The Crimson Pirate

 

 

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Warner Bros. Pictures presents "THE CRIMSON PIRATE" (1952) (105 min/Color) -- Starring Burt Lancaster, Nick Cravat, Eva Bartok, Torin Thatcher & Christopher Lee

Directed by Robert Siodmak

Burt Lancaster plays a pirate with a taste for intrigue and acrobatics who involves himself in the goings on of a revolution in the Caribbean in the late 1700s. A light hearted adventure involving prison breaks, an oddball Scientist, sailing ships, naval fights, and tons of swordplay. Cult film that offers loads of thrills and laughs to both children & adults alike.

Burt Lancaster plays the role with real gusto and exuberance doing all his own stunts, being paired on screen with his one time trapeze partner Nick Cravat as his mute sidekick. The support cast is filled with familiar faces from the period all giving good value in their respective roles.

Lancaster's sense of comedy was evident enough for critic Alton Cook to call him "one of our most amiable and strenuous comedians."

One of my favorite actors, Lancaster will be always remembered as the actor who has given the modern cinema more "pure enjoyment" than almost any other major film star.

In his autobiography, Christopher Lee claimed that Robert Siodmak changed the original screenplay: "The script started life as serious, nay solemn, but Robert Siodmak, the director, with all the sure touch of real tension behind him in The Killers and The Spiral Staircase, took stock of the material in forty-eight hours and turned it into a comedy".

Outstanding score by the talented composer William Alwyn who captures the complete adventures of the high seas.

BIOS:
1. Robert Siodmak (Director)
Date of Birth: 8 August 1900 - Dresden, Saxony, Germany
Date of Death: 10 March 1973 - Locarno, Ticino, Switzerland

2. Burt Lancaster [aka: Burton Stephen Lancaster]
Date of Birth: 2 November 1913 - New York City, New York
Date of Death: 20 October 1994 - Century City, California

3. Nick Cravat [aka: Nick Cuccia]
Date of Birth: 11 January 1912 - New York City, New York
Date of Death: 29 January 1994 - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars
Performance: 5 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 105 min on DVD ~ Warner Bros. Pictures ~ (July 1, 2003)

I like movies about Pirates and I had taped this movie a couple of years ago when it was shown commercial free on a TV station called PLEX but for some reason I never got around to watching it until last night and I must say that I was very impressed! The Crimson Pirate is now one of my favorite movies about Pirates and the action, fight scenes were amazing and I also loved the love story between Captain Vallo (AKA, The Crimson pirate) and Consuelo. Burt Lancaster and Nick Cravat who were both circus acrobats before getting into the movies were fantastic and the fact that they did all their own stunts was just amazing! I highly recommend this movie and I'm thinking of buying the DVD!

Watching Burt Lancaster movies in my youth made me a lover of cinema. I can watch "The Crimson Pirate" and "The Flame and the Arrow" over and over. It was interesting to see how many bits and pieces of "The Crimson Pirate" were incorporated in "Pirates of the Caribbean." This is not to take anything away from Bruckheimer and company as their final product was quite enjoyable. The fact that Lancaster and Cravat did their own stunts along with great costumes, scenery and music, this film does stand the test of time.

The term "when it was a game" often applies to baseball in the 1950's, namely the real deal. No steroids, real grass, no special effects. The same can be said of "The Crimson Pirate."

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5.0 out of 5 stars just plain fun
This film is just plain fun and entertaining- Burt Lancaster and Cravat do all therir own stunts! Any age group will enjoy.

Published on Jan 19 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Pirate comedy at it best!
Fans of Bloom and Deep's Pirates of the Caribbean, should check out pirate camp is done by the old pro Burt Lancaster. Read more

Published on Dec 15 2003 by Deborah MacGillivray

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
Simply stated: This is a classic adventure spoof. Wonderful timing both humorously and acrobatically,

Published on Dec 1 2003 by John Vecchiarelli

5.0 out of 5 stars Pseudo-Spoof, Pseudo-Swashbuckler
If Pirates of the Caribbean had been made in 1952, it would have looked like this movie.

This movie is a swashbuckling, tongue in cheek romp through the 50's typical Caribbean... Read more

Published on Sep 19 2003 by David Stapleton

5.0 out of 5 stars great pirate spoof!
This is a great pirate spoof! It's great to see a film where actors really do their own stunts- This film is just plain fun for kids and adults. I hope they do a remake!

Published on Sep 12 2003

2.0 out of 5 stars Athletics and pratfalls, but little real drama...
Yeesh! Burt Lancaster hams it up in this slapstick-heavy pirate movie, which features a ton of acrobatic schtick with him and his real-life childhood pal, Nick Cravat. Read more

Published on Sep 9 2003 by DJ Joe Sixpack

5.0 out of 5 stars The swashbucklers return!
OK, the wait is over. Finally someone has decided to bring the classic swashbucklers to the DVD medium and it is about time. Read more

Published on July 20 2003 by Daniel Waitkoss

3.0 out of 5 stars Burt Lancaster at his acrobatic best.
Burt Lancaster and Nick Cravat teamed up many times in their long careers, but never, I think, as well as in the Crimson Pirate. Read more

Published on July 17 2003 by Russell Fanelli

4.0 out of 5 stars CRIMSON LANCASTER, THRILLING PIRATE CAPER
"The Crimson Pirate" is the film that really cemented Burt Lancaster's career in Hollywood as a major player. Read more

Published on July 10 2003 by Nix Pix

5.0 out of 5 stars The Crimson Pirate
On of the best films ever, funny and lots of stunts without a stunt man for the most part, real fun!! Read more

Published on Jun 22 2002

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