MOVIES - PIRATES 1921-1925

• Buried Treasure (1921)
• Corsaro Nero, Il [aka Black Corsair, The] (1921)
• Cup of Life, The [aka Pirate, The] (1921)
• Figlio del Corsaro Nero, Il [aka Son of the Black Corsair, The] (1921)
• Figlio del Corsaro Rosso, Il [aka Son of the Red Corsair, The] (1921)
• Off-Shore Pirate, The (1921)
• Regina dei Caraibi, La [aka Queen of the Caribbean, The] (1921)
• Ultimi filibustieri, Gli [aka Last Filibusters, The] (1921)
• Wet Gold [aka Underwater Pirates] (1921)
• Captain Kidd (1922) [15-episode serial]
• Ebb Tide (1922)
• Fils du flibustier, Le [aka Son of Filibuster, The] (1922) [12-episode serial]
• Hurricane's Gal [aka Daughter of the Pirate, The] (1922)
• Moran of the Lady Letty (1922)
• Pirates of the Deep [aka Tales of the Fish Patrol #3: Pirates of the Deep] (1922)
• Rosary, The (1922)
• Saturday Morning (1922)
• Corsaro, Il [aka Corsair, The] (1923)
• Onna to kaizoku [aka Woman and the Pirate, The] (1923)
• Strandhugg pa Kavringen (1923)
• Strangers of the Night [aka Captain Applejack] (1923)
• Buccaneers, The (1924)
• Captain Blood (1924)
• Kaizokutô [aka Pirate Island] (1924)
• Lighthouse by the Sea, The (1924)
• Peter Pan (1924)
• Sea Hawk, The (1924)
• [cartoon] Captain's Kid, The (1925) [Dinky Doodle and Weakheart]
• Clothes Make the Pirate (1925)
• Night Ship, The [aka Pirate Night] (1925)
• Pietro der Korsar [aka Peter the Pirate] (1925)
• Satan's Sister (1925) 
• Sons of the Sea (1925)
• Surcouf (1925)

Buried Treasure (1921)

Director: George D. Baker

Writers: F. Britten Austin (short story) and George D. Baker (adaptation)

Cast: Marion Davies [Pauline Vandermuellen], Norman Kerry [Dr. John Grant], Anders Randolf [William Vandermuellen], Edith Shayne [Mrs. Vandermuellen], Earl Schenck [Joeffrey Vandermuellen], Thomas Findley [The Captain, as Thomas Findlay]

Storyline: Strung around the idea of reincarnation, this film goes back in time to the days of the Spanish galleons and pirates burying their treasure; treasure to be found centuries later.

[Adventure | Fantasy | Romance - Silent - Black and White - USA - Cosmopolitan Productions]

Corsaro Nero, Il [aka Black Corsair, The] (1921)

Director: Vitale Di Stefano

Writer: Vitale Di Stefano and Emilio Salgari (book)

Cast: Rodolfo Badaloni, Vitale Di Stefano, Anita Faraboni, Carlo Re, Kitty Watson                 

[78 min - Adventure - Silent - Black and White - Italy - Rosa Film]

Cup of Life, The [aka Pirate, The] (1921)

Director: Rowland V. Lee

Writers: Joseph Franklin Poland and Carey Wilson (story "Pearls and Pain")

Cast: Hobart Bosworth ['Bully' Brand], Madge Bellamy [Pain], Niles Welch [Roy Bradley or Warren Bradford], Tully Marshall [Chan Chang], Monte Collins [Larry Donovan], May Wallace [Mollie]

Storyline: Pearls, Pain, and Love in the Far East. Hobart Bosworth starred, although the movie was not one of his own productions, but produced by Thomas Ince. He played "Bully" Brand, who "defied the laws of God and Man", on board a Singapore smuggling schooner. According to Motion Picture News, "The photography is genuinely distinctive and will certainly impress everyone particularly in those scenes which have to do with pearl diving. In fact the opening shot is a thriller and suspense is real acute as Bosworth goes to the depths to kill a shark. Again the tinting of the night scene calls for praise of the highest order." Switching from adventure to melodrama, Brand refuses to sell a pearl coveted by Chang (Tully Marshall), a Chinese merchant, who wants to place it on the necklace of his adopted daughter, played by Madge Bellamy. "Would you want a white girl to marry a chink?" asks one title, with caricatured art that provides a ready answer; earlier, Polynesians had been labeled "black devils". She is named Pain, because the Chang believes, in a fatalistic philosophy, that joy is fleeting but the memory of pain endures. Brand's son Warren (Niles Welch) returns from America, where he was educated, and does not know that "Bully" is his true father and not a guardian. Warren falls in love with Pain, unaware that his father has long coveted her. He persuades his father to give him the pearl as a present, then bestows it on Pain. However, when Chang sees it on her, he misinterprets it as a sign that she has been wronged. Brand steps in to take the blame for his son in Chang's eyes, who decides a wedding must be arranged. Chang tries to avenge himself on both father and son, but ultimately Pain and Warren are united.

