "Rocky" and "Olivier' dig up the treasure, and "Kidd" announces he is going to kill them, "Bruce", "Lady Jane", and even "Captain Bonny". "Bonny" aware of "Kidd's" double crosses has her crew waiting, and from a signal by her, "Captain Kidd" becomes a prisoner and everyone gets a part of the treasure.
CAPTAIN KIDD AND THE SLAVE GIRL released on May 20, 1954
There were two writers for the picture, Aubrey Wisberg was a "B" writer who worked on both "The Whistler" and "The Falcon" detective series, but also co-wrote 1951's, "The Man from Planet X", and 1952's, "A Sword's Point", starring Cornell Wilde and Maureen O'Hara as two of the children of "The Three Musketeers". Wisberg also wrote the Arnold Schwarzengger billed on-screen as Arnold Strong's, 1970, "Hercules in New York".
Jack Pollexfen was Wisberg's co-writer on the above mentioned films and they both wrote 1953's, "The Neanderthal Man". Pollexfen also wrote the Louis Hayward's, 1951, "Son of Dr. Jekyll".
Robert Siodmak was the director and his name was normally on 1940's, film-noir. Such as the Burt Lancaster and Ava Garnder, 1946, version of author Ernest Hemmingway's, "The Killers", or the 1946, film-noir horror, "The Spiral Staircase", starring Dorothy McGuire, George Brent, and Ethel Barrymore. In 1943, Robert Siodmak worked with his screenplay brother, Curt Siodmak, 1941's, "The Wolfman", on a German expressionist style, "Son of Dracula", starring Lon Chaney as "Count Alucard", or Dracula spelled backwards. My article, "CURT and ROBERT SIODMAK: Horror and Film Noir", may be explored at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/11/curt-and-robert-siodmak-horror-and-film.html
Burt Lancaster portrayed "Captain Vallo the Crimson Pirate". In 2003, the producers, director, and writers of "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl", along with actor Johnny Depp, stated at interviews that "Captain Jack Sparrow" was a homage to "Captain Vallo", and Johnny Depp patterned him after Burt Lancaster's characterization. Affectionally referring to "Vallo" as "Jack Sparrow's" grandfather.
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/04/burt-lancaster-circus-acrobat-turned.html
Dana Wynter billed with her birth name of Dagmar Wynter portrayed "La Signorita". She would first be billed as Dana Wynter in "The Soprano and the Piccolo Player", and episode of the television series "Robert Montgomery Presents", on November 30, 1953.
In a pirate ship, in pirate waters, in a pirate world, ask no questions. Believe only what you see. No, believe half of what you see!
Caribbean pirate, "Captain Vallo" and his crew capture a frigate of the King's navy. The ship is carrying the evil "Baron Gruda", who has been sent by the King to crush a rebellion on the island of Cobra led by a person known as "El Libre", portrayed by Frederick Leister. "Vallo" and the Baron come to an agreement, the pirate will release the Baron and his men, but keep the frigate and get a large reward for capturing "El Libre" for him.
Reaching Cobra, coming ashore, and after some incident, such as being chased by soldiers and rebels alike. "Vallo" and his lieutenant "Ojo", meet a rebel leader name "Pablo Murphy", played by British character actor Noel Purcell, and "El Libre's" daughter, "Consuelo". From the two, "Vallo" learns that "El Libre" is a prisoner on the island of San Pero. Next, "Captain Vallo" and his crew leave on the supposed rescue mission accompanied by "Consuelo".
Reaching San Pero, "Baron Gruda", looking a lot like "Captain Vallo", attends a party in his honor, and orders the release of the prisoners to him. "Consuelo" now learns "Vallo's" true intension about selling her, "El Libre", and a person only called "The Professor" to the real "Gruda". She begs him to let the three go, and falling in love with her, he does. However, first mate "Humble Bellows" has overheard the conversation and turns against "Vallo".
As the three leave, waiting for them are the King's guards, "El Libre" is killed, and "Consuelo" captured. The pirate crew now elect the not so "Humble Bellows" as their new captain. However, the Baron and his men capture the entire pirate crew and place them in a large net hanging from the frigate's masts, but both "Vallo" and "Ojo" are still free and being searched for, but meet with the professor.
