Clevercell Very disappointing...

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

weezeralfalfa 1948 was Gene Kelly's banner year for swashbuckling roles. Not only did he here play a combination of an itinerant gymnastic carnival actor and pirate imposter, he also starred in the non-musical "The 3 Musketeers". .....Having missed the opportunity to costar with Judy in "Easter Parade" that year, due to an injury, this was their second pairing, but the first photographed in color, and what color! It was also the first of 3 films starring Kelly that was directed by Judy's husband at the time: Vincente Minnelli. The second, 2 years later, was the Oscar-winning "An American in Paris", also a very colorful experience. Reportedly, Judy became increasing mentally unstable, missing many days, or being late, which put a strain on their marriage.......The screenplay is scripted to occur in Calvado: a town on a small Caribbean island, with it's many colorful people and costumes. Judy is cast as the unmarried Manuela, who lives with her aunt and uncle. Arrangements have been made for her to marry the plump middle-aged Don Pedro(well played by Walter Slezak), who is the new town mayor. But Manuela yearns for her imagined hero: the infamous pirate Macoco. She first encounters the athletic performer Serafin(Kelly) and his troupe at the wharf, as they arrive. He takes an immediate fancy to her. Upon learning of her infatuation with her imagined Mococo, Serafin decides to masquerade as the pirate: quite believable to Manuela. Later, we will meet the real Mococo, presently masquerading as one of the town folk. I will stop my introduction here......The tacked on finale centers on the tumbling, slapstick and singing associated with Cole Porter's new song : "Be a Clown". It's certainly the most memorable of Porter's scores composed for this film. It was done twice, with a brief interlude. First, Kelly teamed with the African American Nicholas Brothers: who specialized in gymnastic dancing and stunts. They were incorporated into several musicals in the '40s, but never before in an act that included a Caucasian. Although their version was cut out in copies sent to The South, many people found that combination unacceptable. Hence, they relocated to Europe until the Civil Rights revolution brought them back. The second version included Judy, with Kelly. This was more oriented toward slapstick rather than tumbling, and is the version seen in all copies. It was a great way to finish the story, with Manuela reinventing herself.......Four years later , the tune of "Be a Clown" was resurrected for "Singing in the Rain", with new lyrics by Arthur Freed. The result was the much remembered "Make 'Em Laugh" production, starring Donald O'Connor. Strangely, at the IMDB site for the present film, Nacio Brown is listed as the tune composer and Arthur Freed as the lyricist, published in 1948, rather than 1952! I don't imagine MGM cared much who got the credit for composing the tune, as they presumably owned the copyrights for both.

evanston_dad I don't expect a lot from my 1940s MGM musicals. I just want some color, both in the decor and the personalities, some catchy tunes, and a sense of humor. I don't need deep thoughts.So why does "The Pirate" fail so miserably? On paper, it's all of the above. Because, though I don't need complicated plots, I need SOME plot, and some characters to care about. I adore Judy Garland and she's adorable in this, but this is a wisp of a movie, barely able to justify the use of the film stock on which it was captured. Gene Kelly is exceedingly irritating; he mugs for the camera and overacts to the point where I can barely tolerate him. Cole Porter, who wrote the songs for this one, was phoning it in. For all of Kelly's manic prancing around, this film has no energy. Maybe it's unfair to compare a film like "The Pirate" to other classics from MGM's musical golden years, like "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Singin' in the Rain," or "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." But then I think, why is it unfair? The creators of this film had access to all the same talent, and in many cases WERE the same talent. No, this one is just a dud.Lennie Hayton received an Oscar nomination for scoring of a musical picture.Grade: C-

Hot 888 Mama Johnny Depp probably thinks he has the market cornered on people who have connected to both pirates (with his umpteen flicks based on the Disneyland ride) and Oz (with the latest remake of the movie about the Wizard's realm). However, Judy Garland again plays an orphan just-beyond-waif-years in THE PIRATE, nine years after she visited Oz as Dorothy Gale. The tropical island location where this story takes place is as much of a Never-Never Land as the one Peter Pan dominated. People here are constantly reinventing themselves, and everyone is free to "Be a Clown," as the show-stopping number of this musical suggests. Cole Porter is heard at his best here, and Gene Kelly as an ever-resourceful entertainer willing to risk his life for the woman he loves has seldom been better. Judy Garland often shines brightest when playing a character whose pride constantly is stepping on the toes of her possible happiness, and THE PIRATE epitomizes this sort of dilemma. Walter Slezak has perhaps the toughest role here, as the eventual patsy tricked into losing everything for the sake of HIS pride, and he pulls off the dual role of the mayor and the REAL pirate with great aplomb.

gkeith_1 Two Macocos. One real, one fake. One sexy, one an elephant. Judy all prissy, Gene way less shy, ala Summer Stock of 1950. Judy's aunt and uncle trying to get rid of her, for money reasons. How come people in lots of movies are orphans and being raised by relatives or grandparents, like Parris Mitchell in Kings Row? Even Drake McHugh of Kings Row had no parents.Loved the fear in Don Pedro's face when he was confronted by Serafin as being the real Macoco, the criminal wanted for tons of crimes on the seven seas. Slezak was a great actor. Uncle Capucho was a namby-pamby little man, dominated by Aunt Inez -- the actress who later played the mother of Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady -- Gladys Cooper.The huge plaid tam worn by Judy in the beginning of the movie clashed in a quite ugly manner with her patterned dress. Her red lipstick did stand out quite well, however. I did love her beautiful wedding dress and veil. She looked quite wonderful in this ensemble.Slezak dragging his foot backward twice, like a horse with a hoof problem, was gross to look at.The Nicholas Brothers were absolutely wonderful, as always. I did miss seeing their fabulous tap dancing, plus their major leaping and sliding. They were excellent with Gene Kelly, and upon further viewings I was able to find them earlier in the movie. I have seen clips of some of their other movies, mostly black and white, as I recall.I do love the colors in this movie. They are lush, warm and wonderful. The production design is superb.Lastly, Gene's physique was divine. I understand that he always did his own stunts. You know that tap is my favorite dance, and I have seen a lot of his tap dance movies. In Pirate, his athleticism is superb, from the muscular thighs in the pirate mast fire fantasy to Gene's walking the tightrope to Judy's balcony.And finally, the cigarette inside Gene's mouth was horrible to look at. I know that smoking cigarettes in those days was the in-thing to do. Those actors/roles were such great role models for younger people, right (not!)?