The Pirate

Plot synopsis:
Manuela Alva (Judy Garland), who lives in the small Caribbean village of Calvados, dreams of being swept away by the legendary Pirate, Mack "the Black" Macoco. However, her aunt and uncle (who have raised her) insist that she marry the town mayor, the rotund and bullying Don Pedro (Walter Slezak).
Shortly before her wedding, Manuela visits a nearby town, Port Sebastian. A traveling circus has arrived, and Serafin (Gene Kelly), its handsome leader, flirts with all the girls in the song "Nina." When he encounters Manuela, however, he falls in love with her at first sight. Serafin compliments Manuela's beauty and begs her not to marry Don Pedro, but, angered, she hurries away. That night, however, Manuela cannot sleep, and she sneaks out to go see Serafin's show.
At the show, Serafin hypnotizes Manuela, thinking that she will admit she loves him. Instead, the hypnotized girl wildly sings and dances about her love for "Mack the Black." Serafin awakens Manuela with a kiss, and she flees in horror.
On Manuela's wedding day, the traveling players arrive in Calvados. Serafin begs Manuela to join his troupe, and asks her to admit that she loves him. Don Pedro, hearing noise in Manuela's room, arrives at her door, and asks Manuela to go away so that he can teach Serafin a lesson.
Serafin recognizes Don Pedro as Macoco, retired and obese. He blackmails Pedro with this information, swearing to tell it to Manuela if Don Pedro forbids the performers from putting on a show. Serafin then decides to pretend to be Macoco in order to win over Manuela. He reveals himself before the whole town as Macoco, then asks Manuela if she will come with him; she again refuses. Still, watching from her window as "Macoco" dances, she begins to daydream about the pirate. The next day, "Macoco" threatens to burn down the town if he cannot have Manuela. Finally, she happily agrees to go with him.
One of Serafin's troupe accidentally reveals Serafin's plan to Manuela. To get her revenge, she first pretends to seduce Serafin, then attacks him with words and hurtling objects. She accidentally knocks him out, then realizes that she loves him, and sings "You Can Do No Wrong."
Meanwhile, Don Pedro convinces the viceroy that Serafin is the real Macoco and should hang for it. He plants treasure in Serafin's prop trunk to make him look like a pirate. The army arrests Serafin, and Manuela's protests cannot free him. On the night of Serafin's hanging, Manuela finally gets to look at the false evidence, and recognizes a bracelet with the same design as the wedding ring that Pedro gave her, and realizes that Pedro is the pirate.
Serafin asks to do one last show before he is hanged, and sings and dances "Be a Clown" with two fellow troupe members (the Nicholas Brothers). As a finale, Serafin plans to hypnotize Don Pedro into admitting he is Macoco, but Manuela's aunt breaks the mirror that Serafin uses to hypnotize people. Panicked, Manuela pretends to be hypnotized and sings "Love of My Life," vowing everlasting devotion to Macoco. Don Pedro, jealous, reveals himself as the true Macoco and seizes Manuela. Serafin's troupe attacks Don Pedro with all the items and juggling balls, and the lovers embrace. Manuela joins Serafin's act and the film ends with the two of them singing a reprise of "Be a Clown."

Tags: cult, romantic

Review:
"The Pirate" shows how MGM dominated the musical genre with stars of the magnitude of Gene Kelly and Judy Garland under Vincente Minnelli's direction, and music by Cole Porter.The story is just a pretext to present the stars doing what they did best.
The revelations at the end and the happy conclusion gives the film a great finale.Gene Kelly and Judy Garland were at the peak of their careers.
THE PIRATE was the second of three films that Judy Garland and Gene Kelly appeared in together.
Gene Kelly is at the peak of his on screen charm and physical and dancing prowess as the witty Serafin and makes the Pirate Ballet fantasy a must see for musical fans and it goes without saying that his duet with Garland, "Be a Clown" is a classic.
Vincent Minnelli makes sumptuous use of color, costumes and settings in this lush MGM musical teaming Judy Garland and Gene Kelly in their prime.
The score may not be one of Cole Porter's best (in fact, Garland expressed her open dislike to the composer for some of her numbers), but just watch her do magic with 'Mack the Black' and 'Love of My Life'.
Though Gene Kelly is superb as the athletic strolling player Serafin, and is given some of the best dancing opportunities of his career, this is Miss Garland's film all the way.
