Synopsis for
The Pirate Movie (1982) More at IMDbPro »

The Pirate Movie is the celluloid version of Gilbert and Sullivan's famous musical, the Pirates of Penzance.

The movie begins with a pirate actor (Christopher Atkins) meeting a group of young women at one of his preformances. He invites one mousy young girl named Mable (Kristy McNichol) to go for a ride on his boat and bring some of her friends. Her friends take off with the actor and without her. In her desperate attempt to catch up with them she falls into the water and is knocked unconscious. She then begins to dream about the young man she met.

The dream sequence opens with a fight between two pirate ships. We are introduced to Fredric (Christopher Atkins) who is celebrating his 21st Birthday and at the end of his apprenticeship as a pirate.

At this time, Fredric expresses his view that his fellow pirates are rather pathetic at their chosen profession because they release ships they capture when the occupants are orphans. This "soft spot" arises from the apparent fact that the pirates of penance are also all orphans. Fredric goes on to state that he wishes to give up his life as a pirate and devote himself to ending the pirates' reign. He is then cast off the ship in a dingey.

After the argument, a group of women run onto the beach and Fredric, having never seen a woman other than Ruth (Maggie Kirkpatrick) before in his life, does not know how to approach them and scares all but one of them away. Mable and Fredric converse and quickly fall in love.

Fredric warns Mable of pirates near by but before they can run away, the pirates capture them and they intend to marry the girls and take them away aboard their ship. But Mable warns the pirates that their father is a Major General and he emerges on the scene a short time later.Having heard of the pirates of penzance and their "soft spot", the Major-General (Bill Kerr) pretends that he was an orphan and the pirates agree to release the group of girls. The pirates remain docked near by.

Mable and Frederic wish to be married. Unfortunately, there is a custom that requires the girls to marry in the order in which they were born. Mable has to be last. Her father also requests that the man she marry have money, which he does not have. Mable convinces her father to allow the marraige if Frederic recovers the treasure that was stolen from him by the pirates. Mable and Frederic sneak aboard the ship to abtain the map of the treasures location, which is tatood on the captains back. The recovery of the treasure wins Frederic the right to lead forces against the pirates impending attack.

When Frederic is later alone, he is confronted by the Pirate King (Ted Hamilton) and Ruth and they inform him that he's not actually 21 years of age because he was born in a leap year on 29 February and since his birthday only happens every four years, it will be another 60 years before he is actually 21. Fredric is convinced by Ruth and the Pirate King and agrees to rejoin the pirates because it is his duty. He then informs the Pirate King of the plans that the Major General has for the arrest of the pirates, to which the Pirate King vowes revenge.

Frederic then encounters Mabel and she pleads with him to stay. But to no avail and he stands by his duty to the pirates until his 21st birthday. He promises to return when his duty of service is over, but they will be very old then. In the meantime he must fight on the side of the pirates.

Mable informs the police that they will have to face the pirates without Fredric's assistance and that she will lead them. During this conversation, the pirates approach the Major-General's house. As the pirates approach, the police quickly hide in fear. (Note - the police are comically portrayed as tough talkers who exhibit fear and cowardliness when conflict is near).

As the conflict between the police and pirates grows, the conflict between the two lovers causes them to become enemies. As the Major-General quietly reflects on his guilt and conscience, the pirates launch an attack and the police rush to the Major-General's defense. But the police (who are only aided by the daughters) are defeated (comically) and the Pirate King imposes a sentence of death on the the captured Major General and the girls will be taken captive. They are interrupted by Mable's realization that it is her dream and she wants a happy ending. Mable matches up all her sisters with a pirate or a police officer.

The pirates and the young daughters are all joined together. Frederic and Mabel are reunited and married with the consent and pleasure of the Major-General and he consents to the "noble pirates" marrying his daughters.

Mable awakes from her dream in time to be rescued by the pirate actor she met on the pier (Christopher Atkins). They lived happily ever after and singing all the way.