Thanks for the memories!

Excellent but underrated film

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Having been largely unimpressed by the same director's just-viewed THE LADY AND THE BANDIT (1951), with which it shares stars Louis Hayward and Patricia Medina, I was not exactly enthused by the prospect of watching this – even if its predecessor, FORTUNES OF CAPTAIN BLOOD (1950), had emerged a pleasant surprise; as it turned out, I found myself in agreement with George R. Reis of "DVD Drive-in" who opined that it was actually superior to the 'original' (with which it was paired as an unlikely "Midnite Movie" release!).Ironically, while the first film (not counting, of course, the unavailable 1924 and the popular 1935 versions) was based on novelist Rafael Sabatini's third adventure featuring the protagonist, this cinematic follow-up is ostensibly an adaptation of the literary tale that preceded it! Anyway, Blood has not only married Isabella (the odd diminutive has been sensibly dropped here) but he has given up piracy and returned to medical practice; still, when we first see him, he is aiding escaped black slaves and, before long, he is dragged back (when a buccaneer takes to impersonating him!) to the sea and the raiding of merchant ships. At one point, Medina tries to intercede on his behalf at court by recounting Blood's earlier enslavement and escape to a life of piracy – illustrated on screen via black-and-white footage from FORTUNES… which, as I said before, had shown Hayward already an established buccaneer!The busy plot has the hero locking horns with several equally dangerous and untrustworthy figures: a nobleman (John Sutton) with the unfortunate name of Hilary, a trio(!) of other pirate leaders (including Ted de Corsia), and even a heavy-set female innkeeper! Other characters to be featured here are Viceroy Ian Wolfe and, as Medina's gullible uncle, Maltese character actor Sandro Giglio. As for Blood's band of 'merrie men', they seem largely a different bunch than the ones seen in the previous effort(!) – apart from the bearers of the distinctive nationalities I singled out in that film's review. Thankfully, unlike in his previous effort, Blood is only very briefly (and unsuccessfully) tempted by another exotic girl but has to contend instead with Sutton's unrequited attentions to Medina herself!While, as also mentioned earlier, the colour adds much to the appeal of the movie, it is definitively given an extra edge by full-blooded (pardon the pun) action scenes, especially the ingenious climax as Blood (Hayward having, by now, grown nicely into the part) feigns a defective defense strategy by allowing a number of cannons to be destroyed (while concealing a set of reserves under bushes) and even has his own ship scuttled, so that an approaching enemy vessel ends up wrecked upon its submerged remains! While I will be complementing these two Louis Hayward vehicles with the "Euro-Cult" venture THE SON OF CAPTAIN BLOOD (1962) – starring Errol's real-life offspring, Sean Flynn, no less – I should also point out that I have three more Sabatini-related titles in my unwatched pile, namely the 1924 version of THE SEA HAWK, 1926's BARDELYS THE MAGNIFICENT and the British-made THE PRISONER OF CORBAL, dating from 1936...

LOUIS HAYWARD was born to play the lead in swashbuckler movies like this one; and 60 years ago when he did movies in modern clothes the public wished he was in a movie like this one.A well made action adventure which relies heavily on character and story -- and less on today's annoying jump-around camera "work" and editing -- without the silliness of Jerry Bruckheimer and Johnny Depp -- this was what pirate movies were all about.One thing about CAPTAIN PIRATE is the slavery thing which is not the main focus but is a vital part of the story. The slaves were in Jamaica, and in Martinique, and Santo Domingo, and a lot of other places. England, Spain, Netherlands, France; they all enjoyed the benefits of "live gold" -- but kept their slaves out-of-sight in the Caribbean (and other places). America was the country that ENDED slavery; but all the same we hear bellyaching about it 150 years later -- not just from Blacks but from white liberals and their endless hand-wringing "White Guilt" -- even though nobody's been a slave or owned a slave in a century-and-a-half. Captain Blood did NOT like slavery -- most particularly since he was an ex-slave (oh, yes; white slaves too).This fine movie, as well as the earlier "Fortunes of Captain Blood" are available on DVD. I recommend both. Or either.

"Captain Pirate" qualifies as a mediocre 85-minute sequel of sorts to actor Louis Hayward's earlier epic "Fortunes of Captain Blood." Not surprisingly, since this studio-bound Columbia Pictures release is based on Rafael Sabatini's swashbuckling novel "Captain Blood Returns," Hayward reprises his role as heroic Captain Peter Blood. The South African native is serviceable enough as Blood, but he lacks the charisma that Errol Flynn brought to the role in the 1935 Warner Brothers picture "Captain Blood." "Lady in the Iron Mask" director Ralph Murphy establishes the setting of "Captain Pirate" with a map of the island of Jamaica behind the opening title credits. As this yarn unwinds, Blood is providing free-of-charge medical attention to a couple of escaped Negro slaves. Blood's nervous pal Angus McVickers (Charles Irwin of "Bomba on Panther Island") warns him that the government has the right to hang him for such treasonable acts. History wise, at the time that this tale takes place, the English were at war with the French. Jamaican authorities arrive at Blood's house and arrest him on charges of piracy for the bloody plunder of Cartagena, a seaport on the northwestern side of Columbia on the Caribbean coast. Everybody recognized Blood from his distinctive blue and silver outfit. Spanish officials are especially upset with Blood because Cartagena is a Spanish port and Spain is one of the Crown's allies. Blood's fiancée Dona Isabella (British actress Patricia Medina of "Botany Bay") is flabbergasted by this turn of events. She rushes to the governor's office and defends Blood. Like the previous Captain Blood movie, this one includes Blood's back story as an imprisoned British subject and his subsequent pardon. Although cinematographer Charles Lawton, Jr. of "The Black Arrow" lensed "Captain Pirate" in color, the flashbacks that accompany Medina's expository dialogue about her future husband consist of black and white footage lifted directly from "Fortunes of Captain Blood." Dona Isabella suspects that Hilary Evans (John Sutton of "Thief of Damascus") of the Royal Africa Company that has a profitable business in slave trading may be behind this ruse to discredit Blood. Later, after she visits briefly with Blood, she sends Angus out to round up Blood's old crew. This brief recruitment episode is presented as a montage with music instead of dialogue. Isabella meets with Hilary once more before he sets sail. Ostensibly, she shows up to apologize for her defiant behavior at the governor's office, but she comes on board largely to distract Hilary so that Blood's men can free their leader. As a result, British authorities later clap Isabella in irons herself and imprison her for her treachery. "Captain Pirate" is one of those buccaneer movies where the hero's reputation is tarnished, and he has to find the rogue who has made his life a nightmare in order to clear his name.Like Medina, several of these thespians appeared earlier in "Fortunes of Captain Blood." While they play essentially the same characters, Medina's Dona Isabella here differs enough from her role as Isabelita Sotomayor in "Fortunes of Captain Blood" that she must have been playing a different character. Altogether this low-budget movie ranks as just another predictable, uninspired, though slightly more complicated pirate saga, bolstered somewhat by Hayward's agreeable performance. Like "Fortunes of Captain Blood," "Captain Pirate" features a surprise scene toward the end where the good guy pirates turn the tables on the bad guy pirates and pay them back in spades. Veteran villain Ted de Corsia of "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" has a brief role as a slimy pirate who crosses swords with our hero.The best line of dialogue has Hayward defending his actions to his future wife. He says, "A man cannot live like a man without making enemies."

One shouldnt miss this or its kind, because it's a pirate film we have very few of them these days,and if any,they are so bad as Cutthroat Island. I dont remember very well,but its a well made program picture,and much fun to see.