The directory «Plots»

«The Black Pirate»

The Black Pirate is a 1926 adventure silent film shot entirely in two-strip Technicolor about an adventurer and a "company" of pirates. It stars Douglas Fairbanks, Donald Crisp, Sam De Grasse, and Billie Dove.

The film begins by showing the looting of a ship already captured by the pirates after a substantial engagement. After making off with all possible valuables, the last pirate aboard fires a powder trail and dives overboard. Several minutes later, the ship is destroyed.

While the pirates make merry with their spoil, the two sole survivors wash up on an island, an old man and his son. Before dying, he gives his signet ring to his son. His son then carries him inland and buries him. Meanwhile, the captain and some of his closer lieutenants have been making toward the same island with "the richest part of the treasure". While they occupy themselves with taking the treasure to a well used cavern beneath a pond, the survivor carves out a declaration on a piece of driftwood: "MY FATHER I SOLEMNLY VOW TO BRING THY MURDERERS TO JUSTICE".

During the burial of the treasure, the captain suggestively counts off the other members of the party to his lieutenant and lays out 5 pistols — one per man. As the two of them prepare to fire on the remainder of the unsuspecting men, their attention is arrested by the appearance of the adventurer from over a ridge. They quickly prepare to meet him as he draws nearer. As one menacingly approaches him with a dirk, he calls a halt, stating his intent to join their Company of pirates.

At this one of the pirates, MacTavish, approaches him and asks him of his "qualeefeecations". He responds by asking who their best fighter is, a distinction all defer to the captain. He walks determinedly to him and in response to a contemptuous appraisal, slaps him. At this insult, the captain draws a dirk and cutlass, our adventurer snatches a cutlass from the ground and a swipes a dirk from another pirate, and they go at each other.

USA, 1984, Douglas Fairbanks as Black Pirate