How strange that it isn't better known.In one of their rare moments of scenic largesse, Metro released Garland from the small town confinements of Hardy--ville, and/or the sweet girl who makes it to Broadway with the corn stalks still in her suitcase, and gave her something of genuine wit and sophistication.For here, she is Manuela Alvarez, of the colonial Virgin Islands, a well born, cloistered 19th century maiden, (presumably convent educated, i.e., Gladys Cooper to Judy, "...we'll take refuge in the church!") whose only psychic escape from her self enclosure consists in fantasizing about the notorious pirate, "Mack the Black Macoco." That she is tricked into believing a dashing actor, Serafin (Kelly) is the real Macoco, while in fact he is none other than her lumpy affianced, Mayor Dom Pedro (Walter Slezak) is the spindle upon which this cinematic yarn spins its glories.And what phantasmagoric glories they are!
A storybook come to life but one which successfully combines the conventions of 19th century aristocratic propriety, (in which young women of quality do not walk out without their duennas) against 20th century show biz colloquialisms to great effect, (one thinks here of Mr. Kelly's delightful reference to a review in the "Trinidad Clarion comparing him to David Garrick","No Noose is Good Noose," and "You should try underplaying sometime." The players are at the top of their form: Mr. Kelly is in full command of his powers here: his partnering with the Nicholas Brothers in "Be a Clown," as well as the "Pirate Ballet" (in which he pivots with a javelin against a cinnabar sky lit with explosions) almost literally take ones breath away.But it is in "Ninia" that he achieves the most felicitous display of solo Terpsichore, with Robert Alton's choreography, Harry Stradling's fluid boom camera following his cat like moves over up and through the town, and the delightful Cole Porter lyric and melody, culminating in flamenco steps with torrid and tempting MGM contract dancers in and through the striped poles of a circular gazebo.Of Miss Garland enough cannot be said.
Thus, she claims the role and makes it her own.And who can forget the scene where she pretends to believe Serafin is Macoco once she has discovered the deception, "I can see us now, you with your cutlass in one hand and your compass in the other, shouting orders to your pirate crew, and I, I spurring you on to greater and greater achievements, won't that be magnificent?!" to which she pounds her fist against the table with sugar dipped venom.Musically she is also a delight from start to finish.Moreover, she has never been seen to such pictorial advantage in the post war period as she is here, gowned by Tom Keogh and Madame Karinska in one of the most arresting (and beaded!) wardrobes she ever wore on screen, and just as importantly, effectively coiffed throughout, (most particularly in the "Love of My Life" sequence where she is adorned with a coral diadem and matching earrings.) Similarly, her close-ups are meltingly lovely, such as the nightgown clad scene wherein she begs Gladys Cooper to take her to Port Sebastian, "I'll make him a good wife Aunt Inez--really." (what a vision in feminine charm she is here!) or slightly later when, clad in a broad brimmed straw hat she gazes upon the Caribbean, or perhaps best of all, with a conch shell at her ear, and under hypnosis, she whispers of Macoco to dazzled interlocutors.Supporting players are top of the mark, and it is interesting to see Garland interact with Gladys Cooper and horror veteran George Zucco.After it was completed, MGM relegated Garland back to formula vaudeville hokum, but thankfully "The Pirate" was already in the can.
Judy Garland may never have been so funny again (or had such a wonderfully over-the-top script to work with) as in "The Pirate." Her best scene by far comes toward the end, when she discovers that Gene Kelly is not the dashing pirate he's pretending to be.
They brought in Arthur Freed to produce, Vincente Minnelli to direct, with Judy Garland and Gene Kelly as stars.
Then, along comes Gene Kelly as a two-bit actor who falls for Manuela and tricks her, along with the entire Caribbean village, into thinking he is the notorious pirate Macoco, AKA Mack the Black.
Believe it or not, he was having trouble getting work in Hollywood and on Broadway when he signed with MGM for The Pirate.According to the George Eells biography of Porter, it was Gene Kelly who asked Porter to write a clown number for him and Judy Garland.
When i first saw this movie as a kid i absolutely loved it i own it now on video and it gets better with each viewing, the chemistry between Judy Garland and Gene Kelly is electrifying the pirate dance sequence is excellent along with the Mack the Black number, on some reviews people kept commenting about the paleness of the character as it being set in the Caribbean, well since it was made in the 1940's it was common to place white actors in such roles Jeanne Crain in Pinky.
Garland and Kelly are wonderful with their tongue-in-cheek characters,especially funny is the scene where they have a huge row, judy throwing things at gene.I find it a bit hard to believe that judy is this Spanish/Caribbean woman, could they not have used a little self tan?
Most of the numbers are excellent although Minnelli gets a little self indulgent with his style at times.This is enjoyable as it is rather satirical and doesn't contain any corny well used plots like many musicals of the time, however this is not as good as judy and gene's first outing 'for me and my gal'.It's a pity the first take of 'voodoo' isn't available, the one that made LB Mayer burn the film and gave gene a massive lecture on how to behave whilst dancing, it probably wouldn't be so shocking today.Not as good as classics such as 'meet me in st louis' and 'singin in the rain' but still ***** 5 stars..