[Drama - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - USA - Thomas H. Ince Corporation]

Figlio del Corsaro Nero, Il [aka Son of the Black Corsair, The] (1921)

Director: Vitale Di Stefano

Writers: Emilio Salgari (novel) and Edoardo Nulli

Cast: Nera Badaloni, Rodolfo Badaloni and Riccardo Tassani 

[Adventure - Silent - Black and White - Italy – Rosa Film]

Figlio del Corsaro Rosso, Il [aka Son of the Red Corsair, The] (1921)

Director: Vitale De Stefano

Writers: Emilio Salgari (novel)

[Adventure - Silent - Black and White - Italy - Rosa Film]

Off-Shore Pirate, The (1921)

Director: Dallas M. Fitzgerald 

Writers: F. Scott Fitzgerald (short story "The Offshore Pirate") and Waldemar Young (adaptation)

Cast: Viola Dana [Ardita Farnam], Jack Mulhall [Toby Moreland], Edward Jobson [Uncle John Farnam], Edward Cecil [Ivan Nevkova]

Storyline: As summarized in a film publication, Ardita Farnam (Viola Dana), wealthy and beautiful, had a will of her own and a yacht. When her uncle (Edward Jobson) indicated that he wanted her to meet a certain man, she decided that she wanted to marry a foreigner, saying she wanted a man with a past rather than a future. Alone on her yacht one evening Ardita heard some jazz melodies floating over the waves. A good-looking man (Jack Mulhall) along with six black musicians came aboard. They tell Ardita that they have been giving a charity performance that afternoon and at the end had relieved the audience of their valuables, and now intended to use the yacht to escape. They go out to sea. Later the leader, who calls himself Curtis Caryle, is put off the yacht. Ardita feels sorry for him and follows him. Then her uncle arrives. The man explains that he is Toby Moreland, the man her uncle wanted her to meet. She says that she knew it all along and decides to marry him. Its survival status is classified as unknown, which suggests that it is a lost film.

[Comedy l Romance - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - USA - Metro Pictures Corporation]

Regina dei Caraibi, La [aka Queen of the Caribbean, The] (1921)

Director: Vitale Di Stefano

Writers: Emilio Salgari (novel) and Edoardo Nulli

Cast: La Bella Argentina and Rodolfo Badaloni

[200 min - Adventure - Silent - Black and White - Italy - Rosa Film]

Ultimi filibustieri, Gli [aka Last Filibusters, The] (1921)

Director: Vitale Di Stefano

Writers: Emilio Salgari (novel) and Edoardo Nulli

Cast: La Bella Argentina, Nera Badaloni and Riccardo Tassani

[Adventure - Silent - Black and White - Italy - Rosa Film]

Wet Gold [aka Underwater Pirates] (1921)

Director: Ralph Ince

Writer: J. Ernest Williamson (story)

Cast: Ralph Ince [John Cromwell], Aleen Burr [Grace Hamilton], Alicia Turner [Susan], Harry McNaughton ['Arry], Tom Magrane [Colonel Hamilton, as Thomas Megraine], John Butler [Chubby Madison], Charles McNaughton [James Chipman]

Storyline: John Cromwell meeting in Havana Colonel Hamilton and his daughter Grace. It has a map showing the location of a shipwreck containing a treasure and they decide to seek it together. While they are accosted by pirates, Cromwell escapes and climbs aboard their submarine. When it explodes, it releases Hamilton.

[Drama - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - USA - Submarine Film Corporation]

Captain Kidd (1922) [15-episode serial]

Directors: Burton L. King and J.P. McGowan

Writers: Anthony Coldeway (scenario) and Philip Lonergan (scenario)

Cast: Eddie Polo, Edward Davis, Katherine Myers [Louise Bradley], Leslie Casey, Sam Polo, Malvina Polo, Bradley Barker, Carl Axzelle

Storyline: Eddie Polo, formerly of Universal, starred in this action serial, the first of a planned six chapterplays for the low-budget Star Serial Corp. Unfortunately, the headstrong Polo, who also employed his brother Sam and daughter Malvina, spent a reported 300,000 dollars on Captain Kidd, a sum that the States' Rights serial could never possibly recoup. As a result, no more Eddie Polo serials were produced and the wiry star hightailed it to Europe. In Captain Kidd, Eddie played Edward Davis, whose ancestor had been betrayed by the legendary pirate. There is a buried treasure, of course, and Davis faces opposition from a greedy cousin (Leslie J. Casey) who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the fortune. Kathleen Myers, here billed for unknown reasons as Katherine Myers, played the love interest, and Captain Kidd also offered employment for Bradley Barker and future makeup artist Carl Axcelle. Chapter titles: 1. Shanghaied 2. The Pirate's Slave 3. Hidden Treasure 4. The Lost Fortune 5. The Missing Plans 6. Trapped 7. [unknown] 8. [unknown] 9. [unknown] 10. Double Crossed 11. [unknown] 12. A Fight for a Fortune 13. [unknown] 14. A Fight in Mid-Air 15. Victory and Happiness.

[200 min l 15 Episodes - Adventure - Silent - Black and White - USA - Eddie Polo Productions]

Ebb Tide (1922)

Director: George Melford

Writer: Robert Louis Stevenson (novel)

Cast: Noah Beery [Richard Attwater], Lila Lee [Ruth Attwater], James Kirkwood [Robert Herrick], Raymond Hatton [J.L. Huish], George Fawcett [Captain Davis], Jacqueline Logan [Tehura], George O'Brien [Islander (uncredited)]

