On C List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
The Crimson Pirate (1952)
Rate:
3
Viewed:
6/24
6/24:
Prior to seeing The Crimson Pirate, I thought Burt Lancaster would do so many stunts, but it turns out not to be the case.
In fact, he does less here than The Flame and the Arrow. Once again, Nick Cravat
plays Burt Lancaster's mute sidekick, but he's a really creepy-looking guy. Obviously, the script feels like it was done on
the spot. In fact, that's what happened, hence the half-witted going-ons with zero comedy. There are plenty of anachronisms
such as a hot air balloon, a submarine, a flamethrower, and nitroglycerin. The violence is unbelievable given the zero drop
of blood.
At least, the Technicolor photography does the film favors. The costumes look nice, and so do the ships and the locales.
Sometimes, I'm reminded of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
(actually, The Crimson Pirate is how it got started for Disney), especially when Burt Lancaster and two guys walked
underwater with the canoe on their heads (impossible).
All in all, ridiculous and cartoonish, The Crimson Pirate is for little kids.