Scarlet Buccaneer (1976)
"Swashbuckler" (original title)

A pirate and a hot-tempered noblewoman join forces to protect Jamaica from a tyrant.

Director:

James Goldstone

Writers:

Jeffrey Bloom, Paul Wheeler (story)

Stars:

Robert Shaw, James Earl Jones, Peter Boyle

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Shaw	...	Ned Lynch
James Earl Jones	...	Nick Debrett
Peter Boyle	...	Lord Durant
Geneviève Bujold	...	Jane Barnet
Beau Bridges	...	Major Folly
Geoffrey Holder	...	Cudjo
Avery Schreiber	...	Polonski
Tom Clancy	...	Mr. Moonbeam
Anjelica Huston	...	Woman of Dark Visage
Bernard Behrens	...	Sir James Barnet
Dorothy Tristan	...	Alice
Mark Baker	...	Lute Player
Kip Niven	...	Willard Culverwell
Tom Fitzsimmons	...	Corporal
Louisa Horton	...	Lady Barnet

Storyline

A pirate and a hot-tempered noblewoman join forces to protect Jamaica from a tyrant.

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Plot Keywords:

pirate | jamaica | tyrant | sword | despot | 

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Taglines:

The Grandest Pirate Movie Ever Made

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 July 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Buccaneer

Filming Locations:

Puerta Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Puerta Vallarta in Jalisco, Mexico doubled for 1718 Jamaica where the film is set. Jamaican locations were no longer authentic to the original setting of the period.

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Quotes

Nick: This girl is trouble, Ned. A pirate in love is like a fish out of water. Both are where they shouldn't be. But only the fish has sense enough to know it.

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Connections

Featured in A Pirate Ship Sails Again! The Making of Swashbuckler (1976)

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Soundtracks

"Hawl On The Bowline"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Arranged by Tom Clancy

User Reviews

Not the disaster I had heard it was

Pirate Ned Lynch (Robert Shaw) and his gang (including James Earl Jones) help Jane Barnet (Genevieve Bujold) fight evil Lord Durant (Peter Boyle).

This film has a very bad reputation. Critics hated it and it was a financial disaster at the box office. I can't figure out why. It's not perfect but it's not horrible. The bad things in it: Shaws' Irish accent makes some of his dialogue unintelligible; the scripts dialogue is aimed at kids; the character of Cudjo (Geoffrey Holder) is introduced--and then disappears for an hour!; ditto with Major Folly (Beau Bridges); the treatment of Bujold is horrible (and she acts very lost in this movie); there are some really strange kinky touches such as Bridges almost being tortured, Bujold's pointless nude swimming scene and Durant's bath with a young boy and having Anjelica Huston in the film...and giving her NO dialogue!

The good: With the exception of Bujold the cast is having a whale of a time (Bridges especially is enjoying himself); it's fun to see Jones so young and full of life; there's plenty of action (with some great sword fights); it's very lavishly produced and there's a rousing music score by John Addison.

Basically it's a fun way to kill of 100 minutes--I was never bored.

This is one of Hollywoods many failed attempts to revive the pirate movie. Through the 1980s and 90s they gave us --"The Island", Polanski's "Pirates", "The Pirate Movie" and "Cutthroat Island". All big budget bombs. Maybe Hollywood should give up (I'm not counting "Pirates of the Caribbean"--that was not a movie-it was an ad for a Disney theme park.)

Worth catching.