The professor convinces "Vallo" to go to "Pablo Murphy" and enlist him and the other rebels to rescue "Consuelo" and bring the Baron down. "Murphy" will not work with "Vallo", but others will.
Besides all of the acrobatic escapes from Lancaster and Cravat that director Robert Siodmak and writer Roland Kibbee have written into the story. They now come up with another twist, the professor is a student of Leonardo da Vinci. The professor now supervises the making of da Vinci's weapons of war.
The scene is the wedding day of "Baron Gruda" to "Consuelo" and the entire island is in attendance. There's a extremely large grain storage bin in the square where the wedding is taking place. According to local tradition, made up by "Vallo", the unmarried women of the island come together to honor the bride. "Baron Gruda" remarks that he knows why three of these women are unmarried, they're just plain ugly, but "Consuelo" recognizes them as "Vallo", "Ojo", and the professor.
Suddenly, "Pablo Murphy" appears, upsetting "Vallo's" plans, by attempting to assassinate "Baron Gruda" and is killed. To the Baron and his men's surprise, the sides of the grain storage bin drops and a large hot air balloon launches with men dropping da Vinci bombs on the Baron's men. Other rebels appear with the professor's da Vinci style Gatling guns, tanks, flamethrowers, and a submarine. "Baron Gruda" flees with "Consuelo" to a ship awaiting him in the harbor.
"Vallo" and "Ojo" go out to his ship using the balloon, freeing the pirate crew and tells them to join him swimming to the Baron's ship to rescue "Consuelo" and capture "Gruda". "Humble Bellows" tells "Captain Vallo" that he will not die swimming to the Baron's ship, but as a pirate creating a diversion by attacking "Gruda" with the pirate ship. In the battle that follows, "Bellows" will die valiantly.
In the end "Gruda" is killed by "Vallo", the bad governor is told to leave, and "Captain Vallo" gets the girl.
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According to Russell Thorndyke:
"Christopher Syn" was born in 1729, and graduated from Queens College, Oxford, England, as a minister. He married a Spanish lady named "Imogene", and under the patronage of "Sir Charles Cobtree", the father of his best friend, "Anthony Cobtree", settled down as the vicar, "Dr. Syn", in Dymchurch-under-the-wall, until a man he also considered a close friend, "Nicholas Tippitt" seduced his wife and she left with him. "Dr. Syn", who while at Queens College, learned what was known as "swashbuckling skills", military horse riding and the different forms of fencing, leaves Dymchurch to pursue "Tippitt".
Having learned the two's destination, "Dr. Syn" left England for America, but the ship he was a passenger upon was attacked by the pirate "Captain Satan", of the ship, "The Sulphur Pit". "Captain Satan" allows "Dr. Syn" to stay aboard his ship as he sinks the other. On board was a "Mr. Mipps", a former Royal Navy carpenter that the vicar becomes friends with. However, as tensions rise, "Captain Satan" pushes the vicar too hard and after a duel leaving "Satan" dead, the crew elect "Dr. Syn" their new captain.
On the stormy night of November 13, 1775, a brig is wrecked off the coast of "Dymchurch". Apparently, the current vicar must have died rescuing people from the wrecked ship during the storm. One of those he must have rescued was "Christopher Syn". After a meeting with both "Anthony" and his father, the "Reverend Christopher Syn", becomes the vicar once more with his servant, a carpenter named "Mipps".
That part of England, next to the Romney Marsh, was associated with pirates and smugglers. One such pirate and smuggler was the legendary "Captain Clegg". "Clegg" was a notorious pirate who smuggled tobacco and especially brandy from France into England to avoid the King's tax assessors. The villagers of Dymchurch noticed that upon "Dr. Syn's" return, in the church's grave yard was "Clegg's" grave, but also stories started of a smuggler called "The Scarecrow".
Below, the real Romney Marsh is almost touching the real village of Dymchurch on the sea coast and a perfect spot for smugglers to enter and exit.
DOCTOR SYN aka: DR. SYN premiered in London on August 25, 1937
PIRATE CLEGG - MASTERMIND OF THEM ALL
Which refers to the four drawings on the upper right of "Morgan", "Blackbeard", "Lafitte", and "Capt. Kid".
