That lovable old rascal, George Arliss, certainly got around in costume dramas, focusing on the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Between Disraeli, Voltaire, Alexander Hamilton, and Cardinal Richelieu, Arliss had played his share of historical characters on screen. Unfortunately, today most of his films are pretty much the same; he continuously sticks his thespian nose into government business, rises in power, and seems to spend more time working to reunite young lovers than he is in trying to accomplish anything to benefit society.
Arliss is pretty much doing the same thing here, playing vicar by day and pirate by night. This is a convoluted version of an often filmed tale, and after a great beginning where a pirate betrayer is left to rot on a deserted island (strapped to a pole so he can't escape), it moves quickly downward into an 80 minute long boring piece of British celluloid that is often difficult to watch due to an excessive number of characters and many convoluted plot twists. this seems more like a vehicle for British horror star Todd Slaughter rather than Arliss who concluded his film career here.
The young couple whom Arlisw sticks his nose into is played by the young Margaret Lockwood and John Litel, and a plot twist that is revealed three- quarters into the film is just too absurd to believe and to try considering Arliss is previous foray into these type of roles. While expertly crafted and beautifully filmed, It suffers from severe mood swings, sometimes appearing to be several pictures smashed into one, and ultimately ends up an eye rolling mess. this is also one of those British films where the variety of accents makes it often difficult for American audiences to completely understand, and that is rather distracting and ultimately takes away from the interest of seeing the plot fleshed out.
Arliss is pretty much doing the same thing here, playing vicar by day and pirate by night. This is a convoluted version of an often filmed tale, and after a great beginning where a pirate betrayer is left to rot on a deserted island (strapped to a pole so he can't escape), it moves quickly downward into an 80 minute long boring piece of British celluloid that is often difficult to watch due to an excessive number of characters and many convoluted plot twists. this seems more like a vehicle for British horror star Todd Slaughter rather than Arliss who concluded his film career here.
The young couple whom Arlisw sticks his nose into is played by the young Margaret Lockwood and John Litel, and a plot twist that is revealed three- quarters into the film is just too absurd to believe and to try considering Arliss is previous foray into these type of roles. While expertly crafted and beautifully filmed, It suffers from severe mood swings, sometimes appearing to be several pictures smashed into one, and ultimately ends up an eye rolling mess. this is also one of those British films where the variety of accents makes it often difficult for American audiences to completely understand, and that is rather distracting and ultimately takes away from the interest of seeing the plot fleshed out.