Buccaneer's Girl

1950 "Universal-International's Fiery Swashbuckling Adventure!"
6.1| 1h17m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 01 March 1950 Released
Producted By: Universal International Pictures
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Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

A New Orleans performer loves a pirate who robs only from the shipowner who ruined his father.

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Reviews

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.
Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!
StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
JohnHowardReid Copyright 17 March 1950 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. New York opening at Loew's Criterion: 26 March 1950. U.S. release: March 1950. U.K. release through General Film Distributors: 13 March 1950. Australian release: 13 July 1950. 6,916 feet. 77 minutes.COMMENT: With a pirate hero who isn't too bloodthirsty and a villain who isn't too villainous, Buccaneer's Girl is a perfect contender for kiddies' matinees. No disadvantage either in its cargo of character players - or its script of pure drivel. Miss De Carlo "sings" in this one, but she does look great in period costumes - many thanks to Russell Metty's loving camerawork. Maestro Metty also richly embellishes De Cordova's competently ordinary direction, as well as the sets. Love the shot of Norman Lloyd in his black cloak.Lloyd of course makes a delicious henchman for our favorite villain Robert Douglas, who is in great form here. Alas, some of our other idols are not so well treated. Douglass Dumbrille is confined to a brief appearance at the beginning. We keep waiting for him to come back, but no luck. Maybe he was busy that day at M-G-M. John Qualen and Connie Gilchrist are also saddled with small spots in which they have no opportunities to shine. Henry Daniell is likewise wasted. Luckily, Elsa Lanchester has a decent part. As for Philip Friend, well he's much your usual third-string Stewart Granger. We can take him or leave him. All the same, there's a fair amount of action, including fist fights and swordplay. Plus nice color. Despite the silly story and its cruel waste of much acting talent, at least Buccaneer's Girl knows when its audience has had enough. Unlike most 2005 films, it doesn't run too long.
mark.waltz Sultry Yvonne De Carlo is the entire show in this colorful adventure that shows that women could be as tough as men when they needed to be, yet soft and feminine when it was time to return to being a woman. She stows away on a passenger ship, is taken to New Orleans by pirates, goes to work for a bordello madam, slaps a few society dames silly, ends up back on a pirate ship and ultimately gets a sword in her hand. It's all pretty silly stuff, and Yvonne, a more talented rival to Maria Montez, saves the day. Only rivaled perhaps by Maureen O'Hara when it comes to sultry female masculinity, is not going to be treated with disrespect. She stands up to madam Elsa Lanchaster, beats the crap out of disrespectful snob Andrea King, and wins the love of a handsome hero, Philip Friendly. A ton of familiar character actors make nice additions, including Douglas Dumbrille, Henry Daniell, Connie Gilchrist, Verna Felton and lesser known black character actress Hattie Noel, briefly singing a song about pralines. Ms. Noel had me in stitches as Joan Blondell's companion in the camp classic "Lady For a Night", and did a neat little shimmy to "Alice Blue Gown" in a film version of "Irene". De Carlo sings a few songs here, although I didn't recognize her voice as being the same as she did when she sang "I'm Still Here!" in "Follies". The film succeeds mainly on her personality, a delightfully manipulative ploy to make it appear better than it is.
Spikeopath Buccaneer's Girl is directed by Frederick De Cordova and jointly written by Samuel Golding, Joseph Hoffman, Joe May and Harold Shumate. It stars Yvonne De Carlo, Philip Friend, Robert Douglas, Elsa Lanchester and Henry Daniell. Music is scored by Walter Scharf and Technicolor cinematography is by Russell Metty.Avast yee lubbers on the Universal lot as the radiant De Carlo plays a spitfire gal finding her man amongst much jollification on the piratical high seas.Budget is cut close to the cloth, editing is C grade and the ending is so quick in coming you have to rewind just to check you didn't press the skip function on the remote control by mistake! While it's true, also, to say that the song and dance numbers inserted into the mix are badly choreographed and borderline embarrassing. This is one of those films where the trailer gives no real indication of just how jolly and cheap it is, a film that if I had paid at the cinema to see back on its release I would have been most annoyed. But many years later, with a pristine DVD transfer to sample along with a bottle of ice cold Chardonay? It's a pretty fun way to spend an hour and twenty minutes. On proviso, that is, you happen to be a fan of Technicolor swashbucklers made in knockabout fashion.Russell Metty's colour photography is gorgeous, so much so it deserves a better movie, while costuming (Yvonne Wood) is of a high standard, particularly for the ladies. The cast, a mixed set of performers for sure, make the light weight material work, with the likes of Lanchester, Daniell & Douglas seriously knowing what is required. Friend cuts a handsome figure with his immaculate ruff's and pencil moustache, and in supporting slots Jay C. Flippen and Norman Lloyd leave favourable impressions. Scharf scores it with standard skull and crossbones flavours, which in turn sits easily with the frothy nature of the beast, and the fight sequences, resplendent with cheapo weapon props, are far from the worst in the genre.With interesting twists and a good old sense of fun about it, there's enough here for the undemanding pirate fan to enjoy. Just don't expect the drama suggested by the trailer is all! 6/10
copper1963 Handsomely mounted Yvonne De Carlo potboiler from Universal-International, which perfectly showcases a bygone era of bloodthirsty pirates and snooty aristocrats. Phillip Friend secures and flourishes in the dual roles of Captain Kingston and the cutthroat Baptiste. He has just the right amount of swagger and glint in his eye to pull it off. I like how Kingston supports the "Seaman's Fund" with his stolen booty. He is very much like a 19th century version of Robin Hood. But it's all quite unbelievable, really. Can he keep his identity a secret from the elites? Well, Miss De Carlo knows his true identity, and it's "Baptiste/Kingston's job to convince her of his own sincerity and goodwill. As for De Carlo's "Debbie McCoy," she sings three songs (and dances), gets into five scrapes, and exhibits a high degree of skill for escaping dire predicaments. She radiates a keen comedic flair for the broad material. While watching this movie, I developed a feeling that she reminded me of someone else. But I couldn't place the thought until she is caught napping in a shopkeeper's vegetable closet. She chews on a carrot, roles her eyes, and strolls confidently away from the prickly situation involving the storekeeper, his jealous wife, and a constable. And the actress she reminded me of: Lucille Ball. She's that talented here.