Search - Black Pirate (1926) (Silent) (Spec) on DVD


Black Pirate (1926) (Silent) (Spec)
Black Pirate
1926
Actors: Douglas Fairbanks, Billie Dove, Anders Randolf, Donald Crisp, Tempe Pigott
Director: Albert Parker
Genres: Action & Adventure, Classics
NR     1999     1hr 28min

An unqualified masterpiece of the silent era, "The Black Pirate" is now restored to its original Technicolor splendor. Made at the height of Douglas Fairbanks' career, this grand-scale epic tells the story of Michel, the s...  more »

     
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Movie Details

Actors: Douglas Fairbanks, Billie Dove, Anders Randolf, Donald Crisp, Tempe Pigott
Director: Albert Parker
Creators: Douglas Fairbanks, Henry Sharp, William Nolan, Jack Cunningham
Genres: Action & Adventure, Classics
Sub-Genres: Classics, Silent Films
Studio: Image Entertainment
Format: DVD - Black and White,Color
DVD Release Date: 05/18/1999
Original Release Date: 03/08/1926
Theatrical Release Date: 03/08/1926
Release Year: 1999
Run Time: 1hr 28min
Screens: Black and White,Color
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 1
Edition: Special Edition
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
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Movie Reviews

Romance! Adventure! Swordfights!
Zack Davisson | Seattle, WA, USA | 04/09/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wahooo! Now this is a fun movie! I was totally taken by surprise. The swashbuckler of swashbucklers! "The Black Pirate" is the great grand-pappy of all pirate movies to come, and every possible genre convention is on display, be it sliding down the sail by splitting it with a dagger, or fencing several men at once, catching all of their blades with one parry. A lot of great films, such as "The Princess Bride," find their roots here in "The Black Pirate." This is like Disney's "Pirates of the Caribean" ride come to life, with the addition of dashing Douglas Fairbanks.Fairbanks is extrodinarily athletic, and it is incredible to watch his body in motion. They don't make 'em like that any more. He has the smile, the mustache and the skill with a blade. I imagine he would give a jaunty laugh in the midst of danger.Although it is a silent film, "The Black Pirate" is not black and white, but colored in a two-color Technicolor process. The color gives an excellent, sureal effect. The underwater scenes are amazing.Ahoy! Hoist the main sail and prepare to Broadside!"
A great talent in a wonderfully inventive movie
George Grellas | Cupertino, CA USA | 03/30/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Douglas Fairbanks was at the top of his form in this film, and that is saying a lot. Every era has its screen giants, and Fairbanks held that status throughout the 1920s through his cheerful heroics in such titles as The Three Musketeers, Robin Hood, The Thief of Bagdad, and The Black Pirate. Crowds loved his film persona because it was memorable: it was larger-than-life; it was splendidly imaginative; and it consistently showed good overcoming evil. Fairbanks perfectly depicted -- in 50-foot form on a big screen full of splendid sets -- acrobatics, stunts, and deeds of derring-do that no one of us could ever hope to do. Call it escapism, if you will, but it enraptured countless moviegoers historically drawn into this world of Mr. Fairbanks's fantasy epics. Here, as well, there is the added joy of seeing a film genre -- that of the pirate adventure -- at a time when fresh minds brought creative ideas and great craft to bear upon the films of their devising. What the viewer gets, then, is an original product that is vivid and memorable -- and not a tired recycling by lesser talents of uninventive themes and ideas. A viewer of this film, even on DVD, is wondrously drawn into an exotic and fascinating (indeed, even an early Technicolor) world and is held there firmly in place by the skilled and entertaining work of able craftsmen for the duration of the 85-minute running time. And, while so drawn in, one is also uplifted, if nothing else than by the very cheeriness of the star's persona. Unless one despises entertainment value as a legitimate goal of movie-making, there is nothing more that one could ask from a good film of this type. Nor should the age of the film, or its being a silent picture, deter any but those who are prejudiced. There is a reason why Douglas Fairbanks was made so wealthy by moviegoers that he was able to become a founder of United Artists. Whatever else there is, there is sort of magic at work in his best films. It is well worth the modern moviegoer's time, then, to see why this film created such excitement back in 1926. The DVD format makes all this vividly accessible. Highly recommended."
Fairbanks at his height
George Grellas | 06/10/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)

"This really qualifies as an epic, even though it is silent. Amazing special effects, excellent pirate costumes, a cast of characters that you wouldn't want to meet in broad daylight much less a dark alley. Very well acted, with a reasonably coherent plot. Also some underwater sequences that rival James Bond's! Fairbanks' acrobatics are terrific. One caution: you might be surprised at the goriness of some of the scenes, or what is assumed to take place off camera."
Fun
Zeta Thompson | USA | 05/25/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Black Pirate definitely set the tone for every pirate movie to follow. The stunts are fantastic, of course, and the plot - while perhaps predictable by today's standards - is still different enough to keep you interested.Basically, Douglas Fairbanks's ship is attacked by pirates, blown up and he & his father escape. His father dies later and Fairbanks vows he will avenge his death. The opportunity soon arises when the pirate crew arrives on the same island to bury their gold. Fairbanks offers to join their band and sets about proving himself worthy, first in a fight and then by taking over a ship single-handedly. Of course, he gets his revenge and The affection o f the princess, Billie Dove, held hostage by the pirates. Sam De Grasse as the resident evil character is foiled repeatedly in his attempts to despoil her by Fairbanks.The restoration of the film is well done and the musical score contributes to each scene. The added 19 minutes of outtakes and production photos, narrarated by Rudy Behlmer is fascinating - but at times a little too redundant. (I really don't need to see 15 takes of the same scene.) But the explanation of how the stunts were performed, as well as the background of the technicolor process makes it worth watching."