Double Crossbones

Swashbuckling comedy, not as bad as I had anticipated but clearly no more than a footnote within the annals of this colorful action genre (here in its heyday). Donald O'Connor is an amiable and undeniably energetic lead (obviously, he gets to sing and dance too) – playing a shop-keeper's assistant who wants to make good for love of heroine Helena Carter. She, however, is coveted by her much older guardian…who also happens to be the (actually treacherous) Governor of the colony in which events are set.

Immediately falling foul of pirate Charles McGraw, O'Connor eventually finds himself serving under him – after he, his pal and their employer are accused (by none other than the Governor himself) of accepting and selling stolen goods. The villain, in fact, is in cahoots with a society of legendary pirates comprising Sir Henry Morgan, Blackbeard, Ann Bonney (Anne Of The Indies – whose story, incidentally, was being told contemporaneously in a much more satisfying film by that title), Captain Kidd, etc.; apparently, this Governor's so mean that even they are no more than his mere underlings!

Anyway, O'Connor eventually captures a ship practically single-handed (and sets free the convicts within, among them James Arness, on their way to Debtors' Prison), which wins him the moniker "Bloodthirsty Dave" and – naturally – a place in the pirate brotherhood. Recognizing the Governor's right-hand man as the courier of his message to them, the hero realizes the statesman's dual nature and determines to meet Carter in order to stop her impending marriage (she had earlier shunned O'Connor for his own buccaneering activity!).

This he does by impersonating a foppish aristocrat at a ball (whose presence causes a snobbish lady to enquire "Who is that weird creature?"), though his ruse is discovered soon after and lands him once again in jail. Needless to say, everything comes out right by the end: the villain receives his come-uppance after engaging in a fencing duel with O'Connor on a ship's mast, hero and heroine marry, and the pirates – given a royal pardon – turn respectable…or do they?

Double Crossbones finds Donald O'Connor as a poor shop apprentice who finds himself nabbed for piracy quite innocently. But before the film's over, O'Connor is the greatest buccaneer of them all, Bloodthirsty Dave.

During the course of his incarceration O'Connor learns that the shop that he and Will Geer worked at was a front for the selling of pirate loot and the guy behind the piracy none other than the governor of the Carolinas, John Emery. In fact Emery has all the pirates of legend that you can name, Henry Morgan, Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, and the famous female pirate Anne Bonney all working for him. And he's getting the best of the deal. They clearly need a better deal and O'Connor puts himself forth as the guy to give it to them. And incidentally win the heart of the beautiful Helena Carter who is Emery's fiancé.

As she usually does, Hope Emerson as Anne Bonney steals the film when she's in it. As Donald O'Connor says, she's best man of the lot of them.

Double Crossbones is a nice satire of pirate movies and O'Connor does fine in the title role. But this seemed to be a film crying for Danny Kaye and I wouldn't be surprised if he was originally offered the lead.

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.

Don't know why this has such a low rating. Gorgeous Technicolor, rousing Frank Skinner score, top-notch model and process work, fast run time. The fist-fight scenes are well staged and bully for Donald O'Conner's action work, he actually looks like a real fencer! Add Helena Carter's captivating beauty and the tried-and-true mistaken identity plot and I think it's terrific entertainment.

Dave : Donald O'Connor, is a shopkeeper who is falsely framed by the corrupt governor Elden : James Emery, then he embarks, along with his friend Tom Botts : Will Geer, on a pirate ship commanded by the local buccaneer Bloodthirsty Ben . Along the way, they avoid being murdered by faking a case of pox, the reason for the crew quickly flee . Later on, at Tortuga island he joins the feared and famous pirates Henry Morgan, Blackbeard, Anne Boney, all of them lay siege Charleston where the nasty governor resides and has his impregnable fortress. Soon after, Dave is deemed to be the bravest pirate of the seven seas.

Amusing and fun adventure comedy movie, being especially made for enhance the hilarious and musical qualities of the always likeable actor Donald O'Connor who finds himself mistaken for a pirate. Furthermore, there are two musical numbers performed by Donald O'Connor himself. This is a funny and bewildering flick with a disconcerting and little credible story shot as a fun festival of gags. There are enjoyable appearance of notorius pirates as Henry Morgan played by Roger Barrat, Captain Kidd performed by Alan Napier, Anne Boney by Hope Emerson, Ben Avery by Glenn Strange and Ben Wickett interpreted by Charles McGraw.

The motion picture was profesionally directed by Charles Barton , mixing comedy, adventure and pirate genres. He was an acceptable filmmaker, shooting several movies as cinema as TV, such as : The shaggy dog, Dance with me Henry, Ma and Pa at the fair, Africa screams, Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein, Abbot and Costello meet Boris Karloff, Mexican hayride, The noose hangs high, Buck privates go home, The time of your lives, Helltown, Forlorn river, Thunder pass, Thunder trail, Desert gold, Wagon wheels, among others. Rating 6/10. Passable and acceptable.