Captain Pirate
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Ralph Murphy
Louis Hayward
Patricia Medina
John Sutton
Charles Irwin
Ted Decorsia
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
On a West Indies island, former pirate Dr. Peter Blood leads a quiet life, but his occasional tending to the injuries of runaway slaves alarms his fiancée, Doña Isabela, and provokes the interest of Col. Ramsey of the colonizing British forces. British Captain Hilary Evans and Isabela's cousin, Don Ramon, report to Governor Henry Carlyle that the port of Cartagena has been sacked by a pirate ship, reportedly led by Peter. Carlyle, knowing of Ramsey's suspicions about Peter, has him arrested. When Isabela goes to Carlyle to plead for Peter, she learns that he is to stand trial for piracy. She reminds Carlyle that Peter was forced into piracy when he was falsely accused of disloyalty during the rebellion in England and sentenced to slavery in the West Indies, but was eventually awarded a full pardon by the crown. When Carlyle remains unmoved, Isabela seeks Peter's former first mate, Angus McVickers, and asks him to round up members of the old crew to band together to save their former captain. Evans takes charge of transporting Peter off the island and orders him kept in chains on board his ship, the Congo Queen . That evening, Isabela sails out to the Congo Queen to divert Evans, while Angus and his men slip aboard and overpower the crew. Once freed, Peter puts Isabela ashore, and the Congo Queen sets sail for Tortuga. As Peter puts Evans and his officers aboard a skiff with provisions, the Congo Queen meets another pirate ship captained by Peter's old friend, Tomas Velasquez. Curious about the extravagant jewels worn by Tomas' girl friend Celeste, Peter discovers the baubles were stolen from Cartagena and given to Celeste by Captain Easterling, who Tomas believes led the raid. As Peter heads to Martinque in search of Easterling, Isabela is arrested, tried and placed in prison on Puerto Bello, then awaits sentencing by the Spanish authorities for her involvement with Peter. In Martinque, meanwhile, Peter masquerades as a Dutch merchant to glean information from Easterling's girl friend Amanda, a tavern singer. Easterling sees through Peter's disguise, however, and when Peter goes to Amanda's rooms later, he finds her murdered by Easterling's henchman. Easterling confronts Peter and upon learning his identity and mission, confesses that a Frenchman named Coulevain from Santo Domingo led the Cartagena raid. Peter manages to escape, and in the struggle, Easterling shoots a guard and is arrested. Peter sets sail for Santo Domingo where, using another false identity, he seeks Madame Duval to learn of Coulevain's whereabouts. When Peter overhears that Coulevain is in need of a doctor, he offers his services, which convinces Madame Duval of his true identity. Intending to get the reward posted for Peter, Madame Duval summons the harbor police and gives him away. Disguised as the doctor's assistant, Peter tends to Coulevain on board his ship. Hearing Evans' voice nearby, Peter hides and learns that Evans is behind Coulevain's raid on Cartagena. Evans now orders the Frenchman to attack the newly arrived Spanish viceroy and seize his vast gold shipment in Puerto Bello. After Evans departs, Peter is forced to jump ship when he spots the harbor police on the pier. Reaching Tomas' ship, Peter makes plans with his friend to sneak into Puerto Bello as the military advisor to the new Spanish viceroy. In prison, Don Ramon offers Isabela a full pardon if she agrees to lure Peter to a meeting, but she refuses. Back on the Congo Queen , Peter arrives in Puerto Bello with his crew masquerading as paid British workers for the Spaniards. As the new military advisor, Peter informs the fortress commander that pirates are on the way to seize the viceroy's gold and orders the Congo Queen 's cannons hauled ashore to replace the smaller fortress cannons. Peter then orders the Congo Queen sunk in the harbor entrance and his mystified crew complies. Evans arrives near nightfall, having come over land and reveals Peter's identity to the viceroy. Peter informs the Spaniard that Coulevain is using Peter's name, but that he and Evans are the real pirates. Shortly afterward, a note from Coulevain's ship arrives, demanding the surrender of the fortress and signed with Peter's name. Evans kills the viceroy before he can begin the attack, but Peter takes command. A spectacular night battle begins, but, stopped by the sunken Congo Queen , Coulevain's ship sits directly in the fortress cannon's range and so is quickly destroyed. Peter and Evans battle each other and Evans dies falling from the high fortress walls. Later, Peter and Isabela are reunited and after receiving complete pardons, resume their wedding plans.
Director
Ralph Murphy
Cast
Louis Hayward
Patricia Medina
John Sutton
Charles Irwin
Ted Decorsia
Rex Evans
Malu Gatica
George Givot
Robert Mcneely
Nina Koshetz
Lester Matthews
Sven Hugo Borg
Sandro Giglio
Ian Wolfe
Jay Novello
Maurice Marsac
Genevieve Aumont
Mario Siletti
Robert Bice
David Hammond
Reed Howes
Martin Garralaga
Franklin Farnum
James Fairfax
Barry Brooks
Harry Martin
Peter Mamakos
Charles Heard
Dick Rich
John Halloran
Gerald Oliver Smith
Steve Darrell
Harry Cording
Irving Smith
Jack Chefe
Norman Leavitt
George Davis
Sam Pierce
Elray Harris
Diana Dawson
Charlita
Jack M. Williams
Ben Welden
Eorae Harris
Maurice Marks
Crew
George Brooks
Harry Joe Brown
Frank Burt
Clay Campbell
Francis Cugat
George Duning
Milton Feldman
Jack Goodrich
Gene Havlick
Helen Hunt
Charles Lawton Jr.
Robert Libott
Jean Louis
John Meredyth Lucas
Herbert Stewart
Morris Stoloff
Frank [a.] Tuttle
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Working titles of the film were Captain Blood, Fugitive and Captain Blood Returns. Captain Pirate was based on Captain Blood Returns, Rafael Sabatini's second novel about ficticious pirate "Peter Blood." His first novel, Captain Blood: His Odyssey, was the basis for the 1940 Warner Bros. film Captain Blood, which starred Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland and was directed by Michael Curtiz (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40). Other films featuring the "Captain Blood" character include Columbia Pictures' 1950 The Fortunes of Captain Blood, starring Louis Hayward and Patricia Medina and directed by Gordon Douglas (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1941-50), and the 1962 Paramount release Son of Captain Blood, starring Sean Flynn, Errol's son (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1961-70).