Being a Judy Garland fan for four years now, I have always loved to watch her and Gene Kelly work together.
Judy Garland (26 years old at the time) plays Manuela Alva, a young girl in love with the legend of the pirate Mococo.
On the face of it the film has everything going for it -- Technicolor MGM production values, Cole Porter songs, Gene Kelly and Judy Garland as the stars, melodrama, athleticism, and homage to Douglas Fairbanks -- but somehow it fails to come together into a convincing whole.
There are a few chuckle-out-loud moments, but on the whole it suffers from the illusion that hammed-up acting is in itself sufficient to raise a laugh: as Serafin himself observes to his rival, ''Try understatement -- it's more effective.''It's *very* stagy, from the ill-tailored pantomime dresses to the total lack of location filming -- the single stock shot of the real sea makes this even more obvious -- the cartoon Spanish (half the cast pronounce the heroine's name laboriously as 'Man-yoo-ella', the other half as 'Man-weila', and her village is the improbably-christened Calvados) and the cheap special effects that have Kelly in one shot walking the tightrope with his teetering feet clearly failing to touch the wire, and dancing around a very fake donkey.
Kelly's dance sequences are effective, if largely divorced from the plot; Garland's songs less so, ranging from the forgettable to the embarrassing ('Mack the Black' and 'the CaRIBbean Sea' -- really!)Something might have been made of this property -- though not as a Judy Garland vehicle -- but Minnelli's 'The Pirate' isn't it.
You'd think that another Gene Kelly/Judy Garland movie, directed by Vincente Minnelli no less, would go down in history.
(Other highlights are Garland's vocals of "Love Of My Life" and "Mack The Black" and Kelly's stunning gazebo dance of "Nina.") The supporting cast is also fine, especially Walter Slezak's blow-hard (and delightfully awkward) mayor and Gladys Cooper's loving and delightfully frazzled Aunt Inez- who sometimes sounds like Glinda from 'The Wizard of Oz.' One comment that I'm surprised to read so much on this site is on the outdated (but well-meaning) casting of white actors as Caribbeans.
(Usually when I comment on this kind of thing, someone is always ready to counter with some kind of nasty 'race card' accusation and remind me that this was the way in films more than 60 years old, and I should just 'get over it.' Sure.) I can accept the premise of the cast for one main reason: Gene Kelly, using his considerable clout with the studio, made a point of racially integrating the background population in PIRATE's Caribbean exteriors (note all the people of color in the 'Port Sebastian' sequence just working for a living), and to specifically include the Nicholas Brothers in the film's athletic climax, "Be A Clown." (Whenever this film is shown in theaters, this number always gets spontaneous applause from the audience.) I'm delighted to see it run on TCM, and now on DVD home video..
Music is by Lennie Hayton and Cole Porter and cinematography by Harry Stradling Sr. Gene Kelly plays Serafin, an actor who poses as notorious pirate Macoco to win the heart of Manuela Alva (Garland) because she dreams of being swept away to a life of romantic adventure.
With gorgeous Technicolor photography opening the eyes fully, we get a full on energised Kelly performance (his dance with the Nicholas Brothers pumps the blood and taps the feet), Slezak doing a wonderful turn as the shifty Don Pedro who Manuela is being coerced into marrying, and a Pirate Ballet section of the film that is stunning in choreography and eye popping visuals.
Lackluster Vincente Minnelli musical starring his then-wife Judy Garland and Gene Kelly.
I would love to have seen this as a child - having only come across it as an adult it doesn't quite have the charm or greatness of other Kelly movies.The theatricality of "The Pirate" is too obvious - and dare I say, everyone is just playing a little too hard - especially Garland.
The dance numbers and the music are OK, but apart from the last 20 minutes this would be my least favorite - my children adore Gene Kelly and grew up watching "Singing in the Rain" but they weren't thrilled either with this.We wanted swashbuckling and got a traveling theater - Fine if you're in the mood, just don't expect full-on greatness, though parts shine..
I'm a fan of Judy Garland, Vincente Minnelli, and Gene Kelly, but this movie just left me cold.
Also, Judy and Gene yell constantly like screechy children.The plot is thin--which is par for the course for musicals--but it is not saved by impressive dance numbers or by memorable songs.
The Cole Porter score is brilliant, and there are several scenes that are knock-outs, among them Kelly's cute dance to "Nina", Garland's rousing "Mack the Black", the incredible Pirate Ballet, and of course, the classic "Be a Clown".
