The Buccaneer (1938 film)

Last updated
The Buccaneer
Buccaneer1.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Cecil B. DeMille
Written by Jeanie MacPherson
(adaptation)
Screenplay by Edwin Justus Mayer
Harold Lamb
C. Gardner Sullivan
Based on Lyle Saxon
Produced byCecil B. DeMille
Starring Fredric March
Cinematography Victor Milner
Edited by Anne Bauchens
Music by George Antheil
Production
company
Paramount Pictures
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date
  • February 4, 1938 (1938-02-04)
Running time
126 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budgetover $1 million [1]
Box office$2 million (U.S. and Canada rentals) [2]

The Buccaneer is a 1938 American adventure film made by Paramount Pictures starring Fredric March and based on Jean Lafitte and the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. The picture was produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille from a screenplay by Harold Lamb, Edwin Justus Mayer and C. Gardner Sullivan adapted by Jeanie MacPherson from the 1930 novel Lafitte the Pirate by Lyle Saxon. The music score was by George Antheil and the cinematography by Victor Milner. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

The film stars Fredric March as Lafitte, Franciska Gaal and Akim Tamiroff with Margot Grahame, Walter Brennan, Ian Keith, Spring Byington, Douglass Dumbrille, Beulah Bondi and Anthony Quinn in supporting roles.

Cecil B. DeMille remade the film in 1958 in Technicolor and VistaVision with the same title, but because of ill health, he allowed Henry Wilcoxon, his longtime friend and associate, to produce it, and the film was directed by Anthony Quinn, who was his son-in-law at the time. DeMille received no screen credit, but did make a personal appearance in the prologue to the film, much as he did in The Ten Commandments two years prior. The 1958 version of The Buccaneer stars Yul Brynner, Charles Boyer and Claire Bloom, with Charlton Heston as Andrew Jackson. Douglass Dumbrille appeared in both versions and Quinn acted in the earlier version.

Plot

In the closing stages of the War of 1812, Dolly Madison (Spring Byington) evacuates the White House as the British Army arrives and burns Washington. Jean Lafitte (Fredric March) asks a young woman of good family, Annette de Remy (Margot Grahame), to marry him, but she asks him to give up his piracy first. He and his pirates set up a trading post in Louisiana in the swamp to sell luxury goods to New Orleans society that they have seized from foreign ships but have to suspend their sales when the governor, Ferdinand Claiborne, who has put a bounty on his head, appears with troops. Senator Crawford (Ian Keith) tells him that the British will offer him money to help them. Laffite leaves for the sea, where he finds one of his captains, Captain Brown (Robert Barrat), has seized the Corinthian, an American ship, contrary to his orders not to attack American ships, burning the ship and killing the crew and passengers. Laffite's man, Dominique You (Akim Tamiroff), saves the sole survivor, Gretchen (Franciska Gaal), who had been made to walk the plank by Brown so no witnesses remained, and Lafitte hangs the captain for disobeying orders. Lafitte spares Gretchen despite her potential as a hostile witness, and Gretchen works as his maid and falls in love with him, despite You being in love with her. The British, who are planning to attack New Orleans, offer Laffitte position and wealth if he will guide them through the swamps to the city and threaten to attack his stronghold if he does not. Although his men are willing, Lafitte's loyalty is to Louisiana, and he delays answering the British, instead warning the city authorities of the British plans. On Crawford's advice, Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson (Hugh Sothern), who leads the available American forces, does not trust Lafitte and instead attacks his stronghold in order to prevent him from aiding the English by capturing or killing his men, whom Lafitte has ordered not to resist. Meanwhile, Jackson decides to defend the city, though he has limited forces, despite Crawford's advice to surrender the city. Lafitte, who escaped from the attack, perseveres, appearing before Jackson in person and offering to supply him with flints and powder and provide experienced gunners to help defend the city if he will pardon his men. Jackson agrees to grant pardon after the forthcoming battle, although he will only promise to give Lafitte an hour's start from pursuit. Lafitte releases his men, killing Crawford in the process in a sword fight.

The entrenched American forces, with the help of Lafitte's artillery and gunners, mow down the advancing ranks of disciplined but overconfident British troops. At the victory ball, Gretchen is recognized as a passenger on the Corinthian and as wearing clothing and jewels from Annette's sister, who was a passenger on the ship. It is consequently revealed that Lafitte's men had sunk it, killing Annette's sister along with the other passengers and crew. Lafitte accepts ultimate responsibility for the tragedy and is only saved from a lynching by Jackson, who keeps his promise of giving Lafitte an hour's start. With Annette heartbroken, Lafitte leaves, reaching his ship safely, where he finds that Gretchen has stowed away.

