The Pirate (1948)

A girl is engaged to the local richman, but meanwhile she has dreams about the legendary pirate Macoco. A traveling singer falls in love with her and to impress her he poses as the pirate.

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

Albert Hackett (screenplay), Frances Goodrich (screenplay),

Stars:

Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Walter Slezak

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Judy Garland	...	Manuela
Gene Kelly	...	Serafin
Walter Slezak	...	Don Pedro Vargas
Gladys Cooper	...	Aunt Inez
Reginald Owen	...	The Advocate
George Zucco	...	The Viceroy
The Nicholas Brothers	...	Specialty Dance
Lester Allen	...	Uncle Capucho
Lola Deem	...	Isabella
Ellen Ross	...	Mercedes
Mary Jo Ellis	...	Lizarda
Jean Dean	...	Casilda
Marion Murray	...	Eloise
Ben Lessy	...	Gumbo
Jerry Bergen	...	Bolo

Storyline

A girl is engaged to the local richman, but meanwhile she has dreams about the legendary pirate Macoco. A traveling singer falls in love with her and to impress her he poses as the pirate.

---

Plot Keywords:

pirate | love | singer | husband wife relationship | fake moustache | 

---

Taglines:

The great MGM musical romance

---

Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Musical | Romance

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 June 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

A kalóz

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,700,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$2,956,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original script by Anita Loos and Joseph Than included a role for Lena Horne as a Caribbean dressmaker, which was later cut. Horne twice recorded Cole Porter's sensual movie ballad for Judy Garland, "Love of My Life": initially waxed by Lena for a 1948 MGM Records single; then sung in a Porter medley on the best-selling RCA Victor LP from 1957, "Lena Horne at the Waldorf Astoria", which has been reissued on CD by the Collectables label.

---

Goofs

When Manuela and Serafin first meet near the sea, the seam of the backdrop is visible.

---

Quotes

Serafin: [standing by the noose] Usually for our opening I perform a rope trick, but tonight under the circumstances, I will skip the rope.

---

Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Hist-o-Rama: Judy Garland (1962)

---

Soundtracks

"Love of My Life"
(uncredited)
Written by Cole Porter
Performed by Judy Garland

User Reviews

Unusual and endearing swashbuckler

This film is an exciting offshoot of the old swashbucklers (with song and dance to boot). Consequently it has the adventurous, romantic elements of the old films as well as hilarious parodies of them. Garland sparkles -- she is spellbinding in the number Mack the Black. Kelly is in his prime and complements her beautifully, especially in the (rather one-sided) fight scene. Both Garland and Kelly grow out of their protagonist boundaries into character acting. Excellent dance numbers, especially Be A Clown with Kelly and the Nicholas Brothers.