Ireland born, Roy William Neill directed the first film version based upon Thorndike's novels. My reader may not know Neill by name, but the films he directed are well known. They include Boris Karloff's, 1935, "The Black Room", every one of the "Universal Pictures" "Sherlock Holmes" series, starting with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce's 1942, "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon". Along with the classic Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bela Lugosi, 1943 "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man".
The written outline of the screenplay (scenario), or what is also called the adaptation of the novels was by Roger Burford.
The actual writing of the screenplay, credited as creating the dialogue, was by Michael Hogan. Hogan wrote the screenplay to the 1937 version of British author H. Rider Haggard's, "King Solomon's Mines", starring Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Paul Robeson. He also created the story for Robert Taylor's, 1938, "A Yank at Oxford", and adapted, in 1940, for director Alfred Hitchcock, Daphne Du Maurier's novel "Rebecca".
Vicar, "Dr. Christopher Syn" is about to start his summon, inside the church is the local bar maid "Imogene", who is in love with "Denis Cobtree", and he with her. However, in the bell tower, is the local carpenter, "Mr. Mipps" looking through a telescope of the countryside and he spies a detachment of the Royal Navy's tax collectors under the command of "Captain Collyer". "Mipps" comes down from the bell tower to make a signal to "Dr. Syn", who acknowledges it. With the detachment is a "Mulatto", portrayed by Menhart Maur, who was rescued by the Navy after being left to die by the pirate and smuggler, "Captain Clegg". Twenty-years earlier, the same "Captain Clegg" had mutilated the man who raped and killed his wife, and left him to die in the wilderness. "Clegg's grave site is in the church yard and the Navy tax collectors pass by it as the "Mulatto" stops for a moment and stares.
"Captain Collyer" has discovered that smugglers are still operating in Dymchurch and are led by a man known only as "The Scarecrow". However, these are no ordinary smugglers, because they use the money from the smuggled French brandy to help the local people pay their exorbitant taxes.
At the film's climax, the mulatto has dug up "Captain Clegg's" grave to find it's empty, but is killed. "Captain Collyer's" men have discovered the empty grave and he finally figures out that the "Reverend Doctor Syn" is really the pirate "Captain Clegg". While, "Dr. Syn" reveals that "Imogene" is really his daughter and she was born when he still was "Captain Clegg". He performs the marriage of "Imogene" to "Denis Cobtree" and tells them to flee.
One step ahead of "Captain Collyer", "Dr. Syn" destroys all incriminating evidence of the smuggling operation and with his men escape on a hidden English merchant ship.
CAPTAIN CLEGG aka: NIGHT CREATURES premiered in London on June 7, 1962
The motion picture was directed by Peter Graham Scott. Scott was a British television producer, director, film editor, and writer. He directed the teen horror comedy, 1958's, "The Headless Ghost", episodes of both "Danger Man (Secret Agent)" and "The Avengers", and many ITV programs in all of his capacities, between 1946 and 2008.
Although the movie was acknowledged to be based upon Russell Thorndike's "Dr. Syn" series, "Hammer" did not give Thorndike and his novels any on-screen credit.
The writing credits show "John Elder" as the screenplay writer. "Elder" is the pen name that is used by Anthony Hinds the son of "Hammer Films" founder William Hinds.
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/12/guy-endore-communism-in-motion-picture.html
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/02/hammer-films-look-at-house-of-hammer.html
"Captain Collier" and his detachment of Royal Navy tax collectors, arrive in Dymchurch to investigate if the locals are involved with smuggling brandy from France to England, bypassing the King's taxes.
That night the smugglers led by "The Scarecrow" succeed in getting an outgoing consignment of liquor to its transport spot at an old deserted windmill. However, "Captain Collier" has followed and he is able to shoot one of the smugglers in the arm. While at the ale house one of the sailors guarding the "Mulatto" is killed by "Mr. Rash". After that sailor figures out the connection to the smugglers and while his companion is treating him. The "Mulatto" is free to run out of the ale house. He heads to the graveyard to break open the coffin of "Captain Clegg".
