Blackbeard's Ghost

Plot synopsis:
Steve Walker (Dean Jones) arrives in a Maryland seacoast town, to take the position of track coach at Godolphin College. The night of his arrival coincides with a charity bazaar at the hotel where he will be boarding — Blackbeard's Inn, named after the notorious English pirate Captain Edward Teach and now run by the Daughters of the Buccaneers, elderly descendants of the pirate's crew. The owners are attempting to pay off their mortgage to keep the inn from being bought by the local crime boss, Silky Seymour (Joby Baker), who wants to build a casino on the land. Steve quickly discovers his track team's shortcomings and runs afoul of the dean of Godolphin College, its football coach, and Seymour. He also makes the acquaintance of attractive Godolphin professor Jo Anne Baker (Suzanne Pleshette), who is anxious to help the elderly ladies save Blackbeard's Inn.
After a bidding war with the football coach at the charity auction, Steve wins an antique bed warmer once owned by Blackbeard's 10th wife, Aldetha Teach. Aldetha had a reputation of being a witch. Inside the hollow wooden handle of this bed warmer is hidden a book of magic spells that had once been the property of Aldetha. Steve recites, on a lark, a spell "to bring to your eyes and ears one who is bound in Limbo", unintentionally conjuring up the ghost of Blackbeard (Peter Ustinov), who appears as a socially-inappropriate drunkard, cursed by his wife to an existence in limbo unless he can perform a good deed.
Steve and Blackbeard are bound to one another by the power of the spell, and only the very reluctant Steve can see or hear the ghost. As a result, Steve must deal with the antics of the wayward pirate while attempting to revive Godolphin's track team and form a relationship with Jo Anne. Steve is falsely arrested for drunk driving when Blackbeard attempts to drive Steve's automobile, steering it like a pirate ship. Because the arresting officer can't see Blackbeard (and because Blackbeard riding the cop's motorcycle crashed it into a tree), Steve spends a night in jail. While in jail, Steve reminds Blackbeard that if he does a good deed, his curse will be broken. Steve asks Blackbeard for his treasure to help the Daughters of the Buccaneers save the inn, but Blackbeard admits that he spent all of the money. Steve decides not to trust Blackbeard.
Steve is released from jail the next morning due to lack of evidence, but is put on probation with the college, forced to win the big track meet or be fired from his position. The problem is that Steve's team is sorrowfully weak and ordinarily do not stand a chance at winning. Blackbeard is firmly told by Steve, more than once, not to interfere with the boys on his team; but Blackbeard creates further complications by stealing one of the Inn's mortgage payments and betting it on Steve's track team. Blackbeard's intention is to use his ghostly powers to help Godolphin win the track meet, and then use the winnings to pay the mortgage in full. Steve is at first outraged by the pirate's interference, but he decides the greater good is to win the money for the sake of the Inn. He also accepts the pirate's help in shaking down Silky Seymour and his thugs after Seymour refuses to pay out the winnings from the bet.
With the mortgage paid, Blackbeard has performed his good deed and is released from the curse. After Steve asks the ladies and Jo Anne to recite the spell, thereby rendering Blackbeard visible to them, Blackbeard bids them all a cordial goodbye and departs to join his former crew, leaving Steve and Jo Anne to pursue their future together.

Tags: romantic, action, comic

Review:
Peter Ustinov, is a great pirate for the kids to enjoy.A good Disney movie, and a great family movie..
Watching Blackbeard's Ghost yesterday put me in mind of the late Robert Newton and his portrayal of Blackbeard in a classic film from the Fifties.
And he dominates the film completely.Dean Jones who was Disney's major leading man at the time who played the roles Kurt Russell was too young for, borrows a great deal from that other actor, who's career Disney rejuvenated, Fred MacMurray.
In fact the similarities between this and Absent Minded Professor and Son of Flubber are too obvious to be missed.Still those were two pretty funny films and Blackbeard's Ghost is in a great tradition.
Dean Jones is the new track coach at Godolphin College and he stays at the inn that's run by the descendents of the crew of none other than Edward Teach better known as Blackbeard.
Blackbeard and is doings cause some romantic problems for Jones with Suzanne Pleshette, but in Disney tradition in the end the old buccaneer sets everything to right and escapes the limbo he's consigned to.For Peter Ustinov fans, this is a must.
Blackbeard's Ghost is a live action picture out of Walt Disney Studios and it's directed by Robert Stevenson.
Starring are Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, Suzanne Pleshette, Elsa Lanchester & Joby Baker.Plot finds Ustinov as the titular phantom of the title, who is suspended between worlds after a curse was put on him by his ex-wife.
Seems that only Steve can see the bluff old pirate, and apparently Blackbeard can only escape his curse if he does a good deed.
