The Crimson Pirate (1952) User Reviews (67)

Swashbuckling at its best!

[KEVMC · 8/10 · 21 February 2005]

In the late 18th century Caribbean a group of pirates led by Capt.Vallo become embroiled in the revolutionary activities of some islanders against the King.

That's about all the plot that you need to know, for this film doesn't concern itself with historical accuracy or the like. What it does is to place it's tongue firmly in it's cheek and take the audience on a thrilling romp in the best swashbuckling style.

Burt Lancaster plays Vallo with real gusto and exuberance, ideally suited to the all action role. He did all his own stunts, being paired on screen with his one time trapeze partner Nick Cravat as his mute sidekick. In these days of CGI overkill it's refreshing to see smartly choreographed action set pieces with real people performing breathtaking feats of agility. The support cast is filled with familiar faces from the period all giving good value in their respective roles.

The whole enterprise is lavishly mounted and shot in glorious vivid Technicolor. This was possibly one of the last of this type before Cinemascope and widescreen in general became the norm. As mentioned previously, accuracy isn't an issue here. In the finale we encounter prototypes of Gatlin guns, tanks and flamethrowers among other things!

I hadn't seen this since childhood, so I took the opportunity of catching it on the BBC at the weekend. With 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' still relatively fresh in my mind, it seemed appropriate to revisit this old classic. I'm happy to say that it's lost none of its appeal, quite the opposite in fact. Rollicking good fun - recommended.

Amusing and funny adventure story deemed to be one of the best swashbucklers

[ma-cortes · 8/10 · 22 May 2013]

Burt Lancaster plays a 18th-century buccaneer called Capt. Vallo with a taste for action and acrobatics and pits his wits and brawn against the might of a villain nobleman ; as Vallo pretending to be a baron to infiltrate into a strongly-armed island and finding romance along the way . It starts when a ship of the king's Navy armed with thirty guns on a mission in the Caribbean late in the Eighteenth Century . There appears a famous pirate (Burt Lancaster who starred various swashbucklers and classic adventures) supported by bearded and short Ojo (Nick Cravat is mute because he had a thick East Coast accent and in actual life his previous circus partner) leading a band who involves himself in the goings on of a Caribbean revolution . As he saves the damsel (Eva Bartok as a hot-tempered woman who swoons over Vallo) in distress and , of course , seduces her ; furthermore he confronts a ruthless baron (Bradley) at an island . As Vallo poses as a Baron in order to penetrate a well-defended enemy stronghold .

Agreeable pirate movie , plenty of action , thrills , bright cinematography and luxurious costumes . Although the story has been told before , tight filmmaking and nice acting win out . The picture is fast-moving , exciting and thrilling right up to the almost balletic climatic final confrontation between Burt Lancaster and Leslie Bradley . ¨The Crimson Pirate¨ results to be one of Lancaster's swashbuckling best and has achieved a classic status . This entertaining pirate movie is packed with noisy action , burlesque , poking fun , loads of ship battles , humor with tongue-in-cheek and impressive acrobatics adds interest to the ordinary swashbuckling . Considered by many to be one of the best pirate movies laced with comedy and enthusiastically paced . Interesting and enjoyable screenplay by Roland Kibbee ; however , the script started life as serious, nay solemn, but Robert Siodmak, the director, with all the sure touch of real tension behind him in "The Killers" and "The Spiral Staircase," took stock of the material in forty-eight hours and turned it into a comedy . Hight budgeted film , including expensive battles at sea , as it overruns ballooned the original $1.1 million dollar budget to $1.85 million . Burt Lancaster is a complete show including spectacular acrobatic in which Burt performing his own stunts . Lancaster played this pirate movie in the wake of his man-of-action epoch when he performed three magnificent adventure movies that included ¨His majesty O'Keefe¨ and ¨The Flame and the Arrow¨ . Because of cost overruns on "The Crimson Pirate" and "His Majesty O'Keefe," Warner Brothers insisted that future films from Hecht and Lancaster be limited to $900,000. Lancaster and Hecht's response was to strike a new deal with United Artists . Good support cast such as Torin Thatcher playing an astute pirate called Humble Bellows , James Hayter as Prof. Elihu Prudence and brief appearance of Christopher Lee who has a small character and gets to struggle with the main star .