The "Marsh Phantoms", actually the men of Dymchuch, take "Harry" to the church and "Imogene". There the "Reverend Dr. Blyiss" performs the marriage ceremony and the two are sent on their way.
Minutes later, "Captain Collier" arrives at the church to announce that the grave of "Captain Clegg" is empty. "Collier" grabs the clerical collar of the "Reverend Dr. Blyiss", pulls it off, revealing the rope burns of the failed hanging of "Captain Clegg". "Clegg/Blyiss" tells "Captain Collier" that his executioner spared his life and that "Blyiss" only wanted to make amends for his other life by helping the people of Dymchurch and the surrounding towns. At the moment a fight between the sailors and the men of Dymchurch starts and this become the diversion it is for "Blyiss" to escape to "Mipp's" business. The two men enter the tunnel to the ale store and emerging, they find "Mr. Rash" killed by the "Mulatto", who takes a spear and impales "Captain Clegg", but is shot dead by "Mr. Mipps".
The film ends as "Captain Collier" and his men look on and salute, the villagers look on, as a sorrowful "Mr. Mipps" places the body of the "Captain Clegg" in his empty coffin.
Three major changes to the original novels used for the first two motion pictures are found in this work.
1. There is no Captain Clegg the Pirate. This eliminates the need of the "Mulatto" character seeking revenge against Dr. Syn, or establishing an evil background for the Vicar of Dymchuch.
2.The character of the barmaid Imogene is removed. Imogene and the community of Dymchurch in Russell Thorndike's series of earlier novels have no idea that in reality she is Dr. Syn's daughter born while he was still Captain Clegg. Instead of Imogene we now have the daughter of the Squire of Dymchurch Katherine Banks.
3. The Squire has his name changed from Squire Anthony Cobtree to Squire Thomas Banks. The Squire now has two sons Harry and John, not one, and a daughter Katherine. The romance between Imogene and the Squire's oldest son is now between Katherine and a British officer Lt. Philip Brackenbury.
In short this reworked story of the Vicar of Dymchurch, England, provided the perfect vehicle for the family orientated Walt Disney.
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/04/walt-disney-presents-mountain-men.html
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/01/patrick-mcgoohan-is-danger-man-dr-syn.html
Through the black of night, he’d ride
From the marsh to the coast
Like a demon ghost
He’d show his face then hide.
In the quiet English coastal town of Dymchurch is the large landowner the "Squire Thomas Banks", who lives with his daughter, "Katharine", and his two sons, the older, "Harry", played by David Buck, and the younger, "John", who even at his age is secretly a smuggler leader known as "Curlew".
"The Scarecrow" is regularly smuggling liquor from France into England to accomplish one-thing. To be able to give the money from the sale to the residents of Dymchurch and its surroundings to pay their taxes.
The above revolves around three distinct, but related story lines, that make-up the three parts of the mini-series. They are basically:
Part One:
"William III" wants the smuggling in Dymchurch stopped and the War Office sends "General Pugh" to there to take charge. The general brings his aide de camp, "Lieutenant Philip Brackenbury" with him. "Pugh" sends out the Naval press gangs and a Dymchurch man that has been picked-up is "Squire Banks'" son, "Harry". "General Pugh", instead of letting the son of the most important man in Dymchurch return to his family, realizes the value of "Harry Banks" and decides to make him the bait to catch "The Scarecrow". "Reverend Doctor Syn" visits the squire, who doesn't know that "Syn" is "The Scarecrow", a man he dislikes for endangering the people of Dymchurch. There, "Dr. Syn" finds "General Pugh" and "Lieutenant Banks", as "Katherine" meets the lieutenant for the first time. "Dr. Syn" realizes that "Harry" is a trap, but with "Mr. Mipps", and "John Banks" start working on a rescue.
Part Two:
The smuggling continues, "Dr. Syn" meets an American revolutionary named "Simon Bates", portrayed by Tony Britton, who needs help as he is labeled a traitor to the King and a wanted man. This character was not in the William L. Buchanan rewrite of Russel Thorndike, but added by Walt Disney to create American audience interest in the story. "Dr. Syn" has "Mr. Mipps" find a place to hide "Bates" until a way to get him out of England and back to America can be put together.
