Pirate

UPC: 012569795228

Studio: Warner Home Video

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:[Suitable for Children]

Summary: When Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne appeared in S. N. Behrmann's The Pirate on Broadway, there were no musical numbers whatsoever. But with Gene Kelly and Judy Garland in the leading roles of the 1948 filmization of The Pirate, the MGM production staff would have been drawn and quartered had there not been song after song. The story is merely serviceable: on a Caribbean isle in the early 19th century, sheltered young Garland comes to believe that travelling troubadour Kelly is in reality "Mack the Black," a notorious pirate. Kelly realizes that the surest way to win Garland's heart is to impersonate the romantic buccaneer, and this is what he does--nearly getting himself hanged in the process. Cole Porter's marvelous score yielded only one bona-fide hit: "Be a Clown", which has practically nothing to do with the storyline, but do you care? Highlights include the magnificently staged "Mack the Black," a heady combination of Broadway glitz and Caligariesque nightmare. Seven MGM screenwriters toiled away on The Pirate, though only the team of Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich were credited. While The Pirate was not a huge moneymaker on its first release, it has since been embraced by the cultists, who apparently can never get enough of Judy Garland. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Category: Romance

Awards: Best Musical Score – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Features: Commentary by historian John Fricke
New making-of featurette, vintage comedy short and cartoon
Mack the Black stereo remix version
Audio-only bonuses: song outtakes and Roger Edens guide track versions
Promotional radio interviews with Gene Kelly and Judy Garland
Theatrical trailer

Pirate

Format: DVD

Release Date: 07/24/2007

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DD1 Dolby Digital Mono

Runtime: 101 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English,French

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Pirate
1. Credits [1:53]
2. Manuela's Intended [3:32]
3. Future Bride's Request [5:09]
4. Serafin the Great [3:06]
5. Nina (Song) [3:37]
6. Nina (Dance) [3:46]
7. Accosted by an Actor [4:57]
8. Her True Love [4:45]
9. Mack the Black [4:12]
10. Rude Awakening [2:02]
11. Unwelcome Visitor [3:05]
12. Tightrope Lover [3:33]
13. Cry Macoco [5:53]
14. Taking Charge [5:00]
15. Pirate Ballet [5:45]
16. Her Noble Sacrifice [6:01]
17. I Despise Actors [4:56]
18. Bric-A-Brac Breakage [3:08]
19. You Can Do No Wrong [2:31]
20. No Fooling the Viceroy [3:21]
21. Condemned Man's Request [5:34]
22. Be a Clown (1) [5:17]
23. Playing a Love Scene [3:36]
24. Love of My Life [2:22]
25. Footlight Confession [1:07]
26. Be a Clown (2) [3:10]

Richard Gilliam

The Pirate is an entertaining example of the quality work brought to fruition at MGM by producer Arthur Freed. A favorite of Judy Garland fans, the film features a fine collection of Cole Porter songs, highlighted by the closing number, "Be a Clown." There's little substance other than the musical numbers, and The Pirate sags somewhat when no one is singing or dancing. Though she portrays an innocent young girl unwise in the ways of love, Garland had lost some of her ability to convey Dorothy-like purity in the decade since The Wizard of Oz. Fortunately, her voice was still in full form. Gene Kelly is superb as usual, as is the well-chosen supporting cast. Freed would later loosely translate "Be a Clown" as "Make 'Em Laugh" in 1952's Singin' in the Rain. ~ Richard Gilliam, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Fayard Nicholas  Actor 
Harold Nicholas  Actor 
S.N. Behrmann  Screenwriter 
Arthur Freed  Producer 
Frances Goodrich  Screenwriter 
Albert Hackett  Screenwriter 
Anita Loos  Screenwriter 
Wilkie Mahoney  Screenwriter 
Joseph L. Mankiewicz  Screenwriter 
Vincente Minnelli  Director 
Cole Porter  Composer (Music Score) 
Joseph Than  Screenwriter 
Lillian Braun  Screenwriter 
Judy Garland  Actor 
Lester Allen  Actor 
Jerry Bergen  Actor 
Gene Kelly  Actor 
Walter Slezak  Actor 
Gladys Cooper  Actor 
Jean Dean  Actor 
Reginald Owen  Actor 
George Zucco  Actor 
Lola Deem  Actor 
Mary Jo Ellis  Actor 
Ben Lessy  Actor 
Marion Murray  Actor 
Cully Richards  Actor 
Ellen Ross  Actor 

Country: USA