Blackbeard the Pirate

Blackbeard the Pirate

DVD Cover for French film version
Directed by Raoul Walsh
Produced by Edmund Grainger
Written by DeVallon Scott
Screenplay by Alan Le May
Starring Robert Newton
Linda Darnell
William Bendix
Keith Andes
Torin Thatcher
Music by Victor Young
Cinematography William E. Snyder
Edited by Ralph Dawson
Distributed by RKO
Release dates
  • 24 December 1952 (1952-12-24) (Premiere-Los Angeles)[1]
  • 25 December 1952 (1952-12-25) (US)[1]
Running time
 99 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $1.25 million (US)[2]

Blackbeard the Pirate is a 1952 Technicolor adventure film made by RKO. The film was directed by Raoul Walsh and produced by Edmund Grainger from a screenplay by Alan Le May based on the story by DeVallon Scott.

Plot

Robert Newton and Linda Darnell in Blackbeard the Pirate

The film follows British Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard (Keith Andes), who sets out to earn a reward by proving that privateer Henry Morgan (Torin Thatcher) also engages in piracy.

Maynard poses as a surgeon on board the ship of pirate Charles Bellamy, who he believes is in league with Morgan. Once Maynard and fellow spy Briggs come on board, they discover that the pirate Blackbeard has murdered Bellamy and taken over as captain.

Also on board is Edwina Mansfield, a pirate's daughter,who was going to marry Bellamy. Blackbeard knows that Morgan loves Mansfield and will persue her.

Blackbeard orders Maynard to remove a bullet from his neck, and demands sailor Gilly watch him. Gilly slips Maynard a note begging him to slit the pirate's throat, but Maynard declines.

Maynard slips into the Blackbeard's quarters and finds Bellamy's logbook, which he hopes will contain evidence that Bellamy gave Morgan stolen goods.

Maynard then defends Edwina against the unwanted advances of a lecherous pirate, killing him with his dagger. She tells Maynard that she agreed to marry Bellamy to escape from Morgan, from whom she has stolen treasure, which is now hidden in a clothes chest.

Blackbeard breaks open one of Edwinas chests but discovers only letters in which Edwina implicates Morgan as Bellamy's ally. Maynard tries to steal the letter, but Blackbeard stops him, noting that if Morgan were arrested, all of his loot would go to the King.

Blackbeard finally identifies the treasure chest and claims it.

Cast

Production

The film was based on an original story by by De Vallon Scott. It was on the schedule at RKO for 16 months before being taken over by producer Edmund Grainger for his independent unit. It originally conceived as a vehicle for Faith Domergue. It was going to be filmed under the title Buccaneer Empire by director Robert Stevenson.[3][4][5] Several months later RKO announced the lead would be played by Robert Newton, who had just enjoyed success playing Long John Silver in Treasure Island (1950).[6] Production took a while to begin; for a time it seemed Newton night be replaced by Charles Laughton.[7] Alan Le May was hired to rewrite the script shortly before filming began on 15 May 1952.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Blackbeard the Pirate: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
  2. ↑ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1953', Variety, 13 January 1954
  3. ↑ Brady, Thomas F. "Ballerina will do role for Goldwyn". The New York Times, 14 November 1950, p. 38
  4. ↑ Brady, Thomas F. (29 Dec 1950). "R. K. O. TO DO FILM OF OLD CRIME PLAY: Studio Will Remake 'Racket,' Bartlett Cormack's '27 Hit, With Robert Ryan in Cast". p. 15.
  5. ↑ Weiler, A.H. (24 Dec 1950). "BY WAY OF REPORT: Kaye and Disney Consider A Proposal--Addenda". New York Times. p. 43.
  6. ↑ .Schallert, Edwin (27 Feb 1951). "Drama: Robert Newton to Play Blackbeard; 'Bickersons' Video Show Likely Film". Los Angeles Times. p. 17.
  7. ↑ Pryor, Thomas M (1 Jan 1952). "MOVIE ON FIGHTING TO BEGIN ON COAST: Jack Broder Will Screen 'Kid Monk Baroni' -- Its Author to Share in Picture's Profits". New York Times. p. 21.
  8. ↑ Pryor, Thomas (10 April 1952). "SCREEN EXTRAS WIN GENERAL WAGE RISE: Increase Retroactive to Oct. 25 -- Contract, Based on Cost of Living, Runs Until 1958". New York Times. p. 37.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Blackbeard the Pirate (1952 film).
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.