Storyline: 'Ebb Tide' is based on a novel begun by Robert Louis Stevenson and completed by his stepson Lloyd Osbourne. This movie is a disguised version of '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea', with all the action set above the ocean's surface. Robert Herrick (Kirkwood) is a disgraced and dissipated Englishman who has washed up in Tahiti. Close to hand is his comrade Huish: that's not an English name, but Huish is apparently a Cockney because actor Raymond Hatton's dialogue is rendered in Alf Doolittle-style intertitles. Hoping for a meal ticket, the two of them sign aboard with drunken old Captain Davis (well played by George Fawcett). Davis is a rummy old seadog whom nobody will trust with a ship, yet for some reason he's recently been engaged to ferry a cargo of booze. Unknown to Herrick, Davis's backers are only interested in barratry. They expect the old drunk to sink the ship - a 'coffin ship' - so that they can claim an insurance loss. When Davis's incompetence threatens to scuttle the ship, Herrick's quick action manages to make the ship run aground instead... on a conveniently uncharted island. The island is run by Richard Atwater (Noah Beery), who rules the natives like a great white bwana. The natives supply him with pearls, which Atwater manages to sell for whacking huge gobs of lolly in some distant port. (How does he do this while remaining on an uncharted island?) Like Captain Nemo, this man Atwater has deliberately isolated himself from civilisation yet manages to amass a large amount of wealth. Also like Captain Nemo, when Atwater acquires some unexpected guests (Herrick and Huish) he has no intention of letting them return to civilisation. Years ago, when Atwater came to this island with his young wife and their infant daughter Ruth, his overseer tried to seduce Atwater's wife. So, Atwater killed the bloke and now he won't trust any other white man ever again. Thus, his refusal to release Herrick and Huish. Meantime, his infant daughter Ruth has grown up to be a very attractive young woman indeed. And Robert Herrick is the first white man she's clapped eyes on in years, apart from her father. Significant glances ensue in the close-ups.

[94 min - Adventure l Drama - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - USA - Paramount Pictures]

Fils du flibustier, Le [aka Son of Filibuster, The] (1922) [12-episode serial]

Director: Louis Feuillade

Writers: Louis Feuillade and Louis Cartoux (story)

Cast: Aimé Simon-Girard [Yves le Paimpolais / Jacques Lafont], Georges Biscot [Miraut le borgne / Le sergent Pacoulin], Sandra Milovanoff [Bertrande / Josette Bertrand], Derigal [Le flibustier Mathias / Le financier Malestan], Lise Jaux [La renarde / La mère de Jacques Lafont], Fernand Herrmann [Le capitaine de la Santa Cruz / Montbrun le fou], Henri-Amédée Charpentier [Le cabaretier Binic / Le docteur Perdonnel], Pierre de Canolle [Laurent le Basque], Lucien Arnaud [Corentin, as Arnaud], Laurent Morléas                     

Storyline: Lafont, who lives in an insane asylum, identifies with the characters in a story of piracy. Released, he usurps the personality of one of his comrades dead in his cell, and FIG covered with a painted mask has the same skin, decides to avenge him. It mixes the people he meets in everyday life and those of his favorite story... 1. La Flibuste, 2. Le Pavillon Noir, 3. Le Vaisseau Maudit, 4. Maman, 5. La Noce d'Anaïs, 6. La Mission d'un Fils, 7. Le Justicier, 8. La Drogue Blanche, 9. Le Passé, 10. Le Revenant de Saint Fons, 11. Le Maître Chanteur, 12. Le Testament.

[330 min l 12 Episodes - Adventure - Silent - Black and White - France - Société des Etablissements L. Gaumont]

Hurricane's Gal [aka Daughter of the Pirate, The] (1922)

Director: Allen Holubar

Writers: Max Abramson (titles), Harvey Gates (story) and Allen Holubar (adaptation)

Cast: Dorothy Phillips [Lola], Robert Ellis [Steele O'Connor], Wallace Beery [Chris Borg], James O. Barrows [Cap'n Danny], Gertrude Astor [Phyllis Fairfield], Willie Fung [Sing], Jack Donovan [Lieutenant Grant], Frances Raymond [Mrs. Fairfield]

[80 min - Adventure - Silent - Black and White - USA - Allen Holubar Pictures]

Moran of the Lady Letty (1922)

Director: George Melford

Writers: Monte M. Katterjohn (adapted by) and Frank Norris (from the novel by)

Cast: Dorothy Dalton [Moran Letty Sternersen], Charles Brinley [Captain Eilert Sternersen], Emil Jorgenson [Nels Larsen, as Emilius Jorgensen], Rudolph Valentino [Ramon Laredo], Maude Wayne [Josephine Herrick, as Maud Wayne], Walter Long [Captain 'Slippery' Kitchell], George Kuwa ['Chopstick' Charlie], Cecil Holland [Pancho], William Boyd [Ramon's Friend at Homecoming (uncredited)], Charles K. French [Tavern Owner (uncredited)], George O'Brien [Deck Hand (uncredited)], Charles Stevens [Seaman (uncredited)]

Storyline: A milquetoast young man of society toughens up once he's shanghaied and falls for the captain's tomboy daughter. Moran of the Lady Letty is a 1922 American silent adventure drama film directed by George Melford and stars Rudolph Valentino and Dorothy Dalton. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Frank Norris and was adapted for the screen by Monte Katterjohn. Stars Rudolf Valentino and Dorothy Dalton in a swashbuckler complete with pirates and shanghai-ed sailors. The opening scenes are set in Scandinavia, where a ship's captain and his daughter, Moran, are introduced. Moran, it is clear, adores her father. She has grown up on and around ships and can handle herself on the water as well as any man. Then scene then shifts to San Francisco, where a young socialite, Ramon Laredo, complains that he is tired of the same tiresome round of parties and dances. He wishes he could get away from it all. While on his way to a yachting party, he meets up with an old sailor. After talking, they repair to a saloon, where Ramon is served a Mickey Finn. After passing out, he is shanghaied aboard a nefarious pirating ship, the "Heart of China", run by Captain Kitchell, a man without principles. Though initially dismissed as a pampered weakling by the crew and captain, Ramon proves his manhood and gradually gains everyone's respect. A Scandinavian ship in distress is spotted off the bow; the pirate crew quickly move in to loot the burning ship. Most of the crew, they discover, is dead, victims of leaking coal gas. Ramon rescues one sailor, whom he carries back to the pirate ship, only to discover that "he" is a "she". It is Moran, of course, whose father has perished aboard the burning ship. Efforts to hide her identify are futile; when Captain Kitchell discovers a female is on board, it is clear that the woman's virginity is endangered. Ramon, however, is determined to protect her. Gradually, Ramon and Moran fall in love, though Moran insists at first that she has no interest in romance—she should have been born a boy, she says. After a lively battle on board the ship—crew vs. captain and his henchmen—the ship reaches the port in San Diego. Disembarking, Ramon finds himself at a high-society party attended by vacationing San Franciscans. They are delighted to see him and urge him to rejoin their company. But Ramon makes it clear that his experience of recent months has changed him, has made him a better man. Confidently, happily, he returns to the ship and to Moran's waiting arms.

