MOVIES - PIRATES 1945-1946

• Captain Kidd (1945)

• [cartoon] Mighty Mouse and the Pirates (1945) [Terrytoons Theatrical Shorts 17]

• Spanish Main, The (1945)

• Pyatnadtsatiletniy kapitan [aka Captain at Fifteen] (1946)

• Three Little Pirates (1946)
• Two Years Before the Mast (1946)

Captain Kidd (1945)

Director: Rowland V. Lee

Writers: Robert N. Lee (story) and Norman Reilly Raine

Cast: Charles Laughton [Capt. William Kidd], Randolph Scott [Adam Mercy / Adam Blayne], Barbara Britton [Lady Anne Dunstan], John Carradine [Orange Povey], Gilbert Roland [Jose Lorenzo], John Qualen [Bart Blivens], Sheldon Leonard [Cyprian Boyle], William Farnum [Capt. Rawson], Henry Daniell [King William III], Reginald Owen [Cary Shadwell]

Storyline: In 1699, pirate William Kidd (Charles Laughton) loots and destroys the London galleon The Twelve Apostles. He and three confederates bury the stolen treasure on a remote island. He presents himself at the court of King William III (Henry Daniell) as an honest shipmaster seeking a royal commission as a privateer after striking his colors to a pirate. The king is persuaded that the captain of The Twelves Apostles is a pirate who has disappeared with its treasure and grants the commission. Kidd recruits a crew from condemned pirates in Newgate and Marshalsea prisons, promising them a royal pardon at the end of their voyage. Among them is the quarrelsome though cultured Adam Mercy (Randolph Scott), whom Kidd makes his new master gunner because of his claimed prior service with pirate Captain Avery. The King sends Kidd and his ship the Adventure Galley to the waters near Madagascar (where The Twelve Apostles met its fate) to rendezvous with the ship Quedagh Merchant and provide an escort back to England. The Quedagh Merchant carries Lord Fallsworth (an uncredited Lumsden Hare), the King's ambassador to the Grand Mughal, his daughter Lady Anne Dunstan (Barbara Britton), and a chest of treasure - a present from the Indian potentate to King William. Kidd's murderous plan quickly unfolds. His story about a pirate he fought recently in the waters nearby persuades Lord Fallsworth to switch ships with his daughter and the precious cargo. Meanwhile, Kidd's navigator Jose Lorenzo (Gilbert Roland) lights a candle in the ship's magazine. Just as the transfer takes place, the Quedagh Merchant blows up. Kidd also arranges a fatal "accident" for Lord Fallsworth, leaving only a frightened Lady Anne. She turns to the only man she thinks she can trust, Shadwell (Reginald Owen), Kidd's servant. When she mentions in passing the recent battle with pirates, the honest Shadwell tells her it never happened. He advises the woman to put her faith in Adam Mercy. On the voyage home, Kidd schemes to rid himself of his three close associates (to avoid sharing the booty) and Mercy, whom he rightly suspects. Mercy is really the vengeance-seeking son of Admiral Lord Blayne, the slandered captain of The Twelve Apostles. When a smitten Lorenzo tries to force himself on Lady Anne, Kidd is delighted when Mercy engages him in a sword fight. Lorenzo is driven overboard to drown. However, during the fight, Mercy's medallion is torn from his neck. Kidd finds it and recognizes the Blayne family crest. Kidd drops anchor at a lagoon. He, Orange Povey (John Carradine), his only surviving confederate (who had the foresight to prepare an incriminating letter to be sent if he should die), and Mercy go ashore and dig up the loot from The Twelve Apostles. When Mercy sees the Blayne crest, a fight breaks out. Outnumbered, Mercy is knocked unconscious, falls into the water, and does not resurface. However, he is not dead. He swims secretly back to the ship. Mercy and a loyal crewman (John Qualen) row Lady Anne away in the ship's jolly boat, but are spotted. Despite Shadwell's heroic, if fatal, attempt to interfere, the boat is blown up. Believing himself safe, Kidd appears before King William with his treasure and claims his reward (Lord Blayne's aristocratic title and estate). However, Mercy and Lady Anne have survived and preceded him to court. The King's men have found the booty looted from The Twelve Apostles after searching Kidd's cabin. Kidd is tried, condemned, and hanged. The film contains much historically incorrect material, including a London scene showing Tower Bridge - two hundred years before it was built. Kidd's London prisoner crew was removed before it sailed from England and Kidd was forced to find a new crew in New York City. Kidd returned to New York, not to London. [Wikipedia]

[90 min - Action | Drama | Adventure - English - Black and White - 1.37 : 1 - USA - Benedict Bogeaus Production (as Miracle Productions) and Captain Kidd Productions Inc.]