Cast

1940, original program for movie The Buccaneer, playing in a local cinema in Prilep, Macedonia (Kingdom of Yugoslavia) 1940, Original program for movie The Buccaneer.jpg
1940, original program for movie The Buccaneer, playing in a local cinema in Prilep, Macedonia (Kingdom of Yugoslavia)

Reference in another film

The 1975 film The Day of the Locust used a fictionalized version of The Buccaneer's Hollywood premiere for its climactic finale.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Lafitte</span> French pirate and privateer

Jean Lafitte was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his older brother Pierre spelled their last name Laffite, but English language documents of the time used "Lafitte". This has become the common spelling in the United States, including places named after him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglass Dumbrille</span> Canadian-American actor (1889–1974)

Douglass Rupert Dumbrille was a Canadian actor who appeared regularly in films from the early 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akim Tamiroff</span> American actor (1899–1972)

Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character actors of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tamiroff developed a prolific career despite his thick accent, appearing in at least 80 motion pictures over a span of 37 years.

<i>The Buccaneer</i> (1958 film) 1958 film directed by Anthony Quinn

The Buccaneer is a 1958 pirate-war film made by Paramount Pictures starring Yul Brynner as Jean Lafitte, Charles Boyer and Claire Bloom. Charlton Heston played a supporting role as Andrew Jackson, the second time that Heston played Jackson, having portrayed him earlier in the 1953 film The President's Lady. The film was shot in Technicolor and VistaVision, the story takes place during the War of 1812, telling a heavily fictionalized version of how the privateer Lafitte helped in the Battle of New Orleans and how he had to choose between fighting for America or for the side most likely to win, the United Kingdom.

<i>Pardon My Past</i> 1945 film by Leslie Fenton

Pardon My Past is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Leslie Fenton and starring Fred MacMurray, Marguerite Chapman and Akim Tamiroff. The film is about a penniless veteran who gets mistaken for a millionaire by the latter's family and an unpaid bookie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margot Grahame</span> British actress (1911–1982)

Margot Grahame was an English actress most noted for starring in The Informer (1935) and The Three Musketeers (1935). She started acting in 1930 and made her last screen appearance in 1958.

<i>Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst</i> 1957 British film by Michael Anderson

Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst (1957) is a British war film that tells the story of the British sloop HMS Amethyst caught up in the Chinese Civil War and involved in the 1949 Yangtze Incident. Directed by Michael Anderson, it stars Richard Todd, William Hartnell, and Akim Tamiroff.

<i>Dangerous to Know</i> 1938 film by Robert Florey

Dangerous to Know is a 1938 American crime film directed by Robert Florey and starring Anna May Wong, Akim Tamiroff and Gail Patrick. The picture is based on British crime writer Edgar Wallace's hit 1930 play, On the Spot, which had been inspired by the career of Al Capone. Anna May Wong reprised her stage role from the New York production in the movie. The supporting cast features Lloyd Nolan and Anthony Quinn.

<i>Chained</i> (1934 film) 1934 film by Clarence Brown

Chained is a 1934 American drama film directed by Clarence Brown and starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable with supporting performances by Otto Kruger, Stuart Erwin, Una O'Connor and Akim Tamiroff. The screenplay was written by John Lee Mahin, Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich based upon a story by Edgar Selwyn. Ward Bond and Mickey Rooney appear briefly in uncredited roles.

<i>North West Mounted Police</i> (film) 1940 film by Cecil B. DeMille, Arthur Rosson

North West Mounted Police is a 1940 American epic north-western film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gary Cooper and Madeleine Carroll. Written by Alan Le May, Jesse Lasky Jr., and C. Gardner Sullivan, and based on the 1938 novel The Royal Canadian Mounted Police by R. C. Fetherstonhaugh, the film is about a Texas Ranger who joins forces with the North-West Mounted Police to put down a rebellion in the north-west prairies of Canada. The supporting cast features Paulette Goddard, Preston Foster, Robert Preston, Akim Tamiroff, Lon Chaney Jr. and George Bancroft. Regis Toomey, Richard Denning, Rod Cameron, and Robert Ryan make brief appearances in the film playing small roles.

<i>The Merry Widow</i> (1934 film) 1934 film by Ernst Lubitsch

The Merry Widow is a 1934 film adaptation of the 1905 operetta of the same name by Franz Lehár. The film was directed and produced by Ernst Lubitsch and stars Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald. A French-language version was produced at the same time and released in France the same year as La veuve joyeuse. Lorenz Hart and Gus Kahn wrote new English lyrics for some of Lehar's songs under the musical direction of Herbert Stothart.

