Pitos, flautas y piratas

"You stand on one edge of this cloth, and I on the other" is amusing ( won't spoil it for you ) & there are quite a few other amusing moments that make this worth watching.

Unfortunately there are also many other gags that do not work that were left in & the storyline becomes ridiculous at times which then takes away from the comedy & story.

In order for great comedy to work best the basic story has to be very serious & make enough sense to the viewers to keep you engaged in the story ( suspension of disbelief ) then when the good comedy comes it comes across that much more funnier especially if you catches you off guard.

I personally enjoy pirate movies so feel this was worth watching once, but won't be looking to add it to my movie collection ( as only films worth watching again do I buy ).

The actor who plays the butler in TV's popular show "Batman" ( Adam West TV series that is ) is in this film, as see if you can spot him ( you may recognise others too ).

Through a strange series of circumstances a menual, inoffensive shop assistant (Donald O'Connor) becomes feared as a pirate called "Bloodthirsty Dave."

A few familiar faces show up (mostly rising talent) but O'Connor is the only bona fide movie star in sight. He lacks the insoucuant edge he'd later adopt in "Singin' in the Rain" but he's likeable enough.

It seems to be an attempt to turn O'Connor into the next Danny Kaye, especially in the one song in the piece, performed by O'Connor in a tavern early on. The movie's not really a musical and it could use a few songs and dancing. As it is, O'Connor's atheletic body is impressive, little though it is.

The comedy is in the mode of Danny Kaye and Bob Hope (without their overplayed cowardice). Though in his upper twenties, O'Connor looks barely out of adolescence.

Lots of light-hearted adventure crammed into a movie that certainly doesn't overstay its welcome. A fun time for anyone who isn't too demanding.

Double Crossbones is directed by Charles Barton and written by Oscar Brodney. It stars Donald O'Connor, Helena Carter, Will Geer, John Emery, Charles McGraw, Hope Emerson and Morgan Farley. Music is by Frank Skinner and cinematography by Maury Gertsman.

Davey Crandall (O'Connor) and friend Tom Botts (Geer) are falsely accused by the corrupt Governor Elden of Charleston (Emery) of fencing stolen pirate booty. Bluffing their way onto the ship of local buccaneer Capt. Ben Wickett (McGraw), the pair soon become embroiled in piracy purely by accident and then have to pretend they are in fact pirates just to prove their innocence!

Nothing to dislike here, it does exactly what it promises to do, it's avast yee frothy merriment with a little song and dance routine thrown in for good measure. It's comedy satire on the seven seas where everybody seems to be having great fun. There's treachery and trickery, a gorgeous dame to be spared from the villain's plans and a splendid narrative set up that puts all the famed pirates of Tortuga in one "brotherhood" meeting room.

O'Connor comes off as a poor version of Danny Kaye, but he is an amiable lead here, with energy unbound and a quip on the lips he makes the most of the standard screenplay. The production design is mightily handsome and Gertsman's Technicolor photography is quite simply stunning. Support cast list is impressive, with McGraw (sadly not in it enough) and Emerson (stealing the film) the highlights.

It's all very playful and colourful and not intended for deeper dissection, accept it on its own frothy terms and it becomes a fun 75 minutes of film. 6.5/10

This film is set in the late 1700s and follows a young shopkeeper's apprentice named "Davey Crandall" (Donald O'Connor), who is falsely accused of selling stolen goods and is subsequently scheduled to be hanged by the local authority, "Governor Elden" (John Emery). It turns out that Governor Elden is jealous of Davey's romantic relationship with the young maiden, "Lady Sylvia Copeland" (Helena Carter), whom he wants to marry. Furthermore, it soon becomes clear to the viewer that Governor Elden is the main beneficiary of all the stolen goods in that area. Even so, realizing that he won't have a chance to clear his name, Davey and his loyal friend "Tom Botts" (Will Geer) manage to escape from prison, after which he rises to fame as one of the most notorious pirates of the Caribbean. Now, instead of revealing more, I'll just say that this wasn't a bad movie per se, but it lacked the humor necessary for a musical-comedy of this sort, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.

I can't understand how anyone about to watch this movie, knowing it stars Donald O'Connor, can be surprised to discover that it's funny, lighthearted, and contains some dancing.

I was thoroughly delighted each time I watched it. Besides the fantastic, under-appreciated Donald O'Connor, the cast includes Will Geer (Grandpa Walton), as well as many other actors fans of classic movies and TV will recognize, by sight if not by name. The plot is no more far-fetched than any other pirate movie, and the acting is very good.

If you want to watch a serious pirate movie, by all means put in "Captain Blood." But if you're looking for some upbeat entertainment, I heartily recommend "Double Crossbones."