Tomorrow sees the release of the 4th instalment of the
Pirates of the Caribbean franchise,
On Stranger Tides. The return of Captain Jack Sparrow (
Johnny Depp) is sure to excite cinemagoers particularly the loins of legions of devoted female fans! with his distinct droll, ebullient personality and comic timing. Hes the quintessential pirate figure of our generation, glamorising the lifestyle on the high seas! However, pirates have been a stock character within film industry for as long as cinema has been in existence. The first known pirate feature was a silent 1 reel, short film adaptation of
Treasure Island in 1908. Unfortunately, the American Film Institute has deemed the film lost and a copy is extremely unlikely to be in existence any more. As film technology progressed, so did the pirate subgenre of action cinema, with every decade of the 20th and 21st century having at least one major production based around a tale of the salty sea dogs! Whether theyre heroes or villains, its needless to say that pirates are always effortlessly cool! In celebration of the genius of Johnny Depps Jack Sparrow, read on to discover the 10 greatest movie swashbucklers of all time!
10. Captain Kidd in ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET CAPTAIN KIDD (1952)
Charles Laughton was one of the greatest character actors to grace the silver screen, bringing a stage persona to his most revered performances. Whether he played the vulgar King Henry VIII (in The Private Life of Henry VIII ) or the fiery Sir Wilfred (in Witness for the Prosecution ), his performances are of a quality that rivals legends such as Laurence Olivier.
As Captain Kidd, Laughton uses his thespian talents to create an amusing, bombastic and thunderous pirate. He uses physical, slapstick comedy to great effect and the lowbrow role hilariously contrasts with his distinguished real life persona. Adding a pantomime feel to his character, Laughton appears to relish in the chance to give such an energetic and caricature-based performance. Whilst this is often considered far from the zenith of his career, his performance is fun and definitely one of the best screen pirates out there!
09. Captain Blackbeard in BLACKBEARDS GHOST (1968)
Peter Ustinov was another extremely accomplished character actor who had the great ability to instil his performances with exuberance. Playing characters such as Agatha Christies Hercule Poirot (in Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun , plus a few TV movies) through comically evil Chinese mad men ala Fu Manchu (in One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing ), he had the power to reinvent himself in every role. In B
lackbeards Ghost he plays the eponymous pirate with humour and a fiery temper, adding a sense of comic malice to his laugh-out-loud performance. As a child, aside from the animated Captain Hook in Disneys Peter Pan (1955), this was my typical image of a pirate is it any wonder every little boy wants to become one in the future, I mean hes just so damn cool!? Its a typically Disney-fied version of a pirates life, but Ustinov perfectly blends comedy and liveliness in what is simply a stellar performance.
08. Captain LaRoche in THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER (1962)
Christopher Lee playing a pirate is one of the strangest thoughts a film exec could have possibly conjured up. Exuding sophistication and charm in each of his roles (yes, even as Dracula, The Mummy or Frankensteins monster!), a pirate character seems like such an unlikely fit for both his personal and screen personas that it surely couldnt work? In reality, however, he gives an extremely convincing performance, adopting a genuine sounding French accent and appearing menacing throughout. This is a slight oddity in Hammers array of horror films and due to its land based setting it appears to be an anomaly within the subgenre of pirate action films too. However, Lee is brilliantly suave and dangerous, giving a performance that perfectly typifies the pirate as villain character within filmland. In a role that allows him more dialogue and character development, The Pirates of Blood River is one of Lees more interesting, but less well-known, villainous roles. 07. Jamie Boy Waring in THE BLACK SWAN (1942)
Not to be confused with Natalie Portmans unhinged ballerina vehicle,
The Black Swan stars
Tyrone Power as a young pirate who assists notorious former pirate (and now Jamaican Governor) Henry Morgan in attempting to cease privateering now Spain and England are at peace. Adding a romantic element to the pirate persona, Powers performance is both charming and action-packed. With swashbuckling skills aplenty, he gives a convincing and exciting portrayal as the pirate who challenges English authority for love. His character perfectly blends the wayward elements of pirate morality (he kidnaps the former governors daughter to encourage her to fall in love with him) with a new sense of heroism (clearing Morgans name and getting to the bottom of the still plundering buccaneers). Waring is amiable, but also dashing and roguish enough to avoid being sappy. Essentially, hes the pirate whos lucky with the ladies that all little boys wanted to become!
06. Captain Hook in HOOK (1991)
Ok, so
Hook is a generally reviled film that fails to reflect the true spirit of J M Barries original characters. However, having said that, theres something truly brilliant about
Dustin Hoffmans portrayal of Captain Hook. Yes he verges on the side of camp theatricality, but theres also something highly unsettling and rather intimidating about him too: especially when watched as a child. Perhaps its the fact that he has kidnapped Peter Pans children, a fact that heightens the often-argued point that Hook is in fact a paedophile? Or perhaps its the exaggerated costume and make up that makes Hoffman look so ridiculously, but scarily enough, intimidating? Either way, Hook is a role that is so over the top its almost impossible to overact in and Hoffman relishes in not only chewing the scenery, but actually swallowing it whole! It may not be the greatest pirate film out there, but Hoffmans Hook certainly spooked me as a kid and a subsequent viewing as an adult divulged his excellence within the role.