[71 min - Adventure | Romance - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - USA - Famous Players-Lasky Corporation]

Pirates of the Deep [aka Tales of the Fish Patrol #3: Pirates of the Deep] (1922)

Director: Edward A. Kull

Writers: Emma Bell Clifton (scenario) and Jack London (story, 3 - A Raid on the Oyster Pirates)

Cast: Jack Mulhall [Charley Le Grant], Louise Lorraine [Mary Rebecca]

Storyline: Jack London's tales of the fish patrol. In this classic collection of stories drawn from his own experiences, the author looks back on his days as a teenager aboard the fishing boats of San Francisco Bay. In the early 1900s, men of all stripes descended on these waters to plunder its rich oyster beds. To stop the run on the waters, a patrol was established. Jack London began his youthful adventures on the wrong side of the law, as an oyster pirate. But conscience and common sense got the better of him, and at the age of 16 he became a member of the Fish Patrol. Dedicated to enforcing the many laws that were passed to protect the fish, the Fish Patrol had many death-defying encounters with the pirates. These 7 short stories, based both on Jack's experiences and those of his fellow deputies, describe these incredible encounters.

[Short l Drama - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - USA - Universal Film Manufacturing Company]

Rosary, The (1922)

Director: Jerome Storm

Writers: Bernard McConville (story) and Edward E. Rose (play)

Cast: Lewis Stone [Father Brian Kelly, as Lewis S. Stone], Jane Novak [Vera Mather], Wallace Beery [Kenwood Wright], Robert Gordon [Bruce Wilton], Eugenie Besserer [Widow Kathleen Wilson], Dore Davidson [Isaac Abrahamson], Pomeroy Cannon [Donald MacTavish], Bert Woodruff [Captain Caleb Mather], Mildred June [Alice Wilton], Harold Goodwin [Skeeters Martin]

[70 min - Drama - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - USA - Selig-Rork Productions]

Saturday Morning (1922)

Directors: Robert F. McGowan and Tom McNamara

Writers: Hal Roach (story) and H.M. Walker (titles)

Cast: Jackie  [Jackie, as Hal Roach's Rascals], Mickey Daniels [Mickey, as Hal Roach's Rascals], Jack Davis [Waldemar, as Hal Roach's Rascals], Allen 'Farina' Hoskins [Maple, as Hal Roach's Rascals], Ernest Morrison [Sorghum, as Hal Roach's Rascals], Richard Daniels [Violin Teacher (uncredited)], William Gillespie [Waldemar's Valet (uncredited)], Katherine Grant [Maid (uncredited)], Fanny Kelly [Mickey's Mother (uncredited)], Ernie Morrison Sr. [Aunty Jackson (uncredited)]

Storyline: The Rascals, feeling unloved at home, decide to become pirates. Meanwhile, a mother, an aunt and a valet join the cops in searching for the runaways. The various boys of the gang each manage to escape their responsibilities for the day, meeting up to build a raft for their pirate game. When the television rights for the original silent Pathé Our Gang comedies were sold to National Telepix and other distributors, several episodes were retitled. This film was released into television syndication as "Mischief Makers" in 1960 under the title Music Lesson. About two-thirds of the original film was included. Most of scenes from the first half of the film that showed the various gang members at home were cut; all of the original inter-titles were also cut. The film was also released for home viewing as "Hooray for Holidays".

[20 min - Short l Comedyl Family - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - USA - Hal Roach Studios]

Corsaro, Il [aka Corsair, The] (1923)

Directors: Carmine Gallone and Augusto Genina

Writers: Aldo De Benedetti (writer) and Ferdinando Paolieri (novel and screenplay)

Cast: Amleto Novelli [Il corsaro], Edy Darclea [Fiamma], Ines Giannoni [Maria], Umberto Cocchi [Rompicatena], Bonaventura Ibáñez [Paolo], Ernesto Bracci, Bruto Castellani, Enrico Monti, Fosco Risturi, Lorenzo Soderini [(as I. Soderini)], Cecyl Tryan           

[Action | Adventure - Silent - Black and White - Italy - Artisti Italiani Associati]

Onna to kaizoku [aka Woman and the Pirate, The] (1923)

Director: Hôtei Nomura

Writers: Daisuke Itô (screenplay)

Cast: Yôtarô Katsumi, Yoshiko Kawada, Sakuko Yanagi, Ryuji Ishiyama, Eiji Oshimoto, Reikichi Kawamura, Sotaro Okamoto, Eiji Takagi, Noboru Iwai, Susumu Mishima, Yasuro Shiga, Shiro Katagiri, Saburô Kojima, Jôsuke Yoshii