Good timing, then, since the old hotel run by the old ladies of Godolphin is under threat of closure from unscrupulous gambling gangster Silky Seymour (Baker) who wants to build a casino on the land.
In spite of the fact that they just can't get on, Blackbeard and Steve may just be good for each other.A perfect light hearted live action film for the young and the young at heart.
Looking a bit dated now on account of the advent of special effects, Blackbeard's Ghost none the less carries a weighty good against evil parable and brings on the laughter in spades as it goes.
Enter a bad boy coming good and the underdog sports team suddenly finding a new lease of life; aided wonderfully by Blackbeard during the film's funniest quarter.
The cast are inoffensive and pleasant, particularly Ustinov who is on full tilt pantomime overdrive, while the little devilish motif of cheating for the greater good finds Disney not hiding behind the syrup jar.Personally I laughed out loud on a number of occasions, most notably a cheerleader sequence that still has me giggling as I write this piece.
Funny and entertaining movie about a likable ghost excellently performed by the great Peter Ustinov.
Fun Disney-fantasy comedy about a pirate/ghost that returns to our time.
One of Disney's best live-action comedies , this stars Peter Ustinov in the title role as Blackbeard , he has been cursed by his spouse who was an evil witch , so that he will never die .
As the coach Steve and the gorgeous Jo Anne (Suzanne Pleshette ) help protect his descendants' home from being taken over by racketeers who want to make it casino , both of whom along with the 400-year-old ghost romp around in the motel threatened with closure.This slapstick fantasy Disney is plenty of adventure , imagination , comedy ad lots of fun .
I saw this movie on Easter Monday this year, I loved it, it has so many great jokes, mostly ghost jokes which were great.One of the most funniest movie, I have seen, I could not stop laughing.Blackbeard's Inn, a small hotel on the Carolina coast, is run by the Daughters of the Buccaneers, a group of little old ladies all claiming to be descendants of the notorious Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard.
Encouraged by Jo Anne Baker, a college instructor, Steve helps the old ladies' cause by buying an antique bed warmer at a charity auction and discovers that it was once owned by Blackbeard's 10th wife.
By accident, Steve conjures up the devilish pirate's spirit and persuades him to help the Daughters.After that he life is being turn upside down by this ghost, it some very funny scenes, then people starting to thinking that Steve is the one who is going crazy.Great comedy for the whole family..
The whole cast is up for a good laugh (I suspect Ustinov has something to do with this) and this gives the movie some swagger.
Disney have a great share of making joyous movies for a long time, every little movie they make shares laugh over my face, and BlackBeard's Ghost is no exception too.
There are many pirate movies but the way Peter Ustinov played Captain BlackBeard was not just hilarious; it was utter treat to watch him playing treacherous captain gone good.
This entertaining Disney comedy-fantasy drags at times, but its two major set pieces (the track championship and the final showdown) are worth watching.
Silly and a little overlong, but thanks to a stellar Peter Ustinov it is a very enjoyable film.
Peter Ustinov, a great actor, makes a very lively lead who is condemned to wander in limbo until he performs a good deed, and Dean Jones also does a good job.
Blackbeard's Ghost falls in to the latter category, probably due to the fact that it's not a musical and so fell under the radar of what was popular at the time, which is a shame as the film is absolutely wonderful.Herbie's Dean Jones stars at the straight man track coach who has come to a small town and inadvertently awakes the Ghost of the famous pirate.
The film is absolutely charming from start to finish and has some great set design - particularly the old pirate house, which is a place I'd LOVE to stay in.
The script is snappy, and while the bad guys are little more than caricatures, they serve the story well enough to carry what is the main draw of the film - that main draw being the absolutely tremendous Peter Ustinov!Ustinov is a well know character actor with a distinctive voice, but here he shows that comedy is without a doubt his forte as he effortlessly becomes the grizzled, grumbling and highly oddball pirate who makes an array of amusing noises.
Ustinov's delivery is razor sharp as he hilariously mumbles his way through the script as the rum loving and salty misfit who is spiritually attached to Jones' character.It's a shame that the film isn't so well known as the other live action Disney movies, becasue Ustinov undoubtedly gives one of the most charming performances of his career.This is a perfect Sunday film, and one which will make you laugh no matter what your age..
On the Carolina coast, Godolphin College's new track coach lodges at Blackbeard's Inn, run by the Daughters of the Buccaneers who claim to be descendants of the notorious pirate and who risk losing their hotel to the local mobster.While I ultimately enjoyed the film and found it to be pretty funny, it does take a while to get going.
Ustinov, Jones, and Pleshette elevate lightweight Disney comedy.
