Product Description

Notorious raider of the eighteenth century sea lanes, Captain Vallo, a.k.a. The Crimson Pirate, and his band of buccaneers overtake a Spanish galleon filled with guns and ammunition. When he decides to sell the stolen arsenal to rebel leader El Libre on the island of Cobra, the representative of Spain, Baron Gruda, offers Vallo 50,000 florins if he will deliver El Libre instead. Vallo is soon caught between the Spanish, the rebellion, and even the mutiny of his own men. But having allen in love with El Libre's daughter Consuelo, Vallo gains back his crew's trust and leads the island of Cobra to freedom.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14112 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-07-01
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Amazon.com
Released well after Douglas Fairbanks's and Errol Flynn's heydays, this good-natured Burt Lancaster vehicle is, nevertheless, a superior example of the classic swashbuckler: set in the 16th century, along the Spanish Main, this lusty adventure both expands on and explodes genre conventions. Lancaster, a circus acrobat before turning to movies in the '40s, gives what may be his most physical performance as sword-for-hire Captain Vallo, a.k.a. the Crimson Pirate.

Nick Cravat, Lancaster's real-life circus buddy, matches the star leap for leap, somersault for somersault as Vallo's mute sidekick. The fetching Eva Bartok causes Vallo to throw over the Spanish for rebel forces, and a young Christopher Lee demonstrates the swordsmanship that would later make him a natural in Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers.

Director Robert Siodmak, known for his claustrophobic noir thrillers (1946's The Killers), handled most of the interiors, while Lancaster coordinated the tongue-in-cheek humor and macho derring-do. The broadly played action scenes, including the climactic 18-minute battle aboard a frigate, wouldn't be improved on for another three decades--by Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark. The big difference: Harrison Ford needed a stunt double, Lancaster didn't. --Glenn Lovell

Customer Reviews

I did not receive this DVD
I know this great movie from way back. I have ordered it, but it did not arrive. I wish still to get it, and if this review has any influence, maybe it still can be organised to get it. Surely someone has it. It is totally unavailable here in Australia. The same with "The Yellow Rolls Royce"

Better than Pirates of the Caribbean
It was fun to watch Burt Lancaster frolic on the ropes of his sailing frigate. After watching serious roles that he played in Elmer Gantry, Mr. 880, the Train, Bird Man of Alcatraz, and Judgment at Nurenberg, it was refreshing to see him back recreating his days as an acrobat. He is like Sean Connery. Dashing when he was young, and handsome as he aged. His circus sidekick was also a delight to watch, and, as a team, they were unbeatable. Burt obviously loved this role, as he is smiling from start to finish. A real adventure.

Burt Lancaster at his funniest, totally outragious
Recomended for anyone with a sence of humor. I've loved this movie sence the first time I saw it, too many years ago to count. Sword fighting, brawling, and misplaced (timewise) inventions. All done to tickle your funny bone. Too bad they don't have six stars to rate this.