IMDb RATING
7.0/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
Seeking revenge, an athletic young man joins the pirate band responsible for his father's death.Seeking revenge, an athletic young man joins the pirate band responsible for his father's death.Seeking revenge, an athletic young man joins the pirate band responsible for his father's death.
- Awards
- 3 wins
Douglas Fairbanks
- The Duke of Arnoldo
- (as Mr. Douglas Fairbanks)
- …
Billie Dove
- Princess Isobel
- (as Miss Billie Dove)
Tempe Pigott
- Duenna
- (as Miss Tempé Pigett)
Donald Crisp
- MacTavish
- (as Mr. Donald Crisp)
Sam De Grasse
- Pirate Lieutenant
- (as Mr. Sam de Grasse)
Anders Randolf
- Pirate Captain
- (as Mr. Anders Randolf)
Charles Stevens
- Powder Man
- (as Mr.Charles Stevens)
John Wallace
- Peg-Leg Pirate
- (as Mr. John Wallace)
Fred Becker
- Pirate
- (as Mr. Fred Becker)
Charles Belcher
- Chief Passenger - Nobleman
- (as Mr. Charles Belcher)
E.J. Ratcliffe
- The Governor
- (as Mr. D. J. Ratcliffe)
Jimmy Dime
- Pirate
- (uncredited)
George Holt
- Pirate
- (uncredited)
Stubby Kruger
- Pirate
- (uncredited)
Charles Lewis
- Pirate
- (uncredited)
Barry Norton
- Youth
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe double-thick Technicolor prints (two strips of dyed film, cemented together) presented numerous screening problems for untrained projectionists. If screened improperly, they would warp, scratch, etc. and due to the expense of printing in Technicolor at this time (since there were no optical printers, or any easier way of printing such technology in those days) forced the Fairbanks studio to issue a black-and-white version as well.
- GoofsAt about 31 minutes into the film, there are several shots of the "Black Pirate" aiming two swivel cannons at the viewer, interspersed with reaction shots of other actors. The first shot shows him in front of a whitish background (eg an overcast sky), the second such shot (a few seconds later) has a pitch black background. All such shots after that have the white background.
- ConnectionsEdited into Catalogue of Ships (2008)
Featured review
Dated, but great fun with the astonishing Douglas Fairbanks
I first heard about this film from my father, who once told me that he saw it as a boy when it first came out and was completely blown away by it. I only recently had the opportunity to see it myself, and I can appreciate his point. Of course it's absurd to compare the production values of an antique movie such as this to modern films, but just see it and try to imagine how it must have seemed to audiences at the Roxy back in 1926!
Needless to say, this elaborate, full-color production is merely a showcase for the incomparable Douglas Fairbanks. Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, Sean Connery and Harrison Ford pale to insignificance beside Fairbank's bravura on-screen personality. Fairbanks virtually invented the "action-adventure" movie, and films like "The Black Pirate" make it clear why he was the biggest movie star of his time.
In addition, bear in mind that there were no stunt men or blue-screen special effects back then. Fairbanks actually DID all those amazing stunts himself! The only latter-day Hollywood star who would (and did) dare to do his own stunts was the equally incomparable Burt Lancaster.
Don't expect modern acting or sensibilities in The Black Pirate, the movie itself is typical 1920s melodrama. The sets are pretty hokey and the plot is absurd. However, just ignore all that while you sit back and enjoy Douglas Fairbanks delivering one of the most spectacular performances ever captured on screen.
Needless to say, this elaborate, full-color production is merely a showcase for the incomparable Douglas Fairbanks. Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, Sean Connery and Harrison Ford pale to insignificance beside Fairbank's bravura on-screen personality. Fairbanks virtually invented the "action-adventure" movie, and films like "The Black Pirate" make it clear why he was the biggest movie star of his time.
In addition, bear in mind that there were no stunt men or blue-screen special effects back then. Fairbanks actually DID all those amazing stunts himself! The only latter-day Hollywood star who would (and did) dare to do his own stunts was the equally incomparable Burt Lancaster.
Don't expect modern acting or sensibilities in The Black Pirate, the movie itself is typical 1920s melodrama. The sets are pretty hokey and the plot is absurd. However, just ignore all that while you sit back and enjoy Douglas Fairbanks delivering one of the most spectacular performances ever captured on screen.
helpful•122
- robertguttman
- Feb 25, 2002
- How long is The Black Pirate?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $1,300,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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