Colorful cinematography in Technicolor by Otto Heller , being filmed on location in Bay of Naples, Naples, Campania, and Ischia Island, Naples, Campania, Italy . Lively and jolly musical score composed by William Alwyn , well conducted by usual Muir Mathieson . The motion picture was splendidly directed by Robert Siodmak who realizes a skillful filmmaking . Robert had previously directed Burt Lancaster in two classic Noir films titled ¨The Killers¨ and ¨Criss Cross¨. The picture will appeal to Burt Lancaster fans . Burt plays at his best and he provides a lot of fun as his own acrobatic ability , ably assisted by little Nick Cravat . This is a real showcase for Lancaster and Cravat's acrobatic skills . Raing : Above average , 8 , very good good pirate movie , wonderful stuff . Essential and indispensable watching for swashbuckling enthusiasts .

" Gather 'round lads, gather round "

[thinker1691 · 7/10 · 8 May 2007]

Caribbean Pirates have always been a staple for Hollywood. For that matter, pirates of the open sea are selected because there's always a colorful (if you consider black to be colorful) character within most sea epics. If Hollywood were to make a realistic movie of the exploits of real pirates, the film would be condemned. True depiction of actual pirates would include brutality, torture, robbery, butchery, ravishment, rape and wanton murder and would have investors scrambling for an army of lawyers. But since American audiences are not ready for realistic pirates, they can only provide us with child-proof ones. In the nineteen fifties, Hollywood created the rousing tale of the "Crimson Pirate" which starred handsome, debonair, wide smiling Burt Lancaster, as Captain Vello. A fun film to be sure and one which includes, his old friend, Nick Cravat as Lt. Ojo, Torin Thatcher as Humble Bellows, Leslie Bradley as the villain, Baron Jose Gruda, Noel Purcell as Pablo Murphy and of course, beautiful Eva Bartok as Consuelo. It's an old formula, boy pirate hopping for a big score, falls for lovely girl who's idealistic father is in prison by royal decree. Smitten, the courageous and action oriented outlaw, is reformed and with love as his goal, risks all to redeem himself and his crew. An interesting and fun adventure for Lancaster fans. ****

Include "Crimson Pirate" in your kids' memories of Home

[Swift-12 · 8 September 2000]

I finally got around to watching "The Crimson Pirate". What a blast! Burt Lancaster is the Pirate. His schemes and brainstorms are unconventional and funny.

It's a kinda goofy story, so you have to be in the mood for fun. (For example, the pirate's enemies are silly nitwits, like Keystone Kops or Hogan's Heroes.) Don't expect historical accuracy-- this is total Hollywood pirate caricature. But it's very creative, and everyone on the set, stars and stuntmen, looked like they had a blast filming it.

Burt Lancaster outdoes Douglas Fairbanks. He shows off his great acrobatic training and even paired-up his stuntwork with his old acrobat partner, Nick Cravat (btw, Nick happened to be the airplane-assaulting gremlin on the original Twilight Zone "Terror at 20,000 Feet".)

I feel like I missed out as a kid by not seeing it. Everyone has their own traditional FamilyTime movies ("Wizard of Oz" being a universal example). I wish I'd seen this one as a kid. My parents would've liked it too-- it's very enjoyable for all ages.

Exciting piece of entertainment

[mklmjdrake · 7/10 · 19 March 2020]

Exciting and entertaining action comedy when Lancaster was fit and vigorous along with his sidekick Nick Cravat. They were partners in nine films and this was one of the most popular of them. They worked the circus together as acrobats prior to doing films. The early action scene in the town was a bit cheesy but it demonstrated both of their athletic abilities. Many scenes are done very tongue-in-cheek which to me added to the entertainment value. Cravat was often mute in their films because he had a thick New York City (Brooklyn to be exact) accent. But again it made his characters even more likable. And Christopher Lee! He was a young 29 years old. He had only been acting less than 5 years before he played the military attaché Joseph. Writer Roland Kibbee had a successful career in TV with series like Barney Miller and Columbo for which he won Emmy's. The stunt of tipping the boat and walking to shore was clever. If you want to know where Bruckheimer got the idea for Pirates of the Caribbean, here it is. In fact, the ride at Disneyland was inspired by this movie. The fast tempoed symphonic score lended itself to the comedy. Torin usually played a villain or dirty rotten character and he excelled at it. His character redeemed himself this time around by allowing himself to be destroyed with the ship. One of the things I enjoy about older pictures is the stunt work. They did not have CGI and camera tricks were limited. So it was up to the actors and stunt team to make it look convincing. They did a marvelous job to create a swashbuckling adventure. "A slam-bang, action-filled, Technicolored lampoon" as the New York Times described it.