Meanwhile, one of "The Scarecrow's Men", "Joe Ransley" has turned traitor and is dealt with, before he completely reveals the identities of the smugglers. The verdict is hanging and "The Scarecrow" personally performs the hanging of the traitor, but after all the men have left. "The Scarecrow" revives the fainted "Joe Ransley" revealing that he had looped the noose around the chair so that it would not actually kill him. He then tells the traitor to flee to the next county, because:
You're a DEAD MAN Ransley
should he return to Dymchurch.
Part Three:
"King William III" orders "General Pugh" back to London, and with "Lieutenant Brackenbury" deals out his displeasure over the non-capture of "The Scarecrow", but agrees to send more men under the general's command.
Meanwhile, the American revolutionary "Simon Bates" has been captured and taken to Dover Castle and the control of the castle's jailer, played by Percy Herbert. "Dr. Syn" now has a double rescue to plan. While, at the home of "Squire Banks", "Katharine" and "Philip" realize they love each other, but they face unacceptance by her father of a British army officer.
The double rescue will take place, but "General Pugh" and his men start to close in. "Squire Banks", who never trusted "The Scarecrow", now puts his trust in him. "The Scarecrow", accompanied by the squire and "Katharine", take both "Harry Banks" and "Simon Bates" to a rendezvous with a paid off merchant ship leaving for America. The two men go out on a rowboat, and as "Pugh" arrives at the beach, he only finds "The Scarecrow", who will escape thanks to "Philip", "Squire Banks", and "Katharine" and can do nothing about it. It is also obvious that the squire will be having a British officer as a son-in-law.
I already mentioned that Hillary Brooks portrayed the real-life pirate Anne Bonny, born Anne Cormac. No, she was never with "Captain Kidd", but another pirate "John 'Calico Jack' Rackham.
Both women would be captured with John Rackham's crew and he would be hanged. However. both women were pregnant and received stays of execution until they delivered their child. Read died in prison during childbirth, Anne Bonny delivered her baby and than disappeared.
According to Charles Johnson in his 1724, "A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pirates":
She was continued in Prison, to the Time of her lying in, and afterward reprieved from Time to Time; but what is become of her since we cannot tell; only this we know, that she was not executed.
ANNE OF THE INDIES released on October 18, 1951
In 1947, historical fiction writer, Herbert Sass, published in "The Saturday Evening Post", a story about Anne Bonny. Sass was asked to write a treatment for a motion picture screenplay and in 1948, he provided a 10-page treatment about Bonny with an added factual sheet of events in his treatment.
Arthur Caesar started out as an additional dialogue writer in 1928, but became a "B" screenplay writer in 1931, this was his final screenplay.
The motion picture was directed by Jacques Tourneur, who was associated in the 1940's with producer Val Lewton. Tourneur's movies included 1942's, "The Cat People", 1943's, "I Walk with a Zombie", and 1943's, "The Leopard Man". In 1957, he took Lewton's style and made "Night of the Demon" aka: "Curse of The Demon". In 1950, Tourneur directed Burt Lancaster in what is described as an Italian "Robin Hood", "The Flame and the Arrow".
Louis Jourdan portrayed "Captain Pierre Francois LaRochelle". He had just starred in 1951's, "Bird of Paradise", co-starring Debra Paget, and Jeff Chandler. Jourdan followed this motion picture with 1952's, "The Happy Time" co-starring with Charles Boyer.
Shortly, "Blackbeard" realizes that he saw "LaRochelle" in the French Navy at the hanging of a pirate. When he confronts the Frenchman, "Pierre" admits it was him, but that he was dismissed from the navy. "Blackbeard" doesn't believe him, but "Anne" defends "Pierre" and sends "Blackbeard" and his crew away. This results in making "Edward Teach" an enemy.
It is revealed that "Blackbeard" was correct, the "LaRochelle" was a plant working with the British who have seized his ship. To get it back, "Captain Pierre Francois LaRochelle" must help the British capture "Anne". Also revealed, is that "LaRochelle" has a wife named "Molly", who is kidnapped by "Anne Providence".