But while we can say that Esther's family or the Harvey House in those are rather idealized or exaggerated, they are by no means fantastic or surrealistic like such an imaginary Caribbean island where things like a pirate in his hot pants cutting ears off a bunny hat look like 'normal'.If such an intention can be misinterpreted even by a modern reviewer to make him to criticize the movie, based on ethnic demography of a typical Caribbean island, then it's hardly surprising to see why some audiences from the 40s found it to be 'over dramatic' or 'over the top', for example.As to the movie itself, I think I should give more credit to Gene Kelly than to Judy Garland even though I'm a big fan of the latter, and actually it was because of her that I first decided to watch this movie.Aside from the "Mack the Black" or "Be a Clown" numbers, which are nice but can't be said to be top notch, music scores of the movie aren't very impressive, so regretfully we don't have much occasion to appreciate Judy Garland's legendary talent.But as to Gene Kelly, the movie serves as a great showcase to prove that he's much more than a mere good looking actor with some tap dancing skills.
By adapting elements of ballet or even pole dancing, he tries to innovate the musical dancing to a whole new level, and sequences like "Nina" or the "Pirate Ballet" feels like a precursor to his later efforts which successfully enlarged and redefined the field.All in all, it's one of those movies which can be termed as a 'successful failure', which was successful in making a lasting impression with many bold and innovative attempts, and be a marketing flop for the very same reason.If there were a bit more memorable music numbers, which would give Judy Garland more chance to shine, it might have been remembered as one of a cult classic of MGM musicals..
For a musical with songs by Cole Porter starring Garland and Kelly, The Pirate turns into a bit of a slog.
Kelly dances with the Nicholas Brothers and coaxes Garland back to work, for a rousing finale.****** The Pirate (1948-03-27) Vincente Minnelli ~ Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, Walter Slezak, Gladys Cooper.
I love musicals, I love Gene Kelly and I love Judy Garland, so The Pirate looked like a perfect match.
The Pirate is a wonderful film and musical and showcases the talents of Kelly and Garland to perfection.The story is sharp and affectionate, and the dialogue and pace more than credible.
The choreography is dazzling, particularly in the Pirate ballet, and Gene Kelly and Judy Garland are both wonderful in their acting, singing and dancing and their chemistry is a treat.It is the music though that I love most about The Pirate.
It was obvious that MGM wanted a musical smash hit starring Gene Kelly and Judy Garland and directed by Garland's then husband, Vincente Minnelli.
Based on a non-musical play by S.N. Barnum, this Vincente Minnelli-directed showcase for stars Judy Garland and Gene Kelly concerns an orphaned girl in the Caribbean--about to be married off to a stodgy mayor--falling in love with a circus performer traveling through town.
It's good, but how can a Gene Kelly/Judy Garland movie with colorful sets and some fun numbers have fallen short of great?
Pirate, The (1948) ** 1/2 (out of 4)With stars Gene Kelly and Judy Garland, song writer Cole Porter and director Vincente Minnelli, you can tell MGM went all out on this production but it turned out to be a financial disaster and it didn't help matters that Garland was going through one of the most difficult periods of her life.
Wonderful Minnelli musical...with stars like Judy Garland and Gene Kelly, why isn't it better known?.
While Judy Garland's "The Wizard Of Oz" and "Meet Me In St Louis" are well-known and loved, and Gene Kelly's "Singin In The Rain" and "An American In Paris" are equally revered and adored, "The Pirate" slips under the radar.
With great musical numbers, a witty script and endearing, humorous and very charismatic performances from the two stars, it SHOULD be talked about more often.Garland (looking small and not entirely well, yet capable of producing gusto when needed!) plays the heroine Manuela, who is about to be married off to the rich mayor Don Pedro (Walter Slezak) of the fictional town of Calvados in the Caribbean.
The Pirate (1948) is about the ebullient actor Serafin (Gene Kelly) who comes to a small Caribbean town and falls hard for the romantic Manuela (Judy Garland).
I've seen the film twice and still fail to see the appeal.Don't get me wrong: I love Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, and Cole Porter.
Gene Kelly pretends to be Judy Garland's dream man, the notorious pirate Macoco.
It was also the first of 3 films starring Kelly that was directed by Judy's husband at the time: Vincente Minnelli.
Yes, this is another old MGM musical with Gene Kelly and Judy Garland, which is more an excuse for singing and dancing rather than plot.
For MGM's rendition of that comical battle of the sexes, they added songs, here by Cole Porter, and in their first pairing in six years, Gene Kelly and Judy Garland.
Garland gets a beautiful ballad, "Love of My Life", while Kelly gets the first chance for the public to hear one of Cole's most amusing film songs, "Be a Clown", reprised of course with Judy much later on.