[cartoon] Mighty Mouse and the Pirates (1945) [Terrytoons Theatrical Shorts 17]

Director: Mannie Davis and Connie Rasinski

Writer: John Foster

Cartoon characters: Mighty Mouse, Pirates and Princess

Storyline: A pirate cat has his eyes set on a beautiful island mouse princess. He and his fellow pirates kidnap the beautiful girl. When singing cat pirates decide to kill all the mice on board for the buried treasure, the natives call to Mighty Mouse for help. Singing his way from the skies, Mighty Mouse flies to the pirate ship, fights buccaneers to the death, and saves the young beauty. He returns her to her people, to their thunderous applause. Lots of opera singing in this one. [Wikia]

[6 min - Animation | Short - English - Color (Technicolor) - USA - TerryToon Cartoons]

 

Spanish Main, The (1945)

Director: Frank Borzage

Writers: George Worthing Yates (screenplay), Herman J. Mankiewicz (screenplay) and Æneas MacKenzie (original story, as Aeneas MacKenzie)

Cast: Paul Henreid [Capt. Laurent Van Horn], Maureen O'Hara [Contessa Francesca], Walter Slezak [Don Juan Alvarado], Binnie Barnes [Anne Bonney], John Emery [Mario Du Billar], Barton MacLane [Capt. Benjamin Black], J.M. Kerrigan [Pillery Gow], Fritz Leiber [Bishop], Nancy Gates [Lupita], Jack La Rue [Lt. Escobar, as Jack LaRue]

Storyline: Dutch sea captain Laurent van Horn (Paul Henreid) is shipwrecked off the coast of the Spanish settlement of Cartagena. After being held and sentenced to death, van Horn and his crew manage to escape. Five years later, van Horn has established himself as the mysterious pirate known only by the name of his ship: The Barracuda. After infiltrating the vessel ferrying her to her wedding, they capture Francisca Alvarado (Maureen O'Hara) who has been arranged to marry the corrupt governor (Walter Slezak). Wishing to avoid further bloodshed aboard the escort ship, Francisca offers to marry van Horn if he will spare the escort, to which he agrees. Over time Francisca and van Horn become attracted to each other and set out to defeat the villainous governor Don Juan Alvarado and treacherous pirates Du Billar (John Emery) and Capt. Black (Barton MacLane). [Wikipedia]

[100 min - Adventure | Drama | Romance - English - Color (Technicolor) - 1.37 : 1 - USA - RKO Radio Pictures]

  

Pyatnadtsatiletniy kapitan [aka Fifteen-Year-Old Captain] (1946)

Director: Vasili Zhuravlyov

Writers: Jules Verne (novel), Georgiy Grebner and V. Juravayev

Cast: Vsevolod Larionov [Master Dick Sand], Yelena Izmailova [Mrs. Weldon], Mikhail Astangov [Sebastian Pereira, alias Negoro], Weyland Rodd [Hercules, sailor, as Veiland Rodd], Azharik Messerer [Jackie Weldon], Koretti Arletits [Nan], Aleksandr Khvylya [Whaler Captain Hull, as A. Khvyla], Viktor Kulakov [Arthur Garris], Osip Abdulov [Jose Antonio Alvarez], Sergei Tsenin [L.T. Worby, shipping agent], Ivan Bobrov [King Muani-Lung, as I. Bobrov], Aram Kuk [Thomas], Pavel Sukhanov [Cousin Benedict]

Storyline: Fifteen-Dick Sand, an orphan boy 'whaling ship "Pilgrim" was not an experienced sailor for years, "right hand" Captain Gul. In pursuit of the unexpected was the course of the vessel desirable prey - large baleen whales - Captain Hull and all the most experienced of the team dies. Dick takes over as captain. Because of the betrayal ship cook Negoro instead of America ship sails to the coast of Angola, where the ship washed ashore. Dick Sand and his friends have to come to grips with a gang of villainous slave, to save the crew and passengers, as well as to avenge the villains. [Barra]

[83 min - Adventure - Russian - Soviet Union - Soyuzdetfilm]

 

 

Three Little Pirates (1946)

Director: Edward Bernds

Writer: Clyde Bruckman (story)

