Pirates of Tortuga

Pirates of Tortuga
Pirates of Tortuga
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Robert D. Webb
Written by	Jesse Lasky Jr.; Pat Silver; Melvin Levy
Based on	story by Mel Levy
Produced by	Sam Katzman
Starring	Ken Scott; Letícia Román; Dave King; John Richardson; Rafer Johnson; Robert Stephens
Cinematography	Ellis W. Carter
Edited by	Hugh S. Fowler
Music by	Paul Sawtell; Bert Shefter
Color process	DeLuxe Color
Production; company	Clover Productions
Distributed by	20th Century-Fox
Release date	October 1961 (USA);
Running time	97 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$675,000

Pirates of Tortuga is a 1961 American swashbuckler film which invented an alternate history for the actual Welsh privateer Henry Morgan. It was released in October 1961 in the United States in CinemaScope.^[2]

Plot

In the 17th century, a Welsh captain (Ken Scott) and his crew are dispatched to the Spanish-controlled island of Tortuga, where famed privateer Henry Morgan (Robert Stephens) has defected from his support of the English empire and is running a strictly piratical venture, stopping any and all vessels, including British carriers. Since the captain cannot attack the island without incurring the wrath of the Spanish government, he must go one-on-one with Morgan himself.

A young woman (Leticia Roman) inadvertently stows away on the captain's vessel and becomes the de facto central focus of the story (Morgan doesn't appear until the latter half of the film). She is initially taken to the nearby island of Jamaica, where she briefly makes a play for the colonial governor, but eventually sets her sights on the captain himself. In the meantime, the captain engages in pursuing the pirate Morgan.

Cast

Ken Scott as Bart (captain)
Letícia Román as Meg
Dave King as Pee Wee
John Richardson as Percy
Rafer Johnson as John Gammel
Robert Stephens as Henry Morgan
Rachel Stephens as Phoebe
Stanley Adams as Captain Montbars
Edgar Barrier as Sir Thomas Mollyford
James Forrest as Reggie
Maxwell Reed as Major Fielding
Patrick Sexton as Randolph
Arthur Gould-Porter as Bonnett
Hortense Petra as Lola
Malcolm Cassell as Kipper

Production

The film was made by Sam Katzman's unit at 20th Century-Fox. Their first film had been The Wizard of Baghdad. He did this under a verbal agreement with Buddy Adler then in September 1960 Robert Goldstein signed him to a three-picture contract. These were to be Gentlemen Pirates written by Mel Levy, a film about Mississippi gamblers written by Jesse Lasky Jr. and Pat Silver, and Cypress Gardens by Lou Morheim.^[3] In the end he wound up making only one movie at Fox, Pirates of Tortuga (1961).

Robert Webb signed to direct in December 1960.^[4] The same month, singer Dave King was signed to play a support role.^[5] Robert Stephens was then also under contract to Fox and was put in the cast. So too was Rafer Johnson.^[6] It was the first lead for Ken Scott who had been under contract to Fox for five years.^[7]

Filming started 11 January 1961. The film was shot entirely on the Fox backlot in Los Angeles, using the water tank that had been created for the TV series Adventures in Paradise. Johnson later recalled filming scenes of steering the boat "as a lot of fun, as were the scenes of fencing and hand to hand combat."^[8]

Reception

The Los Angeles Times called the film "pure costume".^[9]

References

^ Solomon, Aubrey. Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1. p253
^ PIRATES OF TORTUGA Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 29, Iss. 336, (Jan 1, 1962): 24.
^ "Sam Katzman on Exhib Vagaries". Variety. 28 September 1960. p. 3.
^ Family-Type Film Seen on Increase: TOA Notes 'Tot Plot' Trend; Bregman to Film 'Evil Weak' Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 7 Dec 1960: C11.
^ Jean Negulesco to Film 'Angela' in Sicily, Rome Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 17 Dec 1960: e4.
^ VOTE JOHNSON BEST FOR 1960: Rafer Thrilled by Olympic Victory Johnson Is World's Top '60 Athlete Chicago Daily Tribune 28 Jan 1961: 1.
^ Hopper, Hedda (2 April 1961). "Heavies Hang Heavy, So He Turns Hero". Los Angeles Times. p. m9.
^ Johnson, Rafer (1998). The best that I can be. Doubleday. p. 165.
^ 'Explosive Generation' Overly Superficial Stinson, Charles. Los Angeles Times 28 Oct 1961: 13.

External links

Pirates of Tortuga at IMDb
Pirates of Tortuga at TCMDB
Pirates of Tortuga at AllMovie
Pirates of Tortuga at BFI
Pirates of Tortuga at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Pirates of Torutga at British Film Institute

[1] Solomon, Aubrey. Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1. p253

[2] PIRATES OF TORTUGA Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 29, Iss. 336, (Jan 1, 1962): 24.

[3] "Sam Katzman on Exhib Vagaries". Variety. 28 September 1960. p. 3.

[4] Family-Type Film Seen on Increase: TOA Notes 'Tot Plot' Trend; Bregman to Film 'Evil Weak' Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 7 Dec 1960: C11.

[5] Jean Negulesco to Film 'Angela' in Sicily, Rome Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 17 Dec 1960: e4.

[6] VOTE JOHNSON BEST FOR 1960: Rafer Thrilled by Olympic Victory Johnson Is World's Top '60 Athlete Chicago Daily Tribune 28 Jan 1961: 1.

[7] Hopper, Hedda (2 April 1961). "Heavies Hang Heavy, So He Turns Hero". Los Angeles Times. p. m9.

[8] Johnson, Rafer (1998). The best that I can be. Doubleday. p. 165.

[9] 'Explosive Generation' Overly Superficial Stinson, Charles. Los Angeles Times 28 Oct 1961: 13.

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