Lancaster has given the modern cinema more "pure enjoyment" than almost any other major star!

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 9/10 · 12 July 1999]

It's doubtful whether any pirate ever looked like Lancaster, rigged out in a succession of exaggeratedly modish outfits and bleached-blond hair... He is the 18th-century pirate swashbuckler to end all swashbucklers!

With his mute, but athletic side-kick friend Nick Cravat, Lancaster leads an island's people in rebellion against the tyrant Baron Gruda... His damsel is Eva Bartok, the freewheeling European beauty...

I don't know how many times I have seen this buccaneer saga, and still I love it... The film provides lots of thrills and laughs, lots of adventures and excitement ...

Great fun all the time...

Lancaster's sense of comedy was evident enough for critic Alton Cook to call him "one of our most amiable and strenuous comedians."

For me, Lancaster will be always remembered as the actor who has given the modern cinema more "pure enjoyment" than almost any other major star...

In the top 5 Pirate films ever made in Hollywood. Count yourself unlucky not to have known it.

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 7/10 · 25 July 2023]

The Crimson Pirate (1952) : Brief Review -

In the top 5 Pirate films ever made in Hollywood. Count yourself unlucky not to have known it. So here are my top 5 pirate flicks: "The Black Pirate" (1926), "Captain Blood" (1935), "The Sea Hawk" (1940), "POTC" (2003) and "The Crimson Pirate" (1952). I did not count Clark Gable's Oscar-winning classic "Mutiny on The Bounty" (1935), since it had a sea voyage and action adventure but no pirate character in the lead. Robert Siodmak's technicolour pirate flick is a BLAST! Yes, that's the least to say. Today, I haven't just added another great film to my watchlist; I have added nostalgia, and I'll make sure my children will have it as their childhood memories in the future. A complete blockbuster experience at the masala movies that we Indians have grown up watching, and today I realised how much of those classic masala movie conflicts were influenced by this Hollywood flick. The Crimson Pirate is about a pirate who captures the King's ship carrying his Majesty's envoy and makes a bargain with them to find a rebellion called Libre. He falls in love with Libre's daughter and goes against pirate codes to keep his promise of freeing Libre and his daughter. It's a fantastic script for a pirate film, and the screenplay is too good. It's an out-and-out entertainer with plenty of action, adventure, and explosions. A couple of things are messy, of course, but rest assured, it's a bombastic entertainer. There are so many scenes I am gonna cherish forever. Vallo and Ojo's hide and seek riot with soldiers, them going as Royal officers to get Libre, pirates capturing ship, that underwater escape with drowning ship, the short war sequence, and the battle in the climax. What a delightful experience it was. From nowhere, Burt Lancaster is suddenly in my list of favourite pirates with Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn, and Johnny Depp. Dear Robert Siodmak, thank you for this pleasant surprise.

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.

It's silly, and I love it!

[Igenlode Wordsmith · 9/10 · 27 February 2005]

It's impossible to recapture the absolute bliss of seeing this film for

the first time, in all its impudence and style; but watching it yet again this afternoon, I found a broad grin back on my face within minutes. Burt Lancaster's cocky Captain Vallo -- golden-haired, silver-tongued, and sporting a fine taste in trademark crimson trousers -- is a Technicolour pirate straight out of the pages of legend, and it's a toss-up as to whether it's more fun watching him dazzle and bamboozle his way through the ranks of the dastardly Spaniards, every sea-rover's traditional foe, or seeing him taken down a richly-deserved peg or two when events don't go quite as anticipated. If Vallo had it all his own way, he'd be insufferable; but fortunately for the film, circumstances -- and the script -- conspire to unseat his schemes, with results both hilarious and touching.

Lancaster and Nick Cravat play off their old acrobatic routines against each other, separately and together, in a virtuoso display perfectly integrated into the action of the film. In "The Flame and the Arrow", the acrobatics felt shoe-horned in to show off the star's abilities. Here they develop naturally from the conventions of the genre, and the grace of the big man and pugnacity of the little one make for a gifted double-act. In the role of the loyal mute Ojo (as the leader of their rebel captors observes dryly, 'this one can't talk and the other can't stop talking!') Cravat repeats his eloquent, quickfire mime from the earlier production, providing the last 'word' for the film's ending and comic moments throughout.

