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After James Stewart's financial windfall attending his "percentage of profits" deal on Winchester 73, Errol Flynn decided to cash in by making his own deal with Universal Pictures, accepting a moderate fee up front and a huge chunk of the gross for Against All Flags. Set in the 16th century, the film casts Flynn as a British naval officer unjustly condemned for desertion. He escapes punishment and joins Anthony Quinn's pirate band, wherein he and Quinn vie for the attentions of glamorous female buccaneer Maureen O'Hara. Flynn incurs O'Hara's wrath when he rescues a lovely middle-eastern princess (Alice Kelley) from slave traders, but O'Hara still comes to Flynn's aid when he is left to die by Quinn. Flynn and O'Hara team up to thwart Quinn's evil schemes, whereupon it is revealed that Flynn's "disgrace" was a ruse, concocted by the British government to stem pirate activities in Madagascar. Though suffering several injuries during shooting, Errol Flynn was back in his old fighting form in Against All Flags, requiring a double only in a few scattered longshots. The film was poorly remade in 1967 as The King's Pirate, with Doug McClure inadequately filling Errol Flynn's seven-league boots. Hal Erickson
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The Buccaneer's Girl of the title, played by Yvonne de Carlo, is Deborah McCoy, an entertainer who's been around a bit. While visiting New Orleans, Deborah falls in love with aristocratic Frederick Baptiste (Philip Friend), who turns out to be a pirate. Baptiste is basically a decent fellow: his piracy is aimed exclusively at the crooked shipowner who destroyed his father. Deborah is a bit more mercenary, hoping to marry into wealth by posing as a high-born lady. By the seventh reel, however, she's perfectly content to settle down with the raffish Baptiste. Though played tongue-in-cheek, Buccaneer's Girl never resorts to "camp": it invites the audience to laugh with the film, rather than at it. Hal Erickson
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Double Crossbones is an unusually elaborate comedy vehicle for Donald O'Connor. Set in the Carolinas in the 18th century, the film casts O'Connor as Davy Crandall, a bumbling shopkeeper's apprentice. Davy's boss (Hayden Rourke) is in cahoots with the corrupt colonial governor (John Emery), who in turn deals directly with the pirates who sail in and out of port with impunity. Unfairly accused of piracy, Davy finds refuge on a buccaneer's boat. Through circumstances better seen than described, our hapless hero gains the reputation of being the boldest pirate on the Seven Seas. The stellar supporting cast includes Helena Carter as the heroine, Will Geer as O'Connor's aide-de-camp, and Hope Emerson, Alan Napier and Robert Barrat, cast respectively as notorious pirates Anne Bonney, Capt. Kidd and Henry Morgan. Hal Erickson
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The innate dignity of leading-man Jeff Chandler lends credibility to the swashbuckling proceedings of Yankee Buccaneer. Set during the early 19th century, the film casts Chandler as David Porter, commander of a U.S. frigate sent to the Caribbean to quell the activities of pirates and privateers. Disguising his vessel as a pirate ship, Porter is able to drift into dangerous waters with little or no resistance. The trick, of course, is to complete his mission and return to safety. Complicating matters is Scott Brady as Porter's reckless, irresponsible second-in-command -- Lieutenant David Farragut. Joseph Calleila co-stars as Count Del Prado, the Spanish governor of the West Indies who is secretly orchestrating the pirate activities. The requisite damsel-in-distress is played by Suzan Ball, a promising Universal contractee who died only three years later at the age of 24. Yankee Buccaneer was hastily filmed on sets originally constructed for Against All Flags (1952) while the star of the latter film, Errol Flynn, was recuperating from an injury. Hal Erickson
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