Next, "Pierre" gets a ship of his own and goes after "Anne". In a sea battle "Pierre" is captured, his ship set fire and sinks. Taking her revenge, "Anne Providence" maroons "Pierre" and "Molly" on a deserted island to die. Just then "Blackbeard's" ship appears and instead of fleeing, to prevent "Teach" from finding "Pierre" and "Molly", who will kill, she attacks. "Anne's" ship is outgunned, and in the end, "Pierre" and "Molly" watch "Anne of the Indies" and her ship get blown away from "Blackbeard's" cannons, that he was too late stopping. "Edward Teach" turns his ship out to sea and sails away, while "Pierre" and "Molly" thank "Anne" for her sacrifice.
Not directly "Anne Bonny" and “Mary
Read” inspired, or for that matter, real-life lady pirates, “Grace O’Malley”
and “Rachel Wall”, I look at two more pirate films featuring lady buccaneers.
What's better than a "B" western director to direct swashbucklers? His name was George Sherman and he started with one of "The Three Mesquiteer" westerns, 1937's, "Wild Horse Rodeo", co-starring Robert "Bob" Livingston, Ray "Crash" Corrigan, and Max Terhune and his dummy, "Elmer". Through 1942, Sherman directed names like Don "Red" Barry, John Wayne, and Gene Autry. Just before this motion picture was 1952's, "The Battle at Apache Pass", co-starring Jeff Chandler, and John Lund. The Joel McCrea and Barbara Hale western, 1953's, "The Lone Hand" followed this picture.
The screenplay was from two writers, Aeneas MacKenzie, had written the Errol Flynn and Bette Davis, 1939, "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex", and the Gregory Peck and Virginia Mayo, 1951, "Captain Horatio Hornblower".
Joseph Hoffman wrote Yvonne De Carlo's, 1950, "Buccaneer's Girl", and the Cornel Wilde and Maureen O'Hara, 1952, "At Sword's Point".
a pot of money
In the United States alone, the box office gross was 1.6 million, 1952, dollars.
British Royal Navy Lieutenant "Brian Hawke" volunteers for a dangerous mission, he is to infiltrate the pirate base at Diego Suarez, on the coast of Madagascar. To make things look better to the pirates, he has his back lashed twenty-times, and with two others fake deserters, "Jonathan Harris", portrayed by John Alderson, and "Jones", portrayed by Phil Tully, leave on their mission.
Arriving in Diego Suarez, "Hawke" is challenged by "Captain Roc Brasiliano", who demands a tribunal of the coast captains to determine the three deserters' fate. By the time the tribunal starts, "Hawke" has attracted the attention of pirate captain, "Spitfire Stevens". Who inherited her captaincy upon the death of her father. Her interest in "Brian Hawke" is making "Roc" jealous.
To prove himself, "Hawke" is forced to fight a duel with a pirate from "Brasiliano's" crew caught stealing. The fight is with boarding pikes and "Brian Hawke" wins and takes the others place on "Captain Roc's" ship.
While cruising the shipping lanes "Captain Roc's" ship comes upon a ship belonging to the Emperor of South Asia crammed with treasure and other valuables. Unknown to either "Roc", or "Hawke" is that the emperor's daughter "Patma" is on board. Her chaperon, "Molvina MacGregor", portrayed by the great Mildred Natwick, has her change clothing to look like an ordinary passenger and hidden. The pirates transfer the cargo and set the ship on fire. "Molvina" panics over the missing "Patma" and "Brian Hawke" goes on board the burning ship and saves the young woman. Who admits that "Hawke" is only the third man she has ever seen other than her father and falls in love with him.
In Diego Surarez, "Spitfire" becomes jealous of "Patma" and when the girl is put up for action, out bids "Hawke", who wanted to protect "Patma" from the other pirates. She now becomes "Spitfire's" servant, while in a candid moment, "Spitfire" admits to "Brian" that she wants to leave the pirate life. Her plan is to leave for Britain via Brazil, leaving her criminal life behind.
