Deborah McCoy, a New Orleans singer, is on a ship that is captured by the forces of the pirate captain Fredric Baptiste. Baptiste keeps McCoy captive but she escapes in New Orleans and is hired as a singer by Mme. Brizar, the proprietor of a school for young ladies.
Deborah is sent to a party held by Captain Robert Kingston, the head of the Seaman's Fund. Robert is also Baptiste. She discovers that Baptiste uses his piracy activities to subsidise the Fund, which supports local seamen. Robert is engaged to Arlene Villon.
The businessman Narbonne discovers Baptiste's ruse and sets a trap for him. Deborah overhears this and joins Baptiste on the open seas. They attack Narbonne's ships.
Baptiste is captured by Narbonne but Deborah helps him escape.
The film was originally known as Mademoiselle McCoy and the Pirates. In May 1949 Joseph Hoffman was hired to work on the script.[4]
It appears to have always been considered a vehicle for Yvonne De Carlo. Paul Christian was originally announced as her co-star.[5] Christian ended up being replaced by Philip Friend, who was cast on the basis of his performance in another Universal film, Sword in the Desert (1949).
Robert Douglas was cast as the lead villain in the film, the first of a three-picture contract he made with Universal.[6]
Filming began July 1949.
The supporting cast included Ethel Ince, widow of John Ince, playing her first role in thirty years.[7]
When asked about the film, De Carlo said, "What a dilly! I had six knock down, drag out fights in that one. And I was just recuperating from an operation."[8]
Reception
De Carlo wrote in her memoirs that while she was touring Argentina, she got a phone call from Eva Perón praising her movies, particularly Buccaneer's Girl. De Carlo wrote, "It later dawned on me that she could identify with the character of Deborah McCoy, who capitalized on her position as a prostitute to move up into high society."[9]
Dudley Early of Austin American-Statesman said that "[...] this highly improbable tale fails to click despite its presentation."[10]
↑ "Yvonne De Carlo Wields Mean Cutlass as Pirate" Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times, 16 March 1950: A9
↑ Brady, Thomas F. (11 June 1949). "COLUMBIA NAMES LEADS FOR MOVIE: Broderick Crawford and John Ireland in 'Tougher They Come,' Story About Sea". New York Times. p.11.
↑ "Looking at Hollywood" Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune, 21 June 1949: 19.
↑ "FELDMAN WORKING ON FOUR PICTURES: 'Silver Whistle,' 'Wayward Bus,' 'Finian's Rainbow' and 'Tender Mercy' Are Projects" by THOMAS F. BRADY Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times 30 June 1949: 19.
↑ "Garfield to Do Story of Toscanini Protege; Wyler Gets Gotham Hit" SCALLERT, EDWIN. Los Angeles Times, 22 July 1949: 13
↑ Hopper, Hedda (29 January 1950). "Yvonne, the Wanderer". Chicago Daily Tribune. p.C22.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
