Released in 1968, the 250th anniversary of the death of the real-life Blackbeard the Pirate, Edward Teach.
Peter Ustinov played the character of Blackbeard as a rollicking and somewhat "naughty" person, much different than the way the personage was characterized in the movie's source novel by Ben Stahl.
Although it is considered a minor entry in the Disney catalog, its total gross from the initial release was reportedly over $20,000,000, a very impressive take for the late 1960s.
As they march to the showdown with Silky Seymour, the song sung by Sir Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, and Suzanne Pleshette is "Heart of Oak' the official march of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.
Track coach Steve Walker (Dean Jones) discovers the book of magic spells; in the source Ben Stahl novel of the same name, the edition is found by two teenage boys.