Dean Jones is the new track coach at a local college and after spending the night at Blackbeard's Inn, where he befriends the cantankerous ghost of Edward Teach, AKA Blackbeard, played by the always excellent Peter Ustinov, who then helps Jones and love interest Suzanne Pleshette secure money to save the hotel from being taken away by the bank (and gangsters).
Blackbeard's Ghost stars Dean Jones as GoDolphin College's new track coach.
Richard Deacon plays the Dean of the college and Suzanne Pleshette plays the psychology professor assigned to keep an eye on their new track coach once they notice he seems to be talking to himself a lot (although it is really to Peter Ustinov as Blackbeard, who is invisible to everybody else).
Ustinov does a great job with the character, taking full advantage of the opportunities he gets to show off his comedic skills, and Dean Jones does a sneaky good job too with the role he's given, playing the good man going crazy over dealing with the ghost he didn't sign up for.
No dirty words, no political agenda, just good old fashion fun.If Walt Disney were alive when this movie came out he would have put his stamp of improvement to it.
There is some great acting, especially by Peter Ustinov, playing the ghost of Blackbeard.
A feel-good Disney production, a priggish track-and-field coach (Jones) accidentally invokes the ghost of the centuries-old notorious pirate Blackbeard (Ustinov), who has been stuck in limbo eternally after death because of his 10th wife's vicious curse, while being only visible to the coach, Blackbeard needs to do something good to break the curse, so he decides to assist the coach's lame team to win the college competition (using his stunt of invisibility) in order to win the wager to pay back the bank mortgage and save the hereditary hotel which runs by Blackbeard's descendants (a gaggle of old ladies led by Lanchester).
I hadn't even realised I was laughing so much and it really is funny - mainly because of Peter Ustinov's wonderful comedic performance as the pirate Blackbeard's Ghost, but also the completely bonkers events that occur - particularly the madcap track and field competition, and the fight with the bad guys at the end in which fingers are used as guns to hilarious effect (you'd have to watch it to understand what I'm on about).
Though this movie isn't a well-known classic, it is still most certainly a shining example of why Disney films were once so enjoyable.
The movie features an interesting, offbeat plot of the new coach of a rather dismal track team unwittingly summons the ghost of the vicious pirate, Edward Teach (Peter Ustinov).
After centuries caught in limbo, the pirate has evolved into a lovable ne'r-do-well, and does his best to "help" his new companion, much to the consternation of the coach.Disney regulars Dean Jones, Suzanne Pleshette, Elsa Lanchester, George Murdock, and Richard Deacon star in this little gem.
They play their usual character types, but the move is truly made by Peter Ustinov, who plays the role perfectly.The movie features a lot of slapstick, though it's cleverly presented and plays host to wry dialogue.
Blackbeard's Ghost is a 1968 live-action fantasy comedy Disney film starring Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, and Suzanne Pleshette, directed by Robert Stevenson.
The Disney Channel aired this film until the late 1990s.Summary: Steve Walker (Dean Jones) arrives in the seacoast town of Godolphin, North Carolina, to take the position of track coach at the local college.
In quick succession, Steve discovers his track team's shortcomings and conflicts with the dean of Godolphin College, its football coach, and Seymour; but he also makes the acquaintance of an attractive Godolphin professor, Jo Anne Baker (Suzanne Pleshette), who is anxious to help the elderly women save the Inn. A bidding war with the football coach at the charity auction nets Steve an antique bed warmer, once owned by the wife of Captain Blackbeard (who is the spitting image of Jo Anne, and was a witch).
Steve recites one as a lark, unintentionally conjuring up the ghost of Blackbeard (Ustinov), who appears as a socially inappropriate drunkard whose wife cursed him to an existence in limbo unless he can perform a good deed.Questions: What kind of problems did Blackbeard have?
My thoughts: I love this movie and it was a Walt Disney classic.
Suzanne Pleshette role in this movie was good.
The new track-coach in town conjures up the ghost of an 18th century pirate; together they save an ancient inn from being taken over by crooked men who operate in rigged casinos.
Dean Jones and love-interest Suzanne Pleshette are an easy match, but blustery Peter Ustinov as the besotted spirit could use some lessons in subtlety.
Ustinov is entertaining as an infamous pirate in this slapstick Walt Disney comedy.
Of course when Dean fires his imaginary gun, it is Blackbeard's ghost who is knocking the bad guys over.Dean Jones makes any movie he is in, a lot of fun.
In this Walt Disney produced comedy, a track coach (Dean Jones) begins a new job coaching the "Godolphins", a team without a ghost of a chance of winning anything.
Dean Jones' charcter accidently finds a spell or 'conjuration' that brings back the 'ghost of Blackbeard' who gets involved in trying to save the home of his great-great granddaughters from the crooked gambler, and all types of antics follow.
