Product Details

• Actors: Burt Lancaster, Nick Cravat, Eva Bartok, Torin Thatcher, James Hayter
• Directors: Robert Siodmak
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: November 10, 1993
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300269795
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #687 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  #1 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Action Stars > Bruce Lee
  #2 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Action Stars > Burt Lancaster
  #5 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Swashbucklers

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Released well after Douglas Fairbanks's and Errol Flynn's heydays, this good-natured Burt Lancaster vehicle is, nevertheless, a superior example of the classic swashbuckler: set in the 16th century, along the Spanish Main, this lusty adventure both expands on and explodes genre conventions. Lancaster, a circus acrobat before turning to movies in the '40s, gives what may be his most physical performance as sword-for-hire Captain Vallo, a.k.a. the Crimson Pirate.

Nick Cravat, Lancaster's real-life circus buddy, matches the star leap for leap, somersault for somersault as Vallo's mute sidekick. The fetching Eva Bartok causes Vallo to throw over the Spanish for rebel forces, and a young Christopher Lee demonstrates the swordsmanship that would later make him a natural in Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers.

Director Robert Siodmak, known for his claustrophobic noir thrillers (1946's The Killers), handled most of the interiors, while Lancaster coordinated the tongue-in-cheek humor and macho derring-do. The broadly played action scenes, including the climactic 18-minute battle aboard a frigate, wouldn't be improved on for another three decades--by Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark. The big difference: Harrison Ford needed a stunt double, Lancaster didn't. --Glenn Lovell

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pirate comedy at it best!, December 15, 2003

By	Deborah MacGillivray "Author," (US & UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Crimson Pirate (DVD)

Fans of Bloom and Deep's Pirates of the Caribbean, should check out pirate camp is done by the old pro Burt Lancaster. This is one riotously funny movie with Burt Lancaster and partner Nick Cravat (they were real partners in a circus act, childhood pals, before breaking into film!) and they get to strut them stuff in this really great film. Lancaster and Cravat play Pirates, in the true tradition, and while tweaking the local authorities nose and robing them blind, they come across Consuelo (Eva Bartok). She is the daughter of a local rebel who they are going to hang and she wants Lancaster to help free him. Tossing
James Hayter's absentminded Professor Prudence and Christopher Lee (an actual sword-fighter!! - watch Saruman in his younger days!!) you get all the perfect mix for slapstick humour at its best.

A long neglected classic and is fun for the whole family.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars CRIMSON LANCASTER, THRILLING PIRATE CAPER, July 10, 2003

By	Nix Pix (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Crimson Pirate (DVD)

"The Crimson Pirate" is the film that really cemented Burt Lancaster's career in Hollywood as a major player. Aside from the fact that Burt does all of his own stunt work - some of it so harrowing I almost had to close my eyes, this nimble, garishly colorful and thoroughly captivating spectacle really grabs the viewer in. Burt plays a pirate, out for revenge and gold. Stop me if you've heard this one before. But the script moves the story along with witty dialogue and plenty of eye boggling acrobatic routines that will leave you thrilling for more.
Warner Home Video has given us a nice looking DVD. Though age related artifacts are present throughout the transfer, colors are nevertheless rich, bold and well balanced. The film has a decidely "warm" look to it with flesh tones that are perhaps a bit too orangy. But oh, how the Technicolor photography will simply take your breath away. Edge enhancement, shimmering and minor pixelization are all present but at extremely low levels. The audio is mono but nicely cleaned up and well balanced.
EXTRAS: NOT A ONE. I have to say that I'm not really happy with Warner's classic DVD policy of late. While many of the Warner Titles from the library get extra features packed into them the MGM titles of late are generally getting shafted with substandard transfers and no extras (Father of the Bride and Broadway Melody of 1940 come immediately to mind). A classic is a classic, no matter the studio that originally made it. Do them all right or don't do them at all!
BOTTOM LINE: This is the swashbuckler to get. Aside from "Scaramouche", which is bar none, the best sword play movie in this latest crop of Warner DVD's, "The Crimson Pirate" will certainly not let you down and the transfer is pretty good besides!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The swashbucklers return!, July 20, 2003

By	Daniel Waitkoss (St. Charles, Missouri USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Crimson Pirate (DVD)

OK, the wait is over. Finally someone has decided to bring the classic swashbucklers to the DVD medium and it is about time. "The Crimson Pirate" is one of two Lancaster swashbucklers--the other is "The Flame and the Arrow"--and a wonderful mixture of comedy and acrobats. While not on a par with the older Flynn/Tyrone Power epics, "Pirate" stands above most of the pirate films of the late 1940s and 1950s. It is not to be missed by any fan of Burt Lancaster, especially those who wish to see how good he probably was as a circus performer. This is one to hold on to and, hopefully, will be the beginning of more of these grand entertainments on DVD!!