[Adventure - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - JAP - Shochiku Kinema (Kamata)]

Strandhugg pa Kavringen [aka Beach Relax on Kavringen] (1923)

Directors: O. Trygve Dalseg and Gunnar Nilsen-Vig

Writers: Gunnar Nilsen-Vig

Cast: Svein Lysell [Silas], Lizzie Florelius [Hans kone], Katja Wallier [en skjonne ukjente], Leif Enger [Skurken]

Storyline: The unfortunate Silas is henpecked by his wife. One day the wife sends him to buy fish. He gets money from the wife and for these and a few coins he had saved himself, he takes only a hearty dram. He must also buy the fish, otherwise venture has not come home to his wife. He decides to catch the fish himself. He borrows a boat with fishing stuff and head out to sea. Fiskelyckan fails, however, and he seeks solace in the strong drink he has with him. He falls asleep and in his dream he makes a stop at Kavringen. Treasure hunters, bloodthirsty pirates, and an unknown beauty crosses his path, but Silas ward off all dangers. All except one: His wife has been on his trail and turns suddenly. Silas adventure gets a sad end. 

[65 min - Comedy l Drama l Fantasy - Silent - Black and White - Norway - Norvegia Film-Co.]

Strangers of the Night [aka Captain Applejack] (1923)

Director: Fred Niblo

Writers: Lenore J. Coffee (uncredited), Walter C. Hackett (play), Renaud Hoffman (titles) (as Renaud), Bess Meredyth (writer) and C. Gardner Sullivan

Cast: Matt Moore [Ambrose Applejohn], Enid Bennett [Poppy Faire], Barbara La Marr [Anna Valeska], Robert McKim [Borolsky], Mathilde Brundage [Mrs. Whatcombe], Emily Fitzroy [Mrs. Pengard], Otto Hoffman [Horace Pengard], Tom Ricketts [Lush (as Thomas Ricketts)]

Storyline: Strangers of the Night is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by Fred Niblo. It was produced by Louis B. Mayer and released through Metro Pictures. It is based on a 1921 stage play, Captain Applejack, by Walter C. Hackett starring Wallace Eddinger. It was refilmed as a talkie by Warner Brothers in 1931 under the Captain Applejack title. The 1923 film is now lost.
[80 min - Comedy l Mystery - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - USA - Louis B. Mayer Productions]

Buccaneers, The (1924)

Directors: Mark Goldaine and Robert F. McGowan

Writers: Hal Roach (story) and H.M. Walker (titles)

Cast: Joe Cobb [Joe, as Hal Roach's Rascals], Jackie Condon [Jack, as Hal Roach's Rascals], Mickey Daniels [Mickey, as Hal Roach's Rascals], Allen 'Farina' Hoskins [Farina, as Hal Roach's Rascals], Mary Kornman [Mary, as Hal Roach's Rascals], Ernest Morrison [Ernie, as Hal Roach's Rascals], Andy Samuel [Andy, as Hal Roach's Rascals], Allan Cavan [Capt. Whelan], Dick Gilbert [Officer], Earl Mohan [Naval Officer], 'Tonnage' Martin Wolfkeil [Fat Sailor]

Storyline: The silent, two-reel Our Gang comedy The Buccaneers was originally released on March 9, 1924. As the film's title suggests, the gang decides to become pirates, but their jerry-built galleon sinks to the bottom of the harbor the moment it's christened with a ketchup bottle. Undaunted, the kids stow away on Captain Whelan's scow and before long find themselves on the high seas. Rescued by a passing Navy battleship, the kids are immediately put to work by the captain, who intends to discourage the youngsters from yearning for a life at sea. Although the kids manage to elude the captain and the crew, they're not so lucky when their parents catch up with them. A subplot involves the efforts by fat Joe Cobb to deliver a package of fish -- which mysteriously disappears thanks to a pack of hungry felines. An abbreviated version of The Buccaneers, retitled The Pirates, was included in theMischief Makers TV package in 1960.

[20 min - Comedy | Family | Short - Silent - Black and White - USA - Hal Roach Studios]

Captain Blood (1924)

Director: David Smith and Albert E. Smith (uncredited)

Writers: Rafael Sabatini (novel) and Jay Pilcher (scenario)

Cast: J. Warren Kerrigan [Capt. Peter Blood], Jean Paige [Arabella Bishop], Charlotte Merriam [Mary Traill], James Morrison [Jeremy Pitt], Allan Forrest [Lord Julian Wade], Bertram Grassby [Don Diego], Otis Harlan [Corliss], Jack Curtis [Wolverstone], Wilfrid North [Col. Bishop], Otto Matieson [Lord Jeffreys], Robert Bolder [Adm. van der Kuylen], Templar Saxe [Gov. Steed], Henry A. Barrows [Lord Willoughby], Boyd Irwin [Levasseur], Henry Hebert [Capt. Hobart], Miles McCarthy [Capt. Caverly], Tom McGuire [Farmer Baynes], Frank Whitson [Baron de Rivarol], Helen Howard [Mistress Baynes], Robert Milasch [Kent, as Robert Milash], William Eugene [Don Esteban], George B. Williams [Maj. Mallard, as George Williams], Omar Whitehead [Don Miguel], Muriel Paull [Mademoiselle d'Ogeron], George J. Lewis [Henri d'Ogeron], Julie Bishop [as Jacqueline Wells]

Storyline: Although the Warner Bros. version of Rafael Sabatini's novel made Errol Flynn a star in 1935, it wasn't the first time the romantic adventure was made into a film. J. Warren Kerrigan starred as Peter Blood, the physician turned pirate in this silent Vitagraph version. Peter Blood gets lumped in with a group of rebels who have plotted against King James and is sent to the island of Barbados as a slave. He is purchased, along with his friend, Jeremy Pitt (James Morrison), by Colonel Bishop (Wilfred North), at the request of his willful niece, Arabella (Jean Paige). When a Spanish ship takes over the town, Blood leads the slaves and captures the vessel. After becoming the terror of the seas (but never attacking an English ship), Blood and his men rescue Lord Wade (Allan Forrest) and Arabella from a burning ship. When William III ascends to the British throne, Blood aligns himself with the new king, defeats the French fleet and saves Port Royal. He is appointed governor of Jamaica for his heroic deeds, and finally wins the hand of Arabella.

