The Pirate (1948)

The Pirate-honestly I had already watched it. The film seems insignificant. It was not box office gold. However those who are fans of both of them can see the significance, the story is not to be forgotten either.

The sets are not very good...
 Edwin B. Willis in some movies does a terrific job, like in Anchors Aweigh (and the set looks like the same one), however the backdrops in some of his movies are terrible like in this one and especially in Brigadoon. I do not know if he was in charge of that but it certainly wouldn't be a crowning achievement. He never worked for any other studio besides MGM.
This is one of the only movies that I will actually credit some of the things I pay attention to but do not care enough to spend time talking about. A few of my friends watched this film. In the past I was put off by the set as I mentioned but the lighting in this may not be compared to modern movies but in some ways it is better. My friends and I were pointing out the vividness of some of the makeup as well as the costumes. They were a mix of vibrant and dark colors in all the right places to accentuate the right things. We were looking at the costumes and guessing what fabric it was. Even now, movies do not have that special zing to the color the way you can tell this movie worked overtime to do so. The fabric is quite exquisite. Tom Keogh only did the costumes in this movie. He never was a costume designer again. Barbara Karinska won an Oscar that year for costumes (color no less) and I must say from the looks of "The Pirate" she deserves it. Without her, that film may have very well have been just another Gene Kelly movie (not that any of his are bad) however with her this little tale that would have been pure fluff, has something in it that just makes it a little bit special. She did not earn it for this movie, she won it for Joan of Arc but I have no doubt that this film would not have any stamina to it. Judy Garland, and Gene Kelly are dynamite but the plot is a bit zany.
Irene was nominated for awards but hers is a tragic tale, she was 61 when she jumped to her death after failing to cut herself to death.
Vincent minnelli as director.
Love some of the lines. The music isn't much. (not for a Kelly film anyway or a Judy one for that matter) The dancing by Gene is like watching Magic Mike with class.
"I know my future"
"Am I in it?"
"No"
"then you don't know you're future"
and it's Kelly and Judy so you know he is right.
The shock of the moustache is hard to get used to. It is so fake. However, after you do get used to it-you see that it's just more charming to Kelly. I like Kelly with some scruff. Anyhow.
It's a show about a sexual fantasy really. A kind of kinky and risque (especially for that time) at that.




Now tonight watch Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Esther Williams-kind of cool since the olympics showed her event today.