BLACKBEARD THE PIRATE-1952-Avast ye scurvy dogs! Raoul Walsh, veteran director of Hollywood classics such as WHITE HEAT and LITTLE CEASER made this Technicolor swashbuckling pirate tale, full of comedic scenes, funny dialogue, broad acting and action but it really would be kind of routine if not for Robert Newton's over the top performance in the title role. He's the perfect pirate with his constant shouts of "Arrrrgh" and wisecracks.
As Blackbeard he kidnaps the supposed mistress (Linda Darnell) of a reformed pirate Henry Morgan (Torin Thatcher). Keith Andes is a doctor/spy trying to get the goods on Morgan. William Bendix is Blackbeard's (intentionally funny?) first mate Whorley and creepy Skelton Knaggs is another pirate. When the crew plan to bury a dead mate at sea Bendix says "For distance this time".
Irene Ryan (future granny on TV's THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES) is Darnell's boozy lady in waiting. Richard Egan is another "phony" pirate who helps Andes. Though Blackbeard talks crazy he always seems to get the drop on everyone but is undone by his own treachery when he tries to keep some hidden treasure for himself. There's a few lapses in plot especially when Andes character is whipped, has salt thrown on his wounds and is whipped again. Yet in the next scene he's feeling no ill effects. There's a lot of witty dialogue in between the romance. Blackbeard: "I be fishing for a rat". Whorley: Why? Are you hungry?". Usually tough guy Dick Wessell plays a Mexican pirate! Anthony Curuso is a pirate too.
Newton is kind of forgotten today despite having gained fame in the US playing another famous pirate Long John Silver on TV.
The same year as BLACKBEARD he played Javert in Lewis Milestone's version of LES MISERABLES. He had played Bill Sykes in the 1948 version of OLIVER TWIST. His early death at 50 in 1956 has been attributed to alcoholism.
Bendix was in A GIRL IN EVERY PORT with Groucho Marx the same year.
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