Have a fun time as Peter Ustinov and Dean Jones frolic in "Blackbeard's Ghost."  An innocent family movie where Ustinov gives a demonstration on fun acting.
and this is not a really surprise because presence of Peter Ustinov is always great virtue for a movie.
Blackbeard's GhostFor a pirate from the 1600s, the biggest shock on the high seas today would have to be the treasure trove: human trafficking.And the while misplaced marauder in this comedy is interested in loot, it's for charity.When a college coach (Dean Jones) buys a bed warmer owned by the pirate Blackbeard's wife, he finds a book of incantations inside and recites one.In doing so, he resurrects the restless spirit of Blackbeard (Peter Ustinov), who has been cursed by his wife to remain in limbo until he performs a good deed.Deciding to help save the local inn, Blackbeard's bumbling antics instead expedite its transformation into a casino.
An optimistic take on the murderous pirate, Blackbeard's Ghost is a zany romp that doesn't skimp on classic live-action Disney charm.However, now that pirates are harmless, does that mean we can drink liquids with the Jolly Roger on them?
Three years later, I was buying tickets to "Bonnie and Clyde," "The Graduate," and "In the Heat of the Night," as well as imports from "Bedazzled" to "Closely Watched Trains." By 1968, I didn't even notice the release of "Blackbeard's Ghost." Today I appreciate vintage Disney movies not only for the purity of the nostalgia, but for the durability of the formula, and the skillful choice (if not use) of talent.
But while the others have logical plots, Blackbeard pushes the bounds of absurdity and actually becomes boring.And "Blackbeard's Ghost" for Peter Ustinov and Elsa Lanchester.
Its few other qualities lag far behind: the wildly creative sets for Blackbeard's Inn do look like they were assembled of jetsam (as the dialog says), and though Dean Jones is no Laurence Olivier (he's not even Fred Macmurray), he does a fine job as the dauntless straight man to Ustinov's spectral pirate..
The movie is is a great all around, has a good storie and the characters are absolutely perfect, specially peter Ustinov, is absolutely fantastic in the movie, haven't seen a more funny picture ever!!!.A truly funny picture dosen't try to be funny but it just is.
Recommend every one to see it.This is the story of black beard the ghost, whose wife put a curse on him, causing him to be stuck in limbo between the world of the living and dead i.e a Ghost, to be free of his curse he has to do a good deed which for Blackbeard is extremely difficult and all through the film goes wrong..
Blackbeard's Ghost is a terrific comic tale of what might happen if the great, terrible pirate captain came back but only to have a heart.Dean Jones gives a terrific comic performance and some of the sight gags are simply incredible, particularly a scene in which Blackbeard (Ustinov) makes the roulette table miraculously successful for Jones.This has always been a Disney classic, but I would venture to say it should be considered a comedy classic in general.I saw this first when I was about 10 and have loved it ever since..
Dean Jones and Peter Ustinov are hilarious together and the script seems to have more in common with a witty Moliere-era French farce than the usual live-action Disney fare.
to adequately showcase it's live action classics from the studio's golden age.all that tech talk aside,'Blackbeard's Ghost' has always been one of my favorite live action Disney fantasies.
with the (shall i say it?) stellar acting combination of Ustinov and Jones, 'Blackbeard' plays out like a Diney/fantasy version of Neil Simon's the 'Odd Couple'.
and if you are partial to Disney and slapstick, possibly a lot funnier.the performances by Ustinov and Jones are decidedly a focal point that drives the film and gives it it's most weighty substance.
Peter Ustinov has a ball and the rest of the cast are most enjoyable in this fun Disney flick which is ideal for young audiences.Director Robert Stevenson brings Ben Stahl's novel to the screen as he tells the story of legendary pirate Captain Blackbeard, who was cursed by his wicked wife to walk the earth in limbo until such a time as some small portion of good might be found in him.
Disney released similar films around the late sixties and early seventies including "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" with much success at the time.This enjoyable, merry fun also stars Elsa Lanchester, Dean Jones (of "Herbie" fame) and Suzanne Pleshette.Sunday, January 18, 1998 - Video.
"Blackbeard's Ghost" is one such storied film.
(The movie doesn't say which one, and the location and Godolphin College are fictional.)This is a children's film that has some very silly scenes.
Blackbeard's ghost, played well by Peter Ustinov, helps the track team of newly arrived coach, Steve Walker (played by Dean Jones), win an invitational track event between four schools.
The acting is OK, with good performances also by Suzanne Pleshette, Elsa Lanchester and others.
I just can't find words to say something bad about this movie, I mean it.How can one not give a single good laugh after seeing Blackbeard (Peter Unistov) put Steve Walker (Dean Jones) into trouble with a police officer?