Falsely accused by the corrupt Governor Elden of Charleston of fencing stolen pirate booty, young Davey Crandall and friend Tom Botts buy passage on the ship of local buccaneer Bloodthirsty Ben. They avoid being killed by faking a case of the pox, which causes the panicked captain and crew to desert the ship. The two find themselves alone, and when a lucky cannon shot hits a mast on a British ship, they find themselves mistaken for pirates. They sail to Tortuga, where they recruit such notorious corsairs as Henry Morgan, Captain Kidd, Anne Bonney, and Blackbeard to lay siege to Chaleston and expose the villain Elden.
Acting
Donald O'Connor's elastic physical comedy carries the entire ship
Costume
Blackbeard and Anne Bonney looking like they raided a community theater
Writing
Somehow fits Henry Morgan AND Captain Kidd into 76 minutes
Director
Charles Barton
Donald O'Connor
Davey Crandall
Helena Carter
Lady Sylvia Copeland
Will Geer
Tom Botts
John Emery
Governor Elden
Stanley Logan
Lord Montrose
Kathryn Givney
Lady Montrose
Hayden Rorke
Malcolm Giles
Morgan Farley
Caleb Nicholas
Robert Barrat
Henry Morgan
Alan Napier
Capt. Kidd
Glenn Strange
Capt. Ben Avery
Hope Emerson
Mistress Ann Bonney
Charles McGraw
Capt. Ben Wickett
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Donald O'Connor filmed this between 'Francis the Talking Mule' movies, proving 1951 was his year of unhinged animal and pirate content.
This was part of Universal's strategy to recapture the swashbuckler magic of the 1930s, but with added songs because musicals were still commercially viable.
US