[110 min - Adventure | Action - Silent - Black and White - USA - Vitagraph Company of America]

Kaizokutô [aka Pirate Island] (1924)

Director: Meihô Ogasawara

Cast: Aiko Takashima, Akira Oda, Yachiyo Kawai, Toshio Mazutani, Tomu Uchida, Shizue Tatsuta

[Silent - Black and White - JAP - Ogasawara Production]

Lighthouse by the Sea, The (1924)

Director: Malcolm St. Clair

Writers: Owen Davis (play) and Darryl F. Zanuck (as Gregory Rogers)

Cast: William Collier Jr. [Albert Dorn], Rin Tin Tin [Rin Tin Tin], Louise Fazenda [Flora Gale], Charles Hill Mailes [Caleb Gale], Douglas Gerrard [Edward Cavanna], Matthew Betz [Joe Dagget], Joseph W. Girard [Inspector #1, as Joseph Gerard], Frank Hagney [Chief Henchman (uncredited)], Lew Harvey [Shifty Eye (uncredited)], Texas Kid [Henchman (uncredited)]

Storyline: Action film starring Rin Tin Tin and Louise Fazenda in a rare straight role since (rumor has it) no other leading lady would work with the (rumored) foul-tempered dog (the original). Here we have a band of smugglers on the Maine coast planning a dastardly deed if they can blot out the lighthouse light. What they don't know is that the aged keeper has gone blind and his daughter (Fazenda) has been keeping things going. She is desperate to find help and is saved when a castaway (William Collier, Jr.) washes ashore whit his dog. Collier clashes with the local bully (Matthew Betz) in a series of tangles but finally gains the upper hand (with the help of Rinty) by the end of the film.
[70 min - Family l Drama - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - USA - Warner Bros.]

Peter Pan (1924)

Director: Herbert Brenon

Writers: J.M. Barrie (play) and Willis Goldbeck (screenplay)

Cast: Betty Bronson [Peter Pan], George Ali [Nana the Dog], Esther Ralston [Mrs. Darling], Cyril Chadwick [Mr. Darling], Mary Brian [Wendy Moira Angela Darling], Jack Murphy [John Napoleon Darling], Philippe De Lacy [Michael Nicholas Darling, as Philippe deLacy], Virginia Brown Faire [Tinker Bell, as Virginia Browne Faire], Anna May Wong [Tiger Lily], Maurice Murphy [Tootles], Anna May Wong [Tiger Lily], Maurice Murphy [Tootles], Mickey McBan [Slightly], George Crane Jr. [Curly], Winston Doty [First Twin], Weston Doty [Second Twin], Terence McMillan [Nibs], Ernest Torrence [Captain James Hook], Louis Morrison [Gentleman Starkey, as Lewis Morrison], Edward Kipling [Smee], Ralph Yearsley [Italian Cecco], Ed Jones [Mullins, as Ed. Jones], Percy Barbat [Noodler], Richard Frazier [Giant Blackman], Maurice de Canonge [Cookson, as Maurice Cannon], Robert Milasch [Kelt], Charles A. Stevenson [Jukes], Vondell Darr, Kit Wain [Squirrel (uncredited)]

Storyline: When Paramount bought the rights to the delightful James M. Barrie story, every actress in Hollywood wanted the role of Peter Pan, made famous on the stage by Maude Adams. Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, and even Gloria Swanson thought they were perfect for the role, but Barrie's own choice was Betty Bronson, a virtual unknown. The story is familiar to nearly everyone. When Mr. and Mrs. Darling (Cyril Chadwick and Esther Ralston) go to a party, they leave their children - Wendy (Mary Brian), Michael (Philippe de Lacey), and John (Jack Murphy) - in the care of their dog, Nana. But Peter (Bronson) shows up with the fairy, Tinker Bell (Virginia Brown Faire), and they take the children to Never Never Land. They have a series of adventures with the Lost Boys and defeat Captain Hook (Ernest Torrence) and his band of pirates. Finally, the children return home to Mrs. Darling, who is overjoyed to have them back. She adopts the Lost Boys and offers to take Peter in too, but he refuses to grow up and flies away after promising to visit Wendy every year. An interesting side note - although she had no involvement in casting Brian as Wendy, Ralston had discovered her a couple of years earlier while judging a beauty contest.