Time passes quickly, "Hawke" gathers information about the pirate base, steals a map of its defenses, and as planned. A British man-of-war will come into the harbor and "Brian Hawke", "Harris", and "Jones" will disable the cannon before its arrival. "Brian" makes sure the emperor's daughter is safe and ready to be rescued, he fires a flare for the British ship, but "Captain Rock Brasiliano" has discovered his plan, "Brian Hawke" is captured, and tied to a stake on the beach to be eaten by crabs. "Spitfire" pretends to stab "Hawke" in the back, but actually gets his ropes.
At that moment the British ship enters the harbor and the pirates are surprised when their cannons explode. "Roc" uses "Patma" as a shield and the British won't fire on his ship as he sales away. However, "Hawke", "Jones", "Harris", and "Spitfire" are on board and they fight the pirates. As expected, "Brian Hawke" and "Roc Brasiliano" have their final duel and "Hawke" kills the pirate. "Patma" is safely taken to the British ship, "Hawke" asks for a pardon for "Prudence Stevens" and the two kiss.
The Steve Reeves, "Morgan the Pirate", would be followed by 24 other Italian made pirate motion pictures during the decade of the 1960's. The following is one other example, that stars two interesting American actors, but is not even on the level of Douglas Fairbanks, "The Black Pirate".
GORDON, IL PIRATA NERO (GORDON THE BLACK PIRATE) released in Italy on December 15, 1961
The movie came to the United States as "Rage of the Buccaneers" in August 1963.
The motion picture was directed by Mario Costa. Costa had directed 1960's, "La Venere dei pirati (The Venus of the Pirates)" aka: "The Queen of the Pirates". He also directed "Sword and Sandal" features, as well as what became known as "Spaghetti Westerns".
There were two writers of the screenplay, the original Italian version was by Ottavio Poggi, who was also a producer. Among his previous films was 1959's, "Hannibal", that starred Victor Mature, and 1961's, "Queen of the Nile", that starred American actress Jeanne Crain portraying "Queen Nefertiti, and co-starring Vincent Price.
The English language version was written by John Byrne, who translated 1960's, "The Queen of the Pirates", and 1961's, "Queen of the Nile".
Ricardo Montalban portrayed "Gordon, the Black Buccaneer". Montalban was guest appearing on American television at the time and had been since 1958. This was actually his first theatrical movie during this time period and he had provided an English language voice to the German television production of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" in 1960. Montalban, also in 1960, appeared in a made-for-television movie version of the Japanese story, "Rashomon"
Vincent Price portrayed "Romero". Price was just seen in 1960's "Queen of the Pirates" and followed this movie with 1962's, "Confessions of an Opium Eater".
Giulia Rubini portrayed "Manuela, the Governor's daughter". The Italian actress had just portrayed the "Countess Gulietta", in "The Magical World of Disney's" two-part production of "The Magnificent Rebel", about "Ludwig van Beethoven", played by Karlheinz Bohm (Karl Boehm). Rubini next appeared in the cast of 1962's, "La monaca di Monza (The nun of Monza)".
Above, Vincent Price and Giulia Rubini
Liana Orfei portrayed "Luana, a Gordon's faithful". Orfei was buried in the cast of director Federico Fellini's, 1960, "La Dolce Vita", she was featured in Lex Barker's, 1960, "Pirates of the Coast", she co-starred with Victor Mature and Orson Welles in 1961's, "The Tartars", and just prior to this movie, Orfei co-starred in 1961's, "The Giant of Metropolis", and followed the picture with Guy Williams', 1962, "Damon and Pythias".
Jose Jaspe portrayed "Captain Tortuga". Spanish actor Jaspe started on-screen acting in 1941, and over his career he appeared in several films with American and United Kingdom actors. Among these were the George Sanders and Herbert Marshall's, 1950, "Captain Blackjack", he was in the Cinerama production with the wrong direction in the title, 1968's, "Krakatoa: East of Java", starring Maximillian Schnell, Diane Baker, and Brian Keith, the 1971 international western, "Red Sun", co-starring Charles Bronson, Toshiro Mifune, Alain Delon, Ursula Andress and Capucine, 1972's, "Horror Express", the Spanish version of John W. Campbell, Jr's, "Who Goes There", co-starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Tully Savalas, the 1972, Orson Welles, made in Spain, version of "Treasure Island", and the Spanish mini-series of French author Jules Verne's, "The Mysterious Island", starring Omar Sharif as "Captain Nemo".