The character of the first mate 'Humble' Bellows, with his Quakerish speech and rigid adherence to the old ways, is also a triumph. Implacably opposed to his captain's flashy plans for a double- and triple-cross on the grounds that it's more like business practice than honest piracy, and unmoved by Vallo's gift of the gab, his doom-saying has the unpalatable habit of seeming to come true as one complication after another arises. Yet he has a stubborn integrity of his own, and his loyalty is to the ship's company where Vallo's veers like a weathercock. He is a complex character we cannot in a way help but admire.

But above all, the essence of "The Crimson Pirate" is that it's *very*, *very* *silly*. Gloriously silly. This isn't about realism -- this is comic-strip stuff, where battle consists of tossing your enemies overboard into the water, laying them out cold with a belaying-pin, or stacking them up one by one on the floor of the captain's cabin; where a man with a sword can duel a man with a swinging block on the end of a piece of rope, and an athletic fugitive can escape down narrow streets by using awnings as trampolines and washing-poles as parallel bars. Like "Galaxy Quest", this film is both an affectionate spoof of its genre and a gripping contribution to that genre in its own right.

This is Adventure with a capital 'A', with a colourful unrepentant rogue of a hero, with devious Dons, thickwitted soldiery, heroic rebels, treachery, cruelty and gallantry against the odds - and generally an unexpected laugh around every corner. It's utterly impossible, of course, but -- believe only half of what you see... if that!

"Pack out all canvas, you fairy-tale sea snakes!"

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 15 August 2019]

This film was made in nothing short of a humorous, if not farcical vein considering the subject matter. Just as he did in an earlier film, 1950's "The Flame and the Arrow", Burt Lancaster teams with his one time, circus trapeze partner, Nick Cravat, to engage in a host of athletically engaging and gravity defying stunts to thrill moviegoers. And just as in that earlier film, there's a romantic interest for Lancaster's character, though it takes the entire picture to play out to the Lady Consuelo's (Eva Bartok) satisfaction, as there are moments in which Captain Vallo (Lancaster) appears to double cross both his pirate crew and the unfortunate citizens taxed to the hilt by an island governor (Eliot Makeham) and the treacherous Baron Gruda (Leslie Bradley).

There's something oddly goofy about one of the Crimson Pirate's crew members, first mate Humble Bellows (Torin Thatcher). All throughout the picture he's seen wearing a belt or sash that for all intents and purposes, looks pretty much like the championship belt of the World Wrestling Federation. I couldn't help restraining a chuckle each time I saw it. For his own part, Bellows engages in a bit of pirate seaworthy behavior when he covertly challenges Vallo by leading a mutiny for which he expresses remorse over later. You just can't best Lancaster in his own picture.

For fans of pirate movies, this will seem like a half century preview of what the genre eventually came up with in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. It's done totally tongue in cheek with colorful costuming and swashbuckling adventure, and even if Captain Vallo is no Jack Sparrow, he still provides a whole lot of fun to this exuberant enterprise.

Burt never smiled brighter

[SMK-4 · 9/10 · 28 October 1998]

Movies do not come any more swashbuckling than this one. Hey, we have pirates, the Caribbean, villains, heroes, damsels in distress, sword fights, sea battles, inventions, acrobatics aplenty. And all delivered with Burt's legendary smile. It is not a genre spoof, but it does not take itself seriously either.

Watching this film one can perhaps understand why some people took a while to accept Burt Lancaster as a real actor. Not that his acting in this film is bad, but the excellent acrobatic skills we come to admire betray a different background.

Enormous fun.

It's a pleasure to watch Lancaster in action.

[lemon_magic · 7/10 · 10 February 2008]

For what it is, "The Crimson Pirate" is a simple, but genuine pleasure. Lancaster and his former circus partner have real chemistry on screen - they're funny when they want to be and dashing when the script calls for it. They do their own stunts in well choreographed set pieces, and they make it look easy (even fun). The heroes are dashing, the villains are nasty and conniving, the costumes and sets are a treat to behold, and the plot (which doesn't worry too much about little things like "historical accuracy") moves along briskly.

