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The Crimson Pirate

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Wikipedia article




{{Infobox film

| name = The Crimson Pirate

| image = Crimson pirate655.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Robert Siodmak

| producer = Norman Deming
Harold Hecht
Burt Lancaster

| writer = Roland Kibbee
Waldo Salt (1st draft)

| starring = Burt Lancaster
Nick Cravat
Eva Bartok
Leslie Bradley
Torin Thatcher
James Hayter

| music = William Alwyn

| cinematography = Otto Heller

| editing = Jack Harris

| distributor = Warner Bros. Pictures

| released =

| runtime = 105 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $1.75 millionKate Buford, 'Burt Lancaster: An American Life', Da Capo 2000 p 117

| gross = $2.5 million (US)'Top Box-Office Hits of 1952', 'Variety', January 7, 1953

}}

'The Crimson Pirate' is a 1952 British-American international co-production Technicolor tongue-in-cheek comedy-adventure film from Warner Bros. produced by Norman Deming and Harold Hecht, directed by Robert Siodmak, and starring Burt Lancaster, who also co-produced with Deming and Hecht. Co-starring in the film is Nick Cravat, Eva Bartok, Leslie Bradley, Torin Thatcher, and James Hayter. The film was shot in Ischia, the Bay of Naples and Teddington Studios.

'The Crimson Pirate' is set late in the 18th century, on the fictional Caribbean islands of San Pero and Cobra, where a rebellion on Cobra is underway by the mysterious "'El Libre'". Pirate Captain Vallo captures the King's ship carrying His Majesty's envoy. Baron Gruda plans on crushing the rebellion on Cobra and toward that end makes Vallo a surprising offer. If accepted, it would make a sizeable profit for the Captain and his buccaneer crew.

Plot



Late in the 18th century, Caribbean pirate Captain Vallo and his crew capture a frigate of the King's navy. The ship is carrying Baron Gruda, a special envoy of the King on his way to the island of Cobra to crush a rebellion led by a man known as 'El Libre'. Baron Gruda and Vallo come to an agreement: Vallo will release the Baron and his crew, but keep the frigate. In return, they will capture 'El Libre' and bring him to the Baron for a sizable reward.

Vallo and his crew sail to Cobra, where the captain and his lieutenant, Ojo, go ashore and meet with the island's rebels, led by Pablo Murphy and 'El Libre''s daughter Consuelo. Vallo and Ojo learn that 'El Libre' has been captured and is in prison on the island of San Pero. After sailing to San Pero, Vallo impersonates the Baron and orders the prisoners released into his custody.

Consuelo is distraught to hear that Vallo intends on selling her, 'El Libre', and the professor to Baron Gruda. Consuelo now begs Vallo to come with them, but he refuses. Vallo's first mate, Humble Bellows, overhears this exchange, and turns against his captain for breaking his word. Vallo lets 'El Libre' and Consuelo leave, but the King's guards are waiting, and 'El Libre' is killed and Consuelo is captured. The pirates mutiny against Vallo, and Humble Bellows is elected their new captain.

Baron Gruda takes the pirates prisoner and forces Consuelo to agree to marry the governor of Cobra. Vallo intends to rescue Consuelo, but the professor convinces him to first enlist the island's cooperation. In order to defeat the well trained and well armed troops on Cobra, the professor have the rebels build a variety of futuristic weapons, such as tanks, Gatling guns, flamethrowers, a hot air balloon and a submarine. On the day of the wedding, the people overthrow the governor and his guards. A massive battle ensues, ending with the pirate ship destroyed, the Baron killed, and Vallo and Consuelo reunited.

Cast



Production



The original screenplay by Waldo Salt was rejected by the producers, fearing Salt's Communist ties. Christopher Lee, in his autobiography, claims that director Robert Siodmak changed the original screenplay:

Reception



A. H. Weiler of 'The New York Times' described the film as "a slam-bang, action-filled Technicolored lampoon ... Any viewer with a drop of red blood in his veins and with fond memories of the Douglas Fairbanks Sr. school of derring-do should be happy to go on this last cruise of the crimson pirate."Weiler, A. H. (August 28, 1952). "The Screen: Derring-Do". 'The New York Times'. 21. 'Variety' called it "104 minutes of high-action entertainment.""Film Reviews: The Crimson Pirate". 'Variety'. August 27, 1952. 6. Edwin Schallert of the 'Los Angeles Times' called it "a good, gaudy, robust sort of feature designed for audience enjoyment, at least that kind of audience which enjoys complete release. It has qualities that Douglas Fairbanks made famous in his time, Lancaster being a worthy successor to that mantle."Schallert, Edwin (September 27, 1952). "Lancaster's Pirate Tale Wild Affair". 'Los Angeles Times'. Part I, p. 11. 'Harrison's Reports' wrote, "A very good swashbuckling pirate adventure comedy-melodrama, photographed in Technicolor. Its tongue-in-cheek treatment pokes fun at pictures of this type, and for that reason it should be enjoyed, not only by the action fans, but also by others who are willing to accept it for the good-natured spoof that it is.""'The Crimson Pirate' with Burt Lancaster". 'Harrison's Reports'. August 30, 1952. 139. 'The Monthly Film Bulletin' wrote, "The jokes are as unsophisticated as the adventure, and the combination of violence and slapstick makes for quite good fun. Burt Lancaster, fighting, swinging from ropes, chased and chasing, and throwing in a little female impersonation, has the acrobatic energy of a Fairbanks and keeps the film going with considerable good humour."

Legacy



Burt Lancaster and his old partner Nick Cravat made nine films together, the most popular being 'The Crimson Pirate' and 'The Flame and the Arrow' (1950). He kept Cravat on his payroll for life, as both a trainer as well as a co-star. Because Cravat's character in both films is mute, the belief persisted that in real life he was mute. Actually, Cravat was given no dialog lines because of his thick Brooklyn accent.

According to The Radio Times, the Disneyland ride "Pirates of the Caribbean" was inspired by 'The Crimson Pirate'.

In the 1970s Lancaster attempted to make a sequel. He hired George MacDonald Fraser and later Jon Cleary to write scripts, but no film resulted from their efforts.George MacDonald Fraser, 'The Light's On at Signpost', HarperCollins 2002 p160-175

References






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