The Pirate (1948)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

Albert Hackett (screenplay) and
Frances Goodrich (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 June 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The great MGM musical romance

Plot:

A girl is engaged to the local richman, but meanwhile she has dreams about the legendary pirate Macoco...

Plot Keywords:

Pirate | Tightrope | Caribbean | Clown | Slapstick

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Judy Garland	...	Manuela
Gene Kelly	...	Serafin
Walter Slezak	...	Don Pedro Vargas
Gladys Cooper	...	Aunt Inez
Reginald Owen	...	The Advocate
George Zucco	...	The Viceroy
Fayard Nicholas	...	Specialty Dancer (as The Nicholas Brothers)
Harold Nicholas	...	Specialty Dancer (as The Nicholas Brothers)
Lester Allen	...	Uncle Capucho
Lola Deem	...	Isabella
Ellen Ross	...	Mercedes
Mary Jo Ellis	...	Lizarda
Jean Dean	...	Casilda
Marion Murray	...	Eloise
Ben Lessy	...	Gumbo
Jerry Bergen	...	Bolo
Val Setz	...	Juggler
The Gaudsmith Brothers	...	Poodle Act (scenes deleted) (as Gaudsmith Brothers)
Cully Richards	...	Trillo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lola Albright	...	One of Manuela's Friends (uncredited)
Marie Allison	...	'Nina' showgirl (uncredited)
Anne Beck	...	'Nina' showgirl (uncredited)
Oliver Blake	...	Baker (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Artist (uncredited)
George Chandler	...	Carriage driver (uncredited)
Bruce Cowling	...	Guard (uncredited)
Willa Pearl Curtis	...	Black maid (uncredited)
Peter Cusanelli	...	Jovial civilian (uncredited)
William Edmunds	...	Town clerk (uncredited)
George Emerson	...	Boatswain with parrot (uncredited)
Fred Gilman	...	Coachman (uncredited)
Suzette Harbin	...	Black maid (uncredited)
Jane Howard	...	'Nina' showgirl (uncredited)
Paul Maxey	...	Hotel manager (uncredited)
Jill Meredith	...	'Nina' showgirl (uncredited)
Aurora Navarro	...	Duenna (uncredited)
Jimmy Page	...	Black barber (uncredited)
Sharon Saunders	...	'Nina' showgirl (uncredited)
Dick Simmons	...	Captain (uncredited)
Dee Turnell	...	Louisa ('Nina' showgirl) (uncredited)
Irene Vernon	...	'Nina' showgirl (uncredited)
O.Z. Whitehead	...	Hurtada (uncredited)
Marie Windsor	...	Madame Lucia (uncredited)

Directed by
Vincente Minnelli

Writing credits
Albert Hackett		(screenplay) and
Frances Goodrich		(screenplay)
S.N. Behrman		(play)
Joseph Than		uncredited

Produced by
Arthur Freed	....	producer

Original Music by
Lennie Hayton		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.		(as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
Blanche Sewell

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Tom Keogh

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup artist
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hairstyle designer

Production Management
Al Shenberg	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wallace Worsley Jr.	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Arthur Krams	....	associate set decorator
Doris Lee	....	paintings

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
Norwood A. Fenton	....	sound (uncredited)
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Russell Saunders	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Borland	....	grip (uncredited)
Jerry Hester	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Sam Leavitt	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene	....	costume supervisor
Barbara Karinska	....	costume execution (as Karinska)

Music Department
Lennie Hayton	....	musical director

Other crew
Robert Alton	....	dance director
Henri Jaffa	....	associate technicolor color director
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Gene Kelly	....	dance director
Conrad Salinger	....	instrumental arrangements
Leslie H. Martinson	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• The Playwrights' Company  original stage production (as The Playwrights Producing Company)
• Theatre Guild  original stage production (as The Theatre Guild)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #12034) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

When one dance sequence was being rehearsed, Harold Nicholas was just going through the motions, and Gene Kelly accused him of not knowing the routine - so Nicholas danced the whole routine, alone, full-out and flawlessly. Kelly was speechless.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Gene Kelly first shouts 'MACOCO' during the fight with Don Pedro, his mouth is wide open but he never moves it to make the third syllable of the word.

Quotes:

Manuela: I wish you'd stop circling me. It's like talking to a top!

Movie Connections:

Featured in That's Entertainment! III (1994)

Soundtrack:

Mack the Black

Unusual and endearing swashbuckler

This film is an exciting offshoot of the old swashbucklers (with song and dance to boot). Consequently it has the adventurous, romantic elements of the old films as well as hilarious parodies of them. Garland sparkles -- she is spellbinding in the number Mack the Black. Kelly is in his prime and complements her beautifully, especially in the (rather one-sided) fight scene. Both Garland and Kelly grow out of their protagonist boundaries into character acting. Excellent dance numbers, especially Be A Clown with Kelly and the Nicholas Brothers.