I've always liked Lancaster as an actor, but this was my first exposure to him as a sex symbol. Now I can see where the reputation came from. That dazzling smile seems to be at least a yard wide and the guy was built better than 99% of his "leading man" peers. No one ever looked so good in a puffy sleeved shirt. Even if the rest of the movie sucked, his role would make it worth watching.

Really, really good "classic" stuff. If you have any interest at all in the Errol Flynn/Douglas Fairbanks Jr. "swashbuckling" genre, you ought to see "The Crimson Pirate".

watch the Hollywood Machine at its peak

[A_Different_Drummer · 9/10 · 28 October 2013]

Movies were made differently then. The stars, most of whom did not use their own names, were under contract to studios, studios run by the original "mad men" (nothing to do with advertising) and it was all about volume, not quality. The stars were expected to churn out so many "pictures" a year, and if one or more actually turned out to be memorable, that was merely a bonus. Into the mix comes Lancaster, one of the most physical actors ever to work in Tinseltown (former acrobat), a bunch of second-stringers, and voila you have the template which years later Johnny Depp would use so effectively to spoof the genre. Plot? What plot? It's about rip-roaring fun from the first scene to the last, and Lancaster delivers. He really could act, you know, but this film simply requires him to have fun and bring the audience along for the ride. One of the best of its kind. The sad thing was watching Lancaster age in the years to follow. Moreso than others of the era, he hated getting old because his work was so heavily based on his sheer physical presence.

fun acrobatic swashbuckling

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 18 January 2021]

It's late 18th century in the Caribbean. Captain Vallo (Burt Lancaster) uses trickery to capture the King's ship carrying envoy Baron Gruda. With his mute right hand man Ojo, he has many adventures.

This is some fun swashbuckling action. It's silly fun and hard pirate action. It fully uses Lancaster's acrobatic skills although I wish that he does more stunts during some stretches. He could be Jackie Chan before there was a Jackie Chan. There are some great fun stunts in the finale and there are some ridiculous action right before that. I can do less of the melodrama but that is the style of the day.

Muscles and Teeth

[JamesHitchcock · 5/10 · 25 August 2010]

"The Crimson Pirate" is a swashbuckling adventure film which has much in common with "The Flame and the Arrow" from two years earlier. Both have a historical setting and star Burt Lancaster as the leader of a group of freedom fighters. Both films allow Lancaster to show off his skills as an acrobat (before becoming an actor he worked in a circus) and also co- star his close friend and former circus partner Nick Cravat. In both films Cravat's character is mute, although he himself was perfectly able to speak; apparently the reason was that he had a strong Brooklyn accent which the producers felt was inappropriate in a historical drama. Someone should have told the producers that any American accent- not just a Brooklyn one- would have been anachronistic in 12th century Italy, and there is no reason why a New Yorker should not have served on an 18th century pirate ship.

The film is set in the Caribbean some time the 18th century. (Don't ask exactly when; this is not a film which places a high value on historical accuracy). Lancaster plays the pirate chief Captain Vallo, known as "The Crimson Pirate". He and his crew become involved with a rebellion on the fictional island of Cobra against the tyrannical rule of the King of Spain and his special envoy Baron Gruda who has been ordered to crush the rebels. Vallo also becomes romantically involved with Consuelo, the beautiful daughter of the leader of the rebels.

The plot, in fact, is rather more complicated than that brief summary might suggest; Vallo starts off as a cynical double-dealer, playing Gruda and the rebels off against one another in the hope of maximising his profits, but eventually throws his lot in with the rebel cause, motivated partly by idealism and partly by love for Consuelo. There is also a sub-plot about Vallo's treacherous first mate, Humble Bellows, who is plotting to depose him as pirate captain. (For some reason Bellows always speaks a pseudo-archaic dialect, referring to everyone as "thee" and "thou", although he often gets it wrong; "thee be" instead of "thou art"). The film, however, doesn't really do plot any more than it does historical realism. The story is little more than an excuse for some spectacular (at least by the standards of the early fifties) action sequences and plenty of acrobatic derring-do from Lancaster and Cravat, who plays Vallo's lieutenant Ojo. Vallo, his men and the rebels are eventually enabled to defeat the government forces because a brilliant scientist puts at their disposal not only a hydrogen balloon (possible within the time-frame of the movie, given that the first such balloons appeared in the 1780s) but also, anachronistically, inventions such as nitroglycerine (discovered 1847), a flamethrower (first used in World War I) and a tank (ditto).

