The Pirate (1948)
-
71% of critics liked it
(14 reviews) -
72% of users liked it
(5,034 ratings)
When Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne appeared in S. N. Behrmann's The Pirate on Broadway, there were no musical numbers whatsoever. But with Gene Kelly and Judy Garland in the leading roles of the 1948 filmization of The Pirate, the MGM production staff would have been drawn and quartered had… More When Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne appeared in S. N. Behrmann's The Pirate on Broadway, there were no musical numbers whatsoever. But with Gene Kelly and Judy Garland in the leading roles of the 1948 filmization of The Pirate, the MGM production staff would have been drawn and quartered had there not been song after song. The story is merely serviceable: on a Caribbean isle in the early 19th century, sheltered young Garland comes to believe that travelling troubadour Kelly is in reality "Mack the Black," a notorious pirate. Kelly realizes that the surest way to win Garland's heart is to impersonate the romantic buccaneer, and this is what he does--nearly getting himself hanged in the process. Cole Porter's marvelous score yielded only one bona-fide hit: "Be a Clown", which has practically nothing to do with the storyline, but do you care? Highlights include the magnificently staged "Mack the Black," a heady combination of Broadway glitz and Caligariesque nightmare. Seven MGM screenwriters toiled away on The Pirate, though only the team of Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich were credited. While The Pirate was not a huge moneymaker on its first release, it has since been embraced by the cultists, who apparently can never get enough of Judy Garland. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Vincente Minnelli
- Written By
- Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich, Anita Loos
- Genres
- Action & Adventure, Romance, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics, Comedy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- May 20, 1948 Limited
- Studio
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Critic Reviews
-
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Like a warm-up to An American in Paris (1951).
-
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...a big, splashy musical in the traditional MGM style, but it is also more baroque, more flamboyant, yet more modern in its approach than most of the studio's musicals.
-
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...it does a lot better with its singing, dancing, and staging than it does with its acting, characterizations, and storytelling.
-
Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine
A fine disc of a strange film.
-
Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine
The Pirate takes place in some Caribbean of the mind, with lots of shadows and lace and high mantillas, and it's all about the promise of sex; the film keeps tapping into a nervous, adolescent sort of fear and desire.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
UltraViolet Retailers
Other Retailers
Not Available
Subscription Services
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Cast
-
Lester Allen
as Uncle Capucho
-
Judy Garland
as Manuela
-
Gene Kelly
as Serafin
-
Jerry Bergen
as Bolo
-
Walter Slezak
as Don Pedro Vargas
-
Gladys Cooper
as Aunt Inez
-
Jean Dean
as Casilda
-
Reginald Owen
as The Advocate
-
Lola Deem
as Isabella
-
George Zucco
as The Viceroy
-
Mary Jo Ellis
as Lizarda
-
Ben Lessy
as Gumbo
-
Marion Murray
as Eloise
-
Cully Richards
as Trillo
-
Ellen Ross
as Mercedes
- Fayard Nicholas
- Harold Nicholas
