There's a lot to be said for Amazon running this on prime. They got a pretty good shape copy as most of the technicolor is solid on . The only color thing I noted was a scene where some boats were pink, but am not sure why that snuck in since it was only one short clip. The film is designed as a B picture and is fast and breezy. It does do that as the 80 or so minutes go by in a hurry.
John Payne is solid in a script that leaves stuff to be desired he does come across quite well. Donna Reed in her early 30's here looks fine with dark hair playing a countess who somehow is not swept, but bullied off her feet by the gruff talking Barbarossa (Payne). I would rather have her off her feet at this age as she is ripe, this is not the TV Donna Reed at all.
The script is that the swashbuckling Pirate is wanted by an Arab with many wives to be killed. Then he starts stealing Spanish ships and arouses their anger. He signs up loyal men from slaves and dregs. Love the use of Lon Chaney Jr. as Peg Leg, the side kick and he makes the most of a limited support role. There's a boy child actor whose good too.
For all the pirate fun, the film seems to skip the conquest scenes and go straight to the parties. I figure it's because of a limited budget. The main battle scenes are near the end when Barbarossa decides to take Havana from the Spanish. While's it's not a great film, at least it's good fun though warning there's one scene where the Spanish act like baddies and kill a bunch of women and children looking for the Countess. The killings are not shown but the bodies are. Rare to see this type of scene in a Pirate film.
John Payne is solid in a script that leaves stuff to be desired he does come across quite well. Donna Reed in her early 30's here looks fine with dark hair playing a countess who somehow is not swept, but bullied off her feet by the gruff talking Barbarossa (Payne). I would rather have her off her feet at this age as she is ripe, this is not the TV Donna Reed at all.
The script is that the swashbuckling Pirate is wanted by an Arab with many wives to be killed. Then he starts stealing Spanish ships and arouses their anger. He signs up loyal men from slaves and dregs. Love the use of Lon Chaney Jr. as Peg Leg, the side kick and he makes the most of a limited support role. There's a boy child actor whose good too.
For all the pirate fun, the film seems to skip the conquest scenes and go straight to the parties. I figure it's because of a limited budget. The main battle scenes are near the end when Barbarossa decides to take Havana from the Spanish. While's it's not a great film, at least it's good fun though warning there's one scene where the Spanish act like baddies and kill a bunch of women and children looking for the Countess. The killings are not shown but the bodies are. Rare to see this type of scene in a Pirate film.