I was surprised to discover that the film was directed by Robert Siodmak, as I had always associated him with more serious fare such as "The Killers" (which also starred Lancaster) and "The Spiral Staircase". He was clearly a versatile director, but on the basis of this film swashbuckling adventure does not seem to have been his strong suit. "The Flame and the Arrow" may have its weaknesses, but at least it has something approaching a coherent plot and does not descend into silliness in the way that "The Crimson Pirate" tends to, frequently abandoning both coherence and credibility, generally in order to introduce some more circus stunts from Vallo and Ojo. The denouement is something of a cheat; the heroes in a historic adventure film ought to defeat the villains by being stronger, braver or more resourceful, not by suddenly having modern weapons placed at their disposal.

In the early part of his career, Burt Lancaster was sometimes dismissed as "Mr Muscles and Teeth", although this seems unfair as even in his early days he was capable of producing fine performances in serious films like "The Killers" or "From here to Eternity". "The Crimson Pirate", however, is very much one of his "muscles and teeth" films, making demands upon his athletic abilities but far fewer on his acting ones, except perhaps the ability to grin occasionally. 5/10

Lancaster At His Best

[Sargebri · 23 April 2003]

This is probably one of the best films I have ever seen. It had a perfect mix of adventure and comedy due to the fact that it pokes fun at all the pirate cliches. Also, it really gave the legendary Burt Lancaster a chance to show of his acrobatic talents. Too bad they don't show this on television anymore. This film would probably appeal not only to older fans but to children as well.

"Believe only what you see. No, believe half of what you see."

[elvircorhodzic · 7/10 · 26 October 2016]

THE CRIMSON PIRATE is quite unconvincing pirate adventure, but the film is extremely entertaining (perhaps on the verge of taste) and full of action. The story is set in the Caribbean and shows how the captain of a pirate ship seeks to exploit the conflict colonial authorities with the revolutionaries working for both sides, as long as he does not fall in love with the beautiful daughter of the leader of resistance. This movie does not offer some exciting duels, but offers quite interesting acrobatics. Pirate at sea. The thief on the mainland. Probably, because of this fact the main protagonists look like circus artists. The scenario has its faults, and pretty large "holes", hence the emphasis on humor and action.

Love and woman changed pirate character and plan. It is very nice to see no matter what is quite unconvincing. Burt Lancaster as Captain Vallo is powerful, agile and smiling pirate captain. Now, there is a lack of passion for the pirate robbery and for romance. Good, solid performance. Very handsome man jumping from ship to ship or from balcony to balcony. Nick Cravat as Ojo is the captain's right hand. The game with pantomime is always interesting and fun if you do not overdo it with her.

Great movie with great memories

[xwolf1369 · 10/10 · 3 January 2006]

When I was 16 my Grandpa came to town early and it was just me and him. He looked at the TV Guide and started laughing. He looked at me and said one of his favorite movies was coming on. From the moment it began I was captivated. The opening sequence sets up the rest of the film. It is a very tongue in cheek movie that keeps you laughing and enjoying every minute of it. Lancaster and Cravat are one of the great film team-ups, comes from their days in vaudeville together. The film is just a good time. I was already a horror film fan at that time and was surprised to see a young Christopher Lee in it too. My grandpa was larger than life as this film is too. Everyone who has sat and watched this film with me laughs as much as I do.

Genius and madness

[barbb1953 · 6/10 · 16 May 2008]

I watched this movie after hearing that the "walking underwater" scene in "Black Pearl" was in reference to it. The comments that Bloom and Depp make during that sequence, about genius and madness, may have been meant to apply, as well. "Crimson Pirate" is uneven, with high and very low points. Well, it's bad enough that it makes "Black Pearl" look like classic fiction; and yet there is a Pythonesque quality to it I think comes from the team of Lancaster and Cravat. I hadn't realized Lancaster was a true acrobat, and the performances he and his partner give here are sublime. The big fight scenes, particularly the last one, are extremely well choreographed, too. I would easily have given this a 10 on that basis, and there are some other good performances (especially among the pirates), but overall not everybody seems to have gotten the word it had become a comedy, and a few of the actors also seem rather wooden: hence the 6/10.

