Film pirates lend pizazz

Hollywood's buccaneers are models for fledgling swashbucklers seeking a style.

By Steve Persall, Times Film Critic
Published January 24, 2008

Do you know why pirate movies are so popular?

Because they're all rated "arrrh."

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Just the way moviegoers can't resist sailing over bounding seas with dashing swashbucklers, mateys they command and wenches they romance.

If you're seeking Gasparilla costuming ideas or salty lines to swap over your grog, a little research on the best pirate movies ever will help.

We're sticking with classic pirate-themed flicks, not movies such as The Goonies and The Princess Bride, which use buccaneers as plot props, or something like Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, which happens to occur at sea. - So, shiver your timbers and check your favorite video outlet for these Gasparilla inspirations:

Against All Flags (1952) - Errol Flynn's jaunty athleticism highlights this swashbuckler, although Maureen O'Hara in her prime as a saucy buccaneer isn't shabby. Toss in Anthony Quinn as Flynn's rival for her affections and the Technicolor sparks fly.

The Black Pirate (1926) - Purists prefer the silent film exploits of Douglas Fairbanks Sr., especially this one's head-shaking swordfight centerpiece. Fairbanks didn't do all of his own stunts, but several were copied decades later by Capt. Jack Sparrow.

The Buccaneer (1938) - Cecil B. DeMille's black-and-white saga of Jean Lafitte (Frederic March) aiding the United States during the War of 1812 is a classic. Twenty years later, Anthony Quinn's only directing job was remaking this film in color, with Yul Brynner as Lafitte and DeMille supervising behind the scenes.

Captain Blood (1935) - The blueprint for every pirate movie since. Flynn plays Peter Blood, a deported Irishman who vows revenge against England alongside a French buccaneer (Basil Rathbone). Nominated for five Academy Awards including best picture and director (Michael Curtiz, Casablanca).

The Crimson Pirate (1952) - Burt Lancaster does all of his remarkably acrobatic stunts in this frisky spoof of pirate movie cliches. The plot is negligible amid such silly exuberance. Lancaster's toothy laughter became the source for impressionists forever.

Nate and Hayes (1983) - One of the few post-Technicolor pirate films that matters. Tommy Lee Jones (was he ever this youthful?) plays Bully Hayes, a condemned pirate who flashes back to the adventure that led him to death row. The action is bloodier than most swashbucklers, and Jones seldom appears so ingratiating onscreen.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) - From his entrance aboard a sinking ship to the end of the world in part 3, Johnny Depp's Capt. Jack Sparrow is a terrific film pirate. Supernatural elements aside, Flynn, the Fairbankses and Burt Lancaster would approve.

The Sea Hawk (1940) - Flynn and Curtiz reunite for another exciting voyage; a chivalrous pirate raiding Spanish ships falls so hard for a princess (Brenda Marshall) that he returns her stolen booty.

Sinbad the Sailor (1947) - Douglas Fairbanks (Jr. this time) plays the Arabian Nights hero seeking the lost treasures of Alexander the Great. Maureen O'Hara, whose red hair looks Technicolor ravishing, co-stars alongside sleazy Walter Slezak as an evil emir.

Treasure Island (1950) - Robert Newton wasn't as nimble as Flynn or as athletic as Lancaster, but his portrayal of Long John Silver is perfection down to the peg leg. Robert Louis Stevenson's tale has been filmed more than a dozen ways, including in outer space and with Muppets. This is the best.

Steve Persall can be reached at persall@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8365. Read his blog at www.tampabay.com/movies.

Information from the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) and Rob Ossian's Pirate Cove (www.thepirateking.com/movies) was used in this report.

[Last modified January 22, 2008, 17:00:30]