[105 min - Adventure | Fantasy | Family - Silent - Black and White - USA - Famous Players-Lasky Corporation]

   

  

  

  

Sea Hawk, The (1924)

Director: Frank Lloyd

Writers: Rafael Sabatini (novel), J.G. Hawks (adapted for the screen) and Walter Anthony (titles)

Cast: Milton Sills [Sir Oliver Tressilian], Enid Bennett [Lady Rosamund Godolphin], Lloyd Hughes [Lionel Tressilian], Wallace Beery [Capt. Jasper Leigh], Marc McDermott [Sir John Killigrew, as Marc MacDermott], Wallace MacDonald [Peter Godolphin], Bert Woodruff [Nick], Claire Du Brey [Siren], Lionel Belmore [Justice Anthony Baine], Christina Montt [The Infanta of Spain, as Christine Montt], Albert Prisco [Yusuf-Ben-Moktar], Frank Currier [Asad-ed-Din - Basha of Algiers], William Collier Jr. [Marsak], Medea Radzina [Fenzileh], Fred DeSilva [Ali, as Fred De Silva], Kathleen Key [Andalusian Slave Girl], Hector V. Sarno [Tsmanni], Robert Bolder [Ayoub], Fred Spencer [Boatswain], Henry A. Barrows [Bishop (uncredited)], Edwards Davis [Chief Justice of England (uncredited)], Al J. Jennings [Captain of Asad's Guards (uncredited)], Andrew Johnston [Sir Walter (uncredited)], Theodore Lorch [Turkish Merchant (uncredited)], Louis Morrison [Innkeeper (uncredited)], George O'Brien [Galley Slave (uncredited)], Kate Price [Innkeeper's Wife (uncredited)], George Romain [Spanish Commander (uncredited)], Walter Wilkinson [Oliver's Young Son (uncredited)], Nancy Zann [Spanish Slave Girl (uncredited)]

Storyline: The adventures of Oliver Tressilian, who goes from English gentry to galley slave to captain of a Moorish fighting ship.  Closely follows the Sabatini novel of the same name. This 12-reel silent adaptation of The Sea Hawk is far more faithful to the Rafael Sabatini original than the 1940 Errol Flynn version. Milton Sills stars as Sir Oliver Tressilien, a wealthy English baronet who is framed for the murder of his fiancée's brother. The instigator of this outrage is Sir Tressilien's covetous half brother, who also arranges for Tressilien to be shanghaied and carried off to sea. When his ship is attacked by Spaniards, Tressilien is put to work as a galley slave. Escaping, he becomes the leader of a gang of Moorish pirates. Despite his now-fearsome reputation, Tressilien is able to win back the love of his fiancée, Lady Rosamund Godolphin (Enid Bennett), who has been compelled to marry his half brother. A thrilling climactic duel to the death brings this sure-fire audience pleaser to a rousing conclusion. The Sea Hawk may well be the best film ever made by the popular Milton Sills.

[123 min - Adventure | Drama | Romance - Silent - Black and White - USA - Frank Lloyd Productions]

  

 

[cartoon] Captain's Kid, The (1925) [Dinky Doodle and Weakheart]

Director: Walter Lantz

Writer: Walter Lantz

Storyline: Dinky Doodle and his dog Weakheart fight a pirate.

[8 min - Animation | Short | Comedy - Silent - Black and White - USA - J.R. Bray Studios, Standard Photoplay Company]

Clothes Make the Pirate (1925)

Director: Maurice Tourneur

Writers: Holman Francis Day (novel) and Marion Fairfax (adaptation and screenplay)

Cast: Leon Errol [Tremble-at-Evil Tidd], Dorothy Gish [Betsy Tidd], Nita Naldi [Madame De La Tour], George F. Marion [Jennison], Tully Marshall [Scute], Frank Lawlor [Crabb], Edna Murphy [Nancy Downs], James Rennie [Lieutenant Cavendish], Walter Law [Dixie Bull], Reginald Barlow [Captain Montague]

Storyline: After his impressive screen debut in Sally, stage comedian Leon Errol became a full-fledged film star with this picture, set in New England's colonial days. Tidd (Errol) is a henpecked tailor who secretly dreams of being a pirate. In fact, he even makes himself a pirate costume, which unnerves his wife, Betsy (Dorothy Gish). He winds up hiding in a small boat, where he is found by a rough crew and mistaken for notorious pirate chief Dixie Bull. He is taken on board where he gets to live out his dreams. Betsy and Tidd's niece, Nancy Downs (Edna Murphy), board the Frolic in their search for Tidd, and their vessel gets in a battle with the pirate ship. Tidd wins and demands that the women be handed over - of course, they are Betsy, Nancy, and a vamp, Madame LaTour (Nita Naldi). Tidd finally comes face-to-face with the real Dixie Bull (Walter Law) and he agrees to a duel. When Bull trips and falls, Tidd leaps on him and declares himself the victor. The truth is he is more than happy to go back to his normal, bland life, with one change - now he can order his wife around. Dorothy Gish's then-husband, James Rennie, has a supporting role as Nancy's sweetheart.

[90 min - Adventure - Silent - Black and White - USA - Sam E. Rork Productions]

Night Ship, The [aka Pirate Night] (1925)

Director: Henry McCarty

Writers: Henry McCarty (screenplay) and Henry McCarty (story)

Cast: Mary Carr [Martha Randall], Tom Santschi [Captain Jed Hobbs], Robert Gordon [Bob Randall], Margaret Fielding [Elizabeth Hobbs], Charles Sellon [Jimson Weed, as Charles A. Sellon], Willis Marks [David Brooks], Charles W. Mack [Eli Stubbs], Mary McLain [Jamet Hobbs, as Mary McLane], L.J. O'Connor [Cassidy], Julian Rivero [Pedro Lopez]

Storyline: After being marooned in the South Seas for six years, Bob Randall (R. Gordon) returns to his home in Faith Harbor, Maine. He discovers that his sweetheart has married Jed Hobbs (T. Santschi), a villainous sea captain, and that his mother, dispossessed of her home by Hobbs, has met an early death. Bob vows revenge, finds Hobbs at the village inn, and floors him in a fight. In the company of Jimson Weed (C. Sellon), a new-found friend, Bob boards Hobbs's boat, hoping to prove him guilty of smuggling contraband. Bob and Jimson discover a load of guns and gunpowder bound for Central America and capture the members of the crew one by one. Hobbs at first eludes capture, but when he is cornered by Bob, he drops a lighted match into the powder hold. The ship is destroyed in the resulting explosion, but Hobbs alone is killed. Bob is then reunited with his former sweetheart, who is now free to marry him.

[Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - USA - Gotham Productions]

Pietro der Korsar [aka Peter the Pirate] (1925)

Director: Arthur Robison

Writers: Arthur Robison and Wilhelm Hegeler (novel)

Cast: Paul Richter [Pietro], Aud Egede Nissen [Juana], Rudolf Klein-Rogge [Salvatore, ein Korsarhauptmann], Fritz Richard [Paulo, Pietros Vater], Frida Richard [Guilia, Paulos Frau], Walter von Allwoerden [Tomaso, Pietros Bruder], Lilian Stevens [Nina], Robert Garrison [Ruffio], Jakob Tiedtke [Piombolo], Georg John [Beppo], Lydia Potechina [Marcella], Edith Edwards

Storyline: Pietro, son of an oil trader on the Italian coast would, like a corsair. He constantly observed their castle on a barrier island. As a corsair of his father, coat house, Pietro overwhelmed this. The Corsair can escape. From this point, fear Pietro and his family the vengeance of the Corsairs. However, it is taken up by Salvatore, who owes his life Pietro, at the Corsairs. These he must submit their strict rules. Salvatore rises during its on to their leader. Salvatore is seriously injured a merchant ship when capers. He is brought into the house of a doctor. There he falls in love with his daughter Juana. He takes her to his castle. After a short time she has made to Salvatore weakling. Their interest is only Pietro, it creates hatred and mistrust between Salvatore and Pietro. A knife fight should decide. Salvatore is this shot by an invading mercenary and Juana arises between the weapon and Pietro to atone for their guilt.

[107 min - Silent - Black and White - Germany - Universum Film (UFA)]

  

Satan's Sister (1925)

Director: George Pearson

Writers: George Pearson and Henry De Vere Stacpoole (novel "Satan")

Cast: Betty Balfour [Jude Tyler], Guy Phillips [Satan Tyler], Philip Stevens [Bobbie Ratcliffe], James Carew [Tyler], Frank Stanmore [Cleary], Caleb Porter [Carquinez], Frank Perfitt [Sellers], Jeff Barlow [Bones]

Storyline: In the Antilles, old Tyler finds a treasure map and sets sail with his ship, the Sarah Tyler, and its crew composed of only two children: Satan and Jude. Three months later, Cleary, a buccaneer, learns that Tyler died and the two kids are in Bridgetown trying to fix the ship. One of Cleary's associates, Carquinez tries to fight Jude for the map but she is rescued by Sidney Radcliffe who stays on board to protect them. When Satan, Jude and Sidney reach the shores of the treasure island with Carquinez and Cleary's ships, Satan pretends he will let the two pirates have the treasure in exchange for a thousand dollars because he found out there is no treasure to begin with. Meanwhile Jude and Sidney have fallen in love and plan to marry.

[Adventure - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - UK - B.W.P. Films]

Sons of the Sea (1925)

Director: H. Bruce Woolfe

Cast: D.C. Kenerdine [Derek Bray], E. Godfrey [Bill Martin], Dorothy Barclay [Diana]

Storyline: A rich boy and a gardener's son join the navy in 1914 and later save a girl from Mediterranean bandits.

[Adventure - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - UK - British Instructional Films (BIF)]

Surcouf (1925)

Director: Luitz-Morat

Writer: Arthur Bernède, Charles Cunat (novel)

Cast: Jean Angelo [Robert Surcouf], María Dalbaicín [Madiana], Thomy Bourdelle [Marcof], Pierre Hot [Dutertre], Jacqueline Blanc [Marie-Catherine], Johanna Sutter [Tagore], Antonin Artaud [Jacques Morel, un traitre], Louis Monfils [Commodore Rewington], Daniel Mendaille [Bruce], Émilie Prévost [Madame Surcouf], Émile Keppens [Le père Surcouf], Georgette Sorelle [Lady Bruce], Alexandre Arnaudy [Le père Monnier], Pierre Arnaudy [Surcouf enfant, as Le petit Arnaudy], Engeldorff, Alexis Ghasne [Le Gouverneur], Mario Nasthasio, Jean Peyrière [William Pitt], Marthe Vinot           

Storyline: Surcouf, deutsch: Surcouf, der König der schwarzen Flagge. French silent film from 1924, first performed in 1925, about the life of Robert Surcouf Corsairs of Luitz-Morat. Robert Surcouf (1773–1827) was a French privateer who operated in the Indian Ocean between 1789 and 1801, and again from 1807 to 1808, capturing over 40 prizes, while amassing a large fortune as a ship-owner, both from privateering and from commerce for a time. Robert Surcouf - The famous French corsair and Armator period of the Napoleonic Wars. Captured 47 English, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish ships, earned the nickname King of Corsairs (fr. Roi des Corsaires). For successful actions against British merchant shipping Napoleon awarded him the title of baron and the Order of the Legion of Honor. After completing a career Corsair squadron became the owner of privateering ships. French navy to this day retains the tradition of calling one of the warships named Surcouf.

[Adventure - French - Silent - Black and White - 1.33 : 1 - France - Société des Cinéromans]