I do think the luxury sea liner in the background on those shots was intended -- any Film-Making 101 student could easily have changed the setup to avoid it, particularly at this point in the movie, where there are so many near-vertical shots. Given Lancaster's instruction at the beginning of the film to only believe half of what you see (and he was exaggerating even then), it had to be part of the joke. Maybe it's considered a goof or anachronism because that type of humor wasn't very common in mainstream movies in the 50s.

One thing to remember as you watch Lancaster's hair: they didn't have mousse back then, or blow dryers. Wow! Also bring sunglasses, because the reflection from his teeth when he grins can be blinding (BG).

All in all, it's not "The Black Pearl," but it's overall fun to watch and the acrobatics and some of the fight choreographies are must-see scenes.

This movie is pure happiness, for kids and adults

[pzanardo · 10/10 · 22 May 2000]

"The Crimson Pirate" is pure happiness, for kids and adults. Everything contributes to the mirth of the audience: the bright colors of the beautiful, careful photography, the frenetic, pyrotechnic action, the outstanding acrobatic performances by Burt Lancaster and Nick Cravat, the humour of the dialogues and also (why not?) the loveliness and charm of Eva Bartok and of the other supporting actresses. A common question asked by parents seeing this movie with their children: What character did you like best? The unanimous answer by the kids will be: Ojo! In fact, Ojo (Nick Cravat) can deservedly compete for the title of the nicest character in movie history. And the great actor-legend Burt Lancaster (captain Vallo) is just perfect in his smiling auto-irony. By the way, when I happen to see again the video of "The Crimson Pirate" (my daughters know it nearly by heart), I am always stunned by how beautifully this movie is made. Certainly it is a major work, somewhat hidden behind its extreme fun. A final remark: the director of this masterpiece of comic and adventure is Robert Siodmak, a former great specialist of dark thrillers and noirs ("The Spiral Staircase" "The Killers"). This gives an idea of how deeply talented the old Hollywood masters were.

It's really too bad that producers of 2011's THE THREE MUSKETEERS . . .

[pixrox1 · 6/10 · 12 August 2013]

. . . did not watch THE CRIMSON PIRATE first! These two flops have the exact same spoofy tone and reliance on whiz bang gadgets both anachronistic and underwhelming, while featuring complicated story lines which leave no room for development of characters the viewer can actually care about. If the men behind the $75 million boondoggle THE THREE MUSKETEERS (which only grossed $20 million when it came out)--such as director Paul W.S. Anderson--had the business savvy to try to avoid repeating great failures of the past (2005's SAHARA, in which Breck Eisner directed Matthew McConaughey in a Clive Cussler yarn, which cost $130 million, but only returned $69 million, also comes to mind), then maybe Logan Lerman (as Percy Jackson 2, out now) could have learned to act, as did the other young stars who cut their teeth on the role of D'Artagnan in earlier, better versions of THE THREE MUSKETEERS. But no, Hollywood honchos apparently avoid watching other moguls' earlier flops like the plague! If Hollywood made cars, all we would have is Edsels!

Pure joy

[marciodecarvalho · 10/10 · 23 September 2001]

'The Crimson Pirate' is pure joy. Maybe the most entertaining movie of the 50's - as far as 'pure entertainment' concept goes, and one of the greatests adventure movies ever made. Burt Lancaster was then at the apex of his powers, and shows very clearly what a good piece of Errol Flynn he could easily have been, and this was not an easy task at all, mind you. Bowing his personal idol Douglas Fairbanks, the dashing, wide-grin, elastic, self-assured Lancaster has marked a whole generation of youngsters - and adults as well - with this wonderful, colorful, funny, action-packed, greatly-soundtracked adventure-spoof, quite probably one of his bests movies ever, although even him surely never realized how good it was.

Popcorn at hand, I watched this masterpiece goggle-eyed, then, and do it very, very fondly now. Burt Lancaster was the man who thought me to love movies. My sincere thanks to him.

LANCASTER UNDONE BY CHILDISH HI-JINKS...!

