weezeralfalfa
Shiver me timbers! It's Captain Blood, The Black Swan, etc., in the guise of 'Bloodthirsty Dave', out to expose the corrupt Governor Elden, and win the heart of fair Lady Silvia, in Technicolor, no less. Unlike most of his other films, Don pretty much has to carry this film by himself, in terms of star power. This is not to say that the principal character actors are all faceless. They are all adequate for their roles. However, only Don provides the spark that makes this more than just another pirate story. Like most of the Hollywood pirate films of the '30s and '40s, there is a hero, who became a pirate leader only by default, and a beautiful royal princess who is under the thumb of an unscrupulous governor of one of the British colonies, and falls in love with the hero, necessitating her rescue from the clutches of the governor.Although this is a farcical pirate yarn, with abundant slapstick, in the manner of "The Princess and the Pirate" or "Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd", for example, it incorporates a surprising degree of historical relevancy. The corrupt Governor Elden , of the Carolinas, is based upon the historical governor Eden. As in the film, this governor and his cronies did sometimes have a conciliatory relationship with some pirates, most notably Blackbeard, and the pirate's booty was often disposed of in Charleston. As near the film ending, Eden did extend a conditional pardon offer to Blackbeard. He did accept it, but promptly violated the terms, as in the film. The Caribbean island of Tortuga was an infamous pirate hangout, has been included in a number of Hollywood pirate films, and is correctly located on the map in the film. Even the severing of the main mast of the governor's ship by a lucky cannon shot from Dave's ship might be seen as a transfer from the historical lucky severing of the main sail rope on Blackbeard's ship, crippling its maneuverability, and soon leading to his death. The transport of a ship full of prisoners, mostly debtors, from Charleston to VA is quite plausible, as prisoners and indentured servants were common immigrants to VA and MD in their early histories. These non-piratical prisoners become Dave's crew.Don, as Davey Crandall, initially a mere shopkeeper's assistant, morphs into 'Bloodthirsty Dave', touted as an infamous pirate, after being left with only his friend Tom Botts(Will Geer) on a ship, formerly commanded by 'Bloodthirsty Captain Ben'. The former captain and his crew vacated the ship after Dave shows them supposed smallpox pustules on his face, after drinking much rum and nearly being heaved overboard. Surely, the screenwriters could have come up with a more plausible scenario by which Dave and friend disposed of the pirates!Later, Davey takes on a 3rd guise, as Sir Jeffry Meriweather, with powdered wig, in order to gain entrance to the governor's premarital ball, to warn Lady Silvia that her husband-to-be is in cahoots with the pirates. Eventually, Dave is discovered and jailed to be hung. But, Lady Sylvia saves the day, allowing Dave to escape, while inducing his crew of 'pirates', along with a host of famous pirate captains and piratess Ann Bonney, to duel it out with the governor and his men on his ship. In the end. of course, 'Bloodthirsty Dave' reverts to Davey and presumably marries Lady Sylvia.I found it mostly an entertaining film, with enough, but not too much, slapstick. Yes, some of the scenes were way too far fetched. I disagree with those reviewers who say that Danny Kaye could have done a much more entertaining job than Don in his role. The two men did have remarkably similar entertainment attributes in most respects and looked rather similar. But, I think Danny could not have been significantly better, and perhaps not as good in some ways. He was also a dozen years older than Don, at near 40, thus perhaps not as spry in the more physically demanding scenes.Is this a musical comedy? The only significant musical aspect is Don's virtuoso performance in a Tortuga pirate hangout, entitled "Percy Had a Heart", after some preliminary dancing around on the establishment stage.I RATE THIS AS PERHAPS THE BEST VIRTUOSO PERFORMANCE OF HIS FILM CAREER. Certainly, the lyrics are more interesting than in his famous "Make Em Laugh" routine in "Singing in the Rain", released the following year, and the action, although different,is as interesting. At the end of this performance, we see one of the notable features of his "Make 'Em Laugh" performance: jumping high on a wall and doing a backward flip. This is the last of a series of bits of Don's previous performances that were sometimes modified and stitched together in making much of "Make 'Em Laugh". For example, dancing with a cloth dummy is seen in "Top Man", '44; the behind the couch bit is seen in "Something in the Wind", '47, and the terminal dive through a papery wall is seen in "Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' ", '48. Even the tune was recycled from the "Be a Clown" performance in the MGM "The Pirate", '48.I'm glad this is now viewable at You Tube, as are most of Don's films. It's also part of a Universal 4 pirate movie DVD package, recommended.
sorrowfulflower
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."
MARIO GAUCI
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?
