The Crimson Pirate
The Crimson Pirate is a 1952 British-American international co-production Technicolor tongue-in-cheek comedy-adventure film from Warner Bros. produced by Norman Deming and Harold Hecht, directed by Robert Siodmak, and starring Burt Lancaster, who also co-produced with Deming and Hecht. Co-starring in the film are Nick Cravat, Eva Bartok, Leslie Bradley, Torin Thatcher, and James Hayter. The film was shot in Ischia, the Bay of Naples and Teddington Studios. It makes the most of Lancaster's skills as a professional acrobat and his lifelong partnership with Cravat. Critics compared Lancaster favorably with Douglas Fairbanks Sr. The Crimson Pirate is set late in the 18th century, on the fictional Caribbean islands of San Pero and Cobra. A rebellion is underway on Cobra, led by the mysterious "El Libre". Pirate Captain Vallo captures the King's ship carrying His Majesty's envoy, Baron Gruda, on his way to crush the rebellion and destroy El Libre. Vallo proposes that they join forces to earn a fortune for the Captain and his buccaneer crew by infiltrating the rebels and betraying them for the reward. However, things do not go as planned after Vallo meets El Libre's beautiful daughter. Plot Late in the 18th century, Caribbean pirate Captain Vallo and his crew capture a frigate of the King's navy. The ship is carrying Baron Gruda, a special envoy of the King on his way to the island of Cobra to crush a rebellion led by a man known as El Libre. Baron Gruda and Vallo come to an agreement: Vallo will release the Baron and his crew, but keep the frigate. In return, they will capture El Libre and bring him to the Baron for a sizable reward. Vallo and his crew sail to Cobra, where the captain and his lieutenant, Ojo, go ashore and meet with the island's rebels, led by Pablo Murphy and El Libre's daughter Consuelo. Vallo and Ojo learn that El Libre has been captured and is in prison on the island of San Pero. After sailing to San Pero, Vallo impersonates the Baron and orders the prisoners released into his custody. Consuelo is distraught to hear that Vallo intends on selling her, El Libre, and the professor to Baron Gruda. Consuelo now begs Vallo to come with them, but he refuses. Vallo's first mate, Humble Bellows, overhears this exchange, and turns against his captain for breaking his word. Vallo lets El Libre and Consuelo leave, but the King's guards are waiting, and El Libre is killed and Consuelo is captured. The pirates mutiny against Vallo, and Humble Bellows is elected their new captain. Baron Gruda takes the pirates prisoner and forces Consuelo to agree to marry the governor of Cobra. Vallo intends to rescue Consuelo, but the professor convinces him to first enlist the island's cooperation. In order to defeat the well trained and well armed troops on Cobra, the professor have the rebels build a variety of futuristic weapons, such as tanks, Gatling guns, flamethrowers, a hot air balloon and a submarine. On the