Cast: Curly Howard [Curly, as Curly], Larry Fine [Larry, as Larry], Moe Howard Moe, as Moe], Christine McIntyre [Rita], Robert Kellard [Guard, as Robert Stevens], Vernon Dent [Governor], Dorothy DeHaven [Governor's Secretary]

Storyline: The year is 1642, and the Stooges are garbage scow sailors stranded on Dead Man's Island. At first, the governor (Vernon Dent) finds it hard to believe the three are sailors, but changes his mind once Curly starts flirting with his fiancée, Rita (Christine McIntyre). The governor throws the Stooges in jail, and sentences them to execution by burning. Lucky for the Stooges, Rita has no interest in marrying the ruthless colonial governor and helps the boys escape by exposing some hidden tools. She then directs them to drill their way through the west wall specifically in order to escape safely. Unfortunately, the Stooges argue incessantly, choose the wrong wall, and land back in their cell. Rita suggests the boys disguise themselves as "wayfarers from a strange land" bringing priceless gifts. Curly is the great, nearsighted Maharaja of Canarsie who has domains on the isles of Coney and Long. Moe is the Gin of Rummy, and Larry is an accomplice. Moe and Curly exchange in conversations consisting of doublespeak and gibberish and offer the governor a raspberry lollipop, which he mistakes as a ruby as large as a turkey's egg. Moe dubs it the "Ruby de Lollipopskia." Next is a fountain pen that the governor mistakes as a tusk from a black walrus. The governor is delighted with these gifts, and requests that the Maharaja bring him some fair damsels. The Stooges escape quickly, not wasting a moment. However, the governor's secretary (Dorothy DeHaven) reveals the Stooges' true identities, and the governor is livid. Once he learns they are headed to the cutthroat pirate Black Louie's, however, he enlists the scoundrel's help to kill the escaped sailor Stooges. The Stooges meet Black Louie (Robert Kellard) at a saloon, and engage in a game of target practice. They enlist a reluctant Larry as the live target, and begin the knife-throwing. In the interim, Rita quietly makes her presence known to the boys, and alerts them of the governor's plan. They realize they must flee, but Curly's awkward knife throwing (thanks to his glasses containing lenses as thick as soda bottles) puts Black Louie on the defense. The fight breaks out in the saloon, with the Stooges winning out. [Wikipedia]

[18 min - Comedy | Short - English - Black and White - 1.37 : 1 - USA - Columbia Pictures Corporation]

Two Years Before the Mast (1946)

Director: John Farrow

Writers: Seton I. Miller (screenplay), George Bruce (screenplay) and Richard Henry Dana Jr. (based on the novel by)

Cast: Alan Ladd [Charles Stewart], Brian Donlevy [Richard Henry Dana], William Bendix [First Mate Amazeen], Barry Fitzgerald [Terence O'Feenaghty], Howard Da Silva [Captain Francis A. Thompson], Esther Fernández [Maria Dominguez], Albert Dekker [Brown], Luis Van Rooten [2nd Mate Foster], Darryl Hickman [Sam Hooper], Roman Bohnen [Macklin]

Storyline: In 1834, the owner of the merchant ship Pilgrim, Gordon Stewart, is happy with the cast tyrannical Captain Thompson Navy that can reach the port of Boston once again ahead of schedule. The captain wants to leave immediately, asking hurry in loading and enlistment of new crew. With the difficulty of sailors, officers led by rude Immediate Amazeen go to the outskirts of the port capturing all the men who are to take them on board. Among them is the young spendthrift and dissolute Charles Stewart, discussing with Amazeen a bar, is beaten and taken too. In the same place is Richard Henry Dana Jr. asking to go voluntarily. Upon waking up on the high seas, Charles is identified as a son of the ship's owner and ask to be sent back, but the captain refuses claiming that the delay. On land, the father gives up protest to the authorities because he thinks it will be a good lesson for the child. Charles is forced to work as a sailor and avoid mixing with others but ends up befriending the little Sam, who sailed as a clandestine. Dana also starts to write a diary, claiming that volunteered because his brother you killed the previous trip and wanted to know what life was like on board. To stop in Pernambuco to catch two women passengers, the Mexican Maria Dominguez and her maid, the captain risk the ship to navigate through the reefs off the coast at night. Despite the lack of provisions he refuses to land it wants to set a new speed record coming ahead of schedule at the port of San Francisco in California. The crew is unhappy with the captain and the officers when cases of scurvy start to appear, causing deaths. And Charles decides to support the sailors. [Wikipedia]

[98 min - Drama | Adventure - English - Black and White - USA - Paramount Pictures]

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