Dancing Pirate (1936)

The story of a Boston dance teacher who gets shanghaied by buccaneers who might make his next steps be off the plank!

Director:

Lloyd Corrigan

Writers:

Ray Harris (screenplay), Francis Edward Faragoh (screenplay),

Stars:

Charles Collins, Frank Morgan, Steffi Duna

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charles Collins	...	Jonathan Pride
Frank Morgan	...	Mayor Don Emilio Perena
Steffi Duna	...	Serafina Perena
Luis Alberni	...	Pamfilo (the Jailer)
Victor Varconi	...	Don Balthazar (Monterey Captain of the Guards)
Jack La Rue	...	Lt. Chago (Baltazar's Aide)
Alma Real	...	Blanca (Serafina's Maid)
William V. Mong	...	Tecolote (Old Indian)
Mitchell Lewis	...	Pirate Chief
Julian Rivero	...	Shepherd
John Eberts	...	Mozo
The Royal Cansino Dancers	...	Dancers

Storyline

The story of a Boston dance teacher who gets shanghaied by buccaneers who might make his next steps be off the plank!

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Plot Keywords:

dance | teacher | song | swashbuckler | latin america | 

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Taglines:

The first dancing musical in 100% new Technicolor

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Music | Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 May 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dansande piraten

Filming Locations:

RKO-Pathé Studios - 9336 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pioneer Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Wide Range Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While this was the third feature film released in 3-strip Technicolor, it does not seem to survive in that form. Only incomplete 35mm negatives are known to exist, plus 16mm prints made in the 2-color Cinecolor process.

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Soundtracks

"Are you My Love?"
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Performed by Steffi Duna

User Reviews

A Forgotten L.A. Movie

The Dancing Pirate is worth watching for a several reasons: the over-the-top early Technicolor hues, the spectacular finale featuring the Royal Cansino Dancers (including a young Rita Hayworth) and a very small appearance at the beginning of the movie by Pat Ryan, later to be Pat Nixon. But more than these things, I like The Dancing Pirate as a forgotten movie about Los Angeles. The movie depicts a Boston dance teacher kidnapped by pirates who escapes into the sleepy Alta California village of La Paloma.

This is an obvious adaptation of the real-life story of Joseph Chapman. Chapman, originally from Boston, deserted Hippolyte de Bouchard's piratical coastal raiding party to become the first yanqui resident of Los Angeles in 1818. Chapman, like the character in the movie, became a solid citizen of the little pueblo. Unlike the character in the movie, there's no historical evidence that Chapman could dance, however.