One time slave, "Gordon, the Black Pirate", disguises himself and enters the slavers base of San Salvador to fight the slave trade overseers. He is spotted by his one-time friend, "Captain Tortuga", whose life he had spared when "Tortuga" took an an oath to stop being a slaver. Instead, "Tortuga" reveals who the disguised pirate is and "Gordon" is arrested. The governor's secretary, "Romero" has "Gordon" sentenced to death, before he finds out that "Romero" is actually the head of the slavers.
"Gordon" escapes prison with the help of his pirate companion, the Creole, "Luana", and the governor's daughter, "Manuela", who like "Luana", is in love with "The Black Pirate". "Romero" seizes power and imprisons "Manuela", but "The Black Pirate" and his buccaneers attack, killing "Romero" and "Tortuga", and saving "Gordon's" love. Sadly, during the attack "Luana" is killed. The story ends with the governor giving his hand in marriage to "Gordon, the Black Pirate".
The above German title for the motion picture, "Der Schwarze Seetuefel" translates as "The Black Monkfish".
This is a small look at animated pirates and I start with a classic from Isadore "Fritz" Freleng voiced by Mel Blanc.
BUCCANEER BUNNY released on May 8, 1948
The cartoon opens with "Yosemite Sam" digging a hole on an island beach to bury his pirate's treasure. He is singing what had become the stereotypical pirate shanty, "Deadman's Chest", the song I first quoted by Robert Lewis Stevenson. However, "Sam's" song doesn't have the line "yo-ho-ho-and a bottle of rum", instead, he sings with a conga beat, "yo-ho-ho-and a bottle of Ma's old fashioned ci-der", to the tune of the just becoming popular slogan, "Dad's old fashion root beer".
On the beach is one of "Bugs Bunny's" rabbit holes and the usual war of "Sam's" nerves begins.
When "Bugs" asks:
What's up doc?
And "Sam" replies:
I ain't no doc! I'm a pirate! Sea-Goin' Sam, the blood-thirstiest, shoot-'em-first-iest, doggone worst-iest buccaneer has ever sailed the Spanish Main!
WALT DISNEY'S "PETER PAN" released on February 5, 1953
For the record Scottish author J.M. Barrie's character of "Peter Pan", first appeared as a baby in his 1902 novel, "Little White Bird", specifically in Chapters 13-18. Which were incorporated into Barrie's, 1906 novel, "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens". Below, is a picture of "Peter" in "The Never Never Land", from J.M. Barrie's, 1911, "Peter and Wendy".
"Peter" with the fairy dust from "Tinkerbell", takes the three "Darling" children, "Wendy", "John", and "Michael" to the "Second Star to the Right and on until morning", and "Never Never Land".
It is there that that three meet "The Lost Boys", "Tiger Lilly" and the Indians, and are captured by "Captain Hook", voiced by Hans Conried, and his pirates. It is up to "Peter Pan", voiced by Bobby Driscoll, to save them all and return them to their parents along with "The Lost Boys".
Pirates are found in outer space in both Japanese anime and American animation.
宇宙海賊キャプテンハーロック (SPACE PIRATE CAPTAIN HARLOCK)
The original Japanese anime and the first English dubbed series, shown only in Hawaii at the time, ran for 42-episodes March 14, 1978 through February 13, 1979. The very first episode was entitled, "The Jolly Roger of Outer Space". In this first series, "Captain Harlock" and his crew are fighting plant based, mainly female, humanoid lifeforms called the "Mazone", who walked the Earth as the source of Mayan Legends.
"Captain Harlock" is described as an archetypical romantic hero, a space pirate with an individualist philosophy of life. Think of the pirate heroes of Rafael Sabatini's "The Black Swan", or "Captain Blood". "Harlock's" attitude is that he fights for no one person, but stoically fights for something he feels within his own heart is right in each situation.
Everything is set and this updating of "Treasure Island" proceeds with its futuristic changes. Along with making "Ben Gunn" a robot named "B.E.N. (Bio Electronic Navigator)", voiced by Martin Short, who had lost his memory.
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