The Buccaneer (1958)

During the war of 1812, Louisiana buccaneer Jean Lafitte assists the Americans in defending New Orleans against the attacking British war fleet.

Director:

Anthony Quinn

Writers:

Harold Lamb, Jesse Lasky Jr. (as Jesse L. Lasky Jr.)

Stars:

Yul Brynner, Claire Bloom, Charles Boyer

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yul Brynner	...	Jean Lafitte
Claire Bloom	...	Bonnie Brown
Charles Boyer	...	Dominique You
Inger Stevens	...	Annette Claiborne
Henry Hull	...	Ezra Peavey
E.G. Marshall	...	Gov. William Claiborne
Charlton Heston	...	Gen. Andrew Jackson
Lorne Greene	...	Mercier
Ted de Corsia	...	Capt. Rumbo
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Collector of the Port
Robert F. Simon	...	Capt. Brown
Sir Lancelot	...	Scipio
Fran Jeffries	...	Cariba - Mawbee Girl
John Dierkes	...	Deacon
Ken Miller	...	Young Sentry

Storyline

During the War of 1812 against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: General Andrew Jackson has only 1,200 men left to defend New Orleans when he learns that a British fleet will arrive with 60 ships and 16,000 men to take the city. In this situation an island near the city becomes strategically important to both parties, but it's inhabited by the last big buccaneer: Jean Lafitte. Although Lafitte never attacks American ships, the governor hates him for selling merchandise without taxes - and is loved by the citizens for the same reason. When the big fight gets nearer, Lafitte is drawn between the fronts. His heart belongs to America, but his people urge him to join the party that's more likely to win.

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Plot Keywords:

musket | barataria bay louisiana | louisiana territory | bayou | begins with historical notes | 

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Taglines:

Yul Brynner and Charlton Heston in a Cecil B. DeMille spectacular!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cecil B. DeMille's original script developed the story as a musical, but that was changed when Yul Brynner, dissatisfied with the treatment of the material, threatened to back out of the film.

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Goofs

Andrew Jackson appears as he looked at the time of his Presidency: 62 years of age and white haired, just as on the twenty dollar bill. At the time of the Battle of New Orleans he was not yet 48 y/o, and he still had his original red hair.

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Quotes

Jean Lafitte: [Told by the British that a battle is coming and he *better* be on the winning side] Oh, the side I choose will be the winning side!

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Alternate Versions

Anthony Quinn, in his only outing as film director, had his cut of the picture received warmly by preview audiences, but his executive producer/father-in-law Cecil B. DeMille substantially re-edited the movie anyway. Quinn's version has not been seen since.

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Connections

Referenced in Hedda Hopper's Hollywood (1960)

User Reviews

Watch the film and make up your own mind

If you're at all interested in pirates, pirate movies, New Orleans/early 19th century American history, or Yul Brynner, see this film for yourself and make up your own mind about it. Don't be put off by various lacklustre reviews. My reaction to it was that it is entertaining, well acted (for the most part), has some very witty dialogue, and that it does an excellent job of portraying the charm, appeal and legendary fascination of the privateer Jean Lafitte. While not all the events in the film are historically accurate (can you show me any historical film that succeeds in this?), I feel the film is accurate in its treatment of the role Lafitte played in New Orleans' history, and the love-hate relationship between the "respectable" citizens of New Orleans and this outlaw who was one of the city's favorite sons. Don't worry about what the film doesn't do, but watch it for what it does do, i.e., for its study of one of New Orleans', and America's, most intriguing historical figures.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Buccaneer

Filming Locations:

New Iberia, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1