05. Captain Blood in CAPTAIN BLOOD (1935)
Errol Flynn became one of the most successful romance and action heroes in the early sound cinema of the 1930s. Taking on characters such as Robin Hood and the Earl of Essex, Flynn developed a persona of playing the likeable hero.
Captain Blood sees him playing the hero once more, but also allows him slightly more dramatic freedom by playing a pirate. The film was Flynns first major role and saw him team up with co-star
Olivia De Havilland and director
Michael Curtiz for the first time (who he would later go on to make the much more celebrated The Adventures of Robin Hood with). Playing the doctor who becomes a pirate to enact revenge on a tyrannical system that wrongly accuses him of treason, Flynn plays his character with brash and arrogance. He delivers a range of emotions effortlessly, whilst remaining the obvious hero throughout the narrative. With a role that sees him being a pirate for the good of his crew and country, its a relatively unique one in the canon of pirate films Hollywood produced and Flynn is perfectly cast in what is a memorable performance.
04. Wesley in THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987)
Cary Elwes is not the greatest actor of all time, but theres something about his role as Wesley in quintessential 80s fairytale fantasy
The Princess Bride that just works. Becoming a pirate in order to save his childhood sweetheart from kidnappers and an evil prince she is betrothed to, Elwes character is resplendent with traditional fairytale pirate characteristics. His action-packed and romantic role is also blended with subtle comedy, which plays to the actors strengths, making his performance exciting and convincing. However, whilst exuding this comic wit, Elwes performance remains dramatic and the tension of the overall narrative is never lost in these moments of sometimes laugh-out-loud humour. This has to be Elwes finest moment a career defining role and for an entire generation he is likely to forever remain the pirate we all wished we could be as kids. A true hero, who is not only devoted to good, but also his love for a woman, he is the quintessential pirate goody!
03. The Black Pirate in THE BLACK PIRATE (1926)
Douglas Fairbanks was the original action hero, a silent film star who indulged in epic stunts and tackled classic hero roles. On film he came to embody the word hero and his popularity placed him as the King of Hollywood during the 1920s and into the 30s. His silent pirate romp,
The Black Pirate, saw him play an aristocrat who reluctantly joins a band of pirates to avenge his fathers death. Working in the silent medium, Fairbanks performance is fuelled by exaggerated facial expression and sensational physical actions. However, he manages to refrain from crossing the line into histrionics and he cuts a convincing picture of a pirate. In fact, the image of him in black shirt and trouser, with hoop earring, eye-patch and head scarf has become so iconic that it not only defines one of the most notorious pirate films, it has become synonymous with early Hollywood cinema itself. Despite taking on a pirate role which in 1920s films was generally reserved for villains Fairbanks remains a hero, overcoming the evil pirate leader and avenging his fathers murder whilst saving the heroine!
02. Long John Silver in TREASURE ISLAND (1950)
In what is often deemed the best adaptation of Robert Louis Stevensons classic pirate tale, Long John Silver is a colourful character that draws an excellent performance out of actor
Robert Newton. As the definitive screen adaptation of the character, Newton manages to create an utterly horrifying and maniacal Long John Silver, who would happily slit your throat as soon as he would look at you. Hes a much nastier character than you would expect from the Walt Disney Studios, but Newton captures the pure menacing essence of Stevensons creation with ease. Arguably setting the standard for all screen pirates, Newton relishes in the exaggerated nature of his performance chewing scenery with the best of the theatrical actors but he refrains from pushing this too far and avoids the realms of camp humour. As a child, hes intriguing and petrifying, embodying exactly the emotions that pirates should in youngsters. You simultaneously fear him, yet want to be him and Newtons success within the role has marked his performance as one of the timeless screen pirate offerings. In fact, Newtons portrayal is so effective that he simply is Long John!
01. Jack Sparrow in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003)
The essence of cool,
Johnny Depps Sparrow in the original
POTC is both funny and vulgar. A man of loose morals, he is a typical antihero whose position as either hero or villain is under constant question. Depp implants a sense of cowardliness into Sparrow, which provides a number of laughs, but when push comes to shove he is brave and heroic. Representing the different elements we all hold within is, Sparrow is a reluctant hero and perfectly embodies the traditional image of a pirate: only out for himself! In comparison to
Geoffrey Rushs Captain Barbossa the villain of the piece Depps performance exudes charm and likeability. Apt at a swordfight or two, Depp combines comedy, action, drama and suspense into what has to be the quintessential pirate performance of all time!