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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.

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 .

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. ****

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

"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.

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.

'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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

An enjoyable, if at times, silly swashbuckler featuring once again Burt Lancaster in the energetic title role and his diminutive but equally all-action if non-speaking sidekick Nick Cravat. I say silly because at different times the pair hook up with a gentleman scientist who invents the hot-air balloon, flame-thrower, airship and just for good mention TNT, years before their time not to mention the three of them later dressing up as women to foil the nasty British governor's nefarious plans to tyrannise the locals.

It's all very bright and colourful, with all the action, fighting and piratical clichés you can shiver your timbers at. Lancaster gets to jut out his chin and chest in between all his acrobatics, finding time in between to romance Eva Bartok as the native rebel-leader's daughter. Burt doesn't have his troubles to seek, as besides the double-dealing British, he has to contend with mutiny amongst his own men who are more interested in plunder and booty than regime change for the good of the local community, but it all works out in the end as you'd expect.

Lancaster and Cravat get up to all sorts of high-jinks in an extended chase sequence at the start, a comedic impersonation of the governor plus one at a grand ball with Cravat updating (or should that be back-dating?) Harpo Marx's impishness with the gentry and of course a battle royal with all and sundry at the end.

I've read that Lancaster and his production company were perhaps attempting some indirect political comment against the McCarthy witch hunt in Hollywood at the time with this tale of the oppressed underdog triumphing against the powers that be but that looks like a bit of a stretch to me.

Better then just to admire the bright colours, acrobatic feats and romantic intrigue along the way, without over-analysing it, suspending some disbelief along the way.