[masonfisk · 6/10 · 15 April 2022]

Burt Lancaster is front & center in this 1952 pirate yarn from director Robert Siodmak (The Killers/Criss Cross both which starred Lancaster). Lancaster is a pirate w/a loyal crew who get a big win on his side when they take down a royal ship w/ease. The ship was on its away to help take down a rising rebel on some islands but since Lancaster upset the dinner table, he offers to take the ship's arms as a ruse to sell them to the rebels & then turn around & provide their capture whereby he & his men would get a tidy sum indeed but the moment he & his loyal right hand man, played by Nick Cravat, a lively mute, try to connect w/the rebels, things don't go as planned leading to a string of comedic yet cartoonish adventures (replete w/Loony Toon sound effects) which ultimately leads to a last ditch assault w/a submarine, nitro glycerin & a hot air balloon so Lancaster can defeat the enemy, save the daughter of the main rebel & take back his ship. Featuring a lot of acrobatic action (Lancaster once studied as an acrobat so his skills here are well used which he would tap into for another movie called Trapeze) & scenes of derring do but the kiddie slant to the proceedings kept me from fully embracing the material but the younger set who likes old movies (& there are plenty...not!) will get something out of it. Look for Christopher Lee in a small role as one of the island flunkies.

Bold high energy fun

[Pro Jury · 10/10 · 2 April 2000]

Big production values, bold, bright colors, great use of music, high energy acting. Add me to the list of people who have watched this fun movie a zillion times.

The Crimson Pirate ages not. This 1952 movie taking place in time over 200 years ago will remain appreciated for years to come.

Great eye candy

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 8 November 2023]

A tan, shirtless, blond Burt Lancaster personally welcomes you to The Crimson Pirate, an extremely fun swashbuckling adventure, by grinning into the camera and introducing himself and the wildly unbelievable story. He warns you not to believe everything you see, then grabs hold of a rope and swings from one end of the ship to the other. Yes, girls, you're in for a real treat. He's an absolute doll in this movie, and while it might not be an epic equivalent to Ben-Hur, it's fun for a light-hearted evening.

With clever tricks up his metaphorical sleeve (because yes, girls, costumer Margaret Furse had very little to do) at every obstacle, Burt and his faithful crew spend their days looting ships, making fools of the English Navy, and winning girls' hearts. Burt's lifelong friend Nick Cravat plays his silent sidekick, and their acrobatic stunts are enormously entertaining to watch. From shimmying up to the top of the mast, to scaling a wall, to intense fistfights, these men are in their physical prime and love showing the audience what they can do.

If you're a Burt fan, I would definitely recommend this tongue-in-cheek pirate flick. It's cheap, it's silly, and it's unrealistic; but the eye candy alone is worth it. Burt is a dream, and his endless energy is fantastic. Better than a boost of vitamin C, he's guaranteed to lift you out of the doldrums. Next up, check him out in His Majesty, O'Keefe.

Another Ridiculous Cartoon of a Pirate Film

[IndyShade · 1/10 · 9 January 2000]

I generally don't comment on movies I don't like, but I HATED this film enough to speak up.

This is yet another example of the jaw-dropping INANITY that has come to represent the pirate film, in Hollywood. And, like Cutthroat Island, it's another reason why we don't see more pirate films.

I'm not saying that every pirate film has to be 100% realistic -- this is the movies, we're talking about, not a history lesson. But, can we please TRY, people? I mean, come on...SELF-PROPELLED TANKS AND SUBMARINES? SEMAPHORE? FLAMETHROWERS? NITROGLYCERINE? I guess this is supposed to be humorous or cute, in an anachronistic, Wild Wild West kind of way? It isn't -- it's LAME.

Twice, in this film, a man at ground zero of an enormous explosion is left charred and smoking, like Wiley Coyote, with a stupid expression on his face. At what point does this cease to be the wildly entertaining pirate yarn that people seem to want it to be (it's even championed by Leonard Maltin), and become the RIDICULOUS CLOWN ROUTINE that it actually IS?

I mean, Lancaster actually gives us a DISCLAIMER at the beginning of the film. Saying that we should only believe half of what we see (too bad he didn't tell us WHICH half was the believable one). This is the mark of a truly BAD film. I mean, how often do you go to the movies, only to have the star come out before it starts to tell you that you're about to watch a bunch of NONSENSE? It looks more like a retroactive decision by the studio, in a pathetic attempt to keep audiences from walking out of what turned out to be a STUPID movie.

The movie's fans can keep this one; I'll take The Sea Hawk.