David Shipman once wrote of Jeff Chandler that it's hard to believe he really existed - he did have an aura of unreality about him, with that hawk nosed profile, beefy physique, grey wavy hair, magnificent booming voice (he was an old radio hand). So he was well suited for Universal's colourful action films of the 50s - technicolour, swords and sandals, dashing heroes, dusky maidens, comic support actors, cheerful raiding of history for characters and incidents, action and romance.
This is a rare swashbuckler with American heroes - what's more Chandler and Scott Brady play characters based on real American naval officers of the 19th century. This means hero duties are split between the two which I'm not sure was the right decision: Chandler is captain of the ship and gets to make most of the decisions whereas Brady is in danger more and gets the girl at the end. (It doesn't help that Chandler has the presence of a star whereas Brady doesn't, really.) The plot has their ship going undercover as a pirate to bust real pirates who turn out to be, as usual, the Spanish.
Russell Metty did the wonderful photography. It's the most colourful collection of pirates I can ever remember seeing in a film - everyone is in primary colours (Frank Tashlin would have been proud). The story feels awfully familiar, as if to compensate for the novelty of it's American heroes, and the handling is perfunctory rather than inspired. But if you want ships, swashbuckling, pirates and comically drunk first mates, this will tick a few boxes.
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