<i>Black Magic</i> (1949 film) 1949 film

Black Magic is a 1949 Italian–American adventure drama film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Orson Welles, Nancy Guild and Akim Tamiroff. Set in the 18th century, it chronicles the life of Joseph Balsamo, an illusionist and charlatan who also went by the alias of Count Cagliostro. It is an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' 1848 novel Joseph Balsamo.

<i>You Know What Sailors Are</i> (1954 film) 1954 film

You Know What Sailors Are is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Donald Sinden, Michael Hordern, Bill Kerr, Dora Bryan and Akim Tamiroff. The screenplay by Peter Rogers was based on the 1951 novel Sylvester by Edward Hyams. It was shot at Pinewood Studios and on location around the Isle of Portland. The film's sets were designed by the art director George Provis.

<i>Buccaneers Girl</i> 1950 film by Frederick de Cordova

Buccaneer's Girl is a 1950 American Technicolor romantic adventure film directed by Frederick de Cordova starring Yvonne De Carlo and Philip Friend.

<i>My Girl Tisa</i> 1948 film by Elliott Nugent

My Girl Tisa is a 1948 American period drama film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Lilli Palmer, Sam Wanamaker and Akim Tamiroff. It is based on the play Ever the Beginning by Lucille S. Prumbs and Sara B. Smith.

<i>The Public Menace</i> 1935 film by Erle C. Kenton

The Public Menace is a 1935 American black-and-white romantic drama film starring Jean Arthur, George Murphy and Douglass Dumbrille. A newspaper reporter keeps losing and regaining his job due to a manicurist he is persuaded to marry.

<i>The Vulture</i> (1967 film) 1966 Canadian film by Lawrence Huntington

The Vulture is a 1967 horror film directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Robert Hutton, Akim Tamiroff, Broderick Crawford, and Diane Clare.

<i>Paris Honeymoon</i> 1939 film by Frank Tuttle

Paris Honeymoon is a 1939 American musical film directed by Frank Tuttle and written by Frank Butler and Don Hartman. The film stars Bing Crosby, Franciska Gaal, Akim Tamiroff, Shirley Ross, Edward Everett Horton and Ben Blue. Filming took place in Hollywood from May 23 to July 1938 and the film was released on January 27, 1939, by Paramount Pictures.

<i>The Soldier and the Lady</i> 1937 film directed by George Nicholls, Jr.

The Soldier and the Lady is the 1937 American adventure film version of the oft-produced 1876 Jules Verne novel, Michel Strogoff. Produced by Pandro S. Berman, he hired as his associate producer, Joseph Ermolieff. Ermolieff had produced two earlier versions of the film, Michel Strogoff in France, and The Czar's Courier in Germany, both released in 1936. Both the earlier films had starred the German actor Adolf Wohlbrück. Berman also imported Wohlbrück, changing his name to Anton Walbrook to have him star in the American version. Other stars of the film were Elizabeth Allan, Margot Grahame, Akim Tamiroff, Fay Bainter and Eric Blore. RKO Radio Pictures had purchased the rights to the French version of the movie, and used footage from that film in the American production. The film was released on April 9, 1937.

<i>Texas Rangers Ride Again</i> 1940 film

Texas Rangers Ride Again is a 1940 American Western film directed by James P. Hogan, written by William R. Lipman and Horace McCoy, and starring Ellen Drew, John Howard, Akim Tamiroff, May Robson, Broderick Crawford, Charley Grapewin, and John Miljan. It was released on December 13, 1940, by Paramount Pictures. It was a sequel to The Texas Rangers.

References

  1. ↑ "Top Films and Stars". Variety. 4 January 1939. p. 10. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  2. ↑ Cohn, Lawrence (October 15, 1990). "All-Time Film Rental Champs". Variety . p. M-148. ISSN   0042-2738.
  3. ↑ "The Buccaneer (1938)". filmsdefrance.com. Archived from the original on 2014-03-30. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  4. ↑ "The Buccaneer". historyonfilm.com. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  5. ↑ Axmaker, Sean. "The Buccaneer (1938)". tcm.com. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  6. ↑ Hal Erickson, Rovi. "The Buccaneer:Synopsis". movies.msn.com. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  7. ↑ Freese, Gene Scott (April 10, 2014). Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s: A Biographical Dictionary (2nd ed.). McFarland & Company. p. 75. ISBN   9780786476435.
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.