Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Pirate Blu-ray Movie Review

Mack the Knif...er, Black.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 19, 2022

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June 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of Judy Garland's birth... and to celebrate, all three Warner Archive Blu-rays this month -- Ziegfeld Girl, The Clock, and For Me and My Gal -- feature the late, great star. Also covered this month are two 1940s Garland films from deeper in the Warner Archive vault, The Harvey Girls and The Pirate.

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A surprise misfire given the considerable talent involved, Vincente Minnelli's The Pirate earned lukewarm reviews from critics and registered a box office loss of over $1M for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The story was based on a 1942 play by Samuel Behrman and movie rights were purchased for a whopping $250,000 but the production floundered for years, going through several rewrites as both a serious drama and a swashbuckling action-adventure film. Eventually it was shoehorned into a musical format starring top names Gene Kelly and Judy Garland, with direction by her soon-to-be ex-husband, strong production values, and even original songs by Cole Porter. Of course we know that the sure bet didn't pay off... but even with the passage of time, it's easy to see that The Pirate is far from a perfect picture.

To be fair, The Pirate at least different than most of its contemporaries and, in some regards, even ahead of its time. With an international flair and an interesting fusion of lightweight comedy, romantic intrigue, and dramatically colorful song-and-dance numbers (including one that's a career highlight for all involved), this show nothing if not a feast for the senses... and unlike most of Gene Kelly's already iconic earlier performances, it's a period piece that at least lets him sink his teeth into a meatier role that trades in tap dancing for more athletic, ballet-driven choreography. As the handsome travelling circus leader Serafin, he woos ladies worldwide and, during his recent stop at the Caribbean village of Calvados, falls desperately in love with young Manuela Alva (Garland). She's doubly spoken for, though: Manuela is unwillingly betrothed to town mayor Don Pedro (Walter Slezak), but secretly wishes to be whisked away by legendary pirate Mack "the Black" Macoco, a man so mysterious that he could already be right under her nose.

Front to back, The Pirate is at least passable entertainment if you're intrigued by its subject matter, with good to great choreography that dots this mostly breezy 102-minute landscape less frequently than first-time viewers might think. The closing number "Be A Clown" (which was unofficially "borrowed" by producer Arthur Freed just four years later in Singin' in the Rain as the hastily rewritten "Make 'Em Laugh"), is a crowd-pleaser and an earlier dance accompanying the song, performed by Kelly and the tremendously talented Nicholas Brothers, is better still. Yet as a whole The Pirate nonetheless registers as a borderline trivial affair that rarely feels like much more than a few solid songs, dances, and dramatic exchanges held together with plenty of seams still showing. Stories of Garland's health problems and other behind-the-scenes drama were likely the source of its almost inevitable inconsistencies... and while the end result is occasionally impressive, The Pirate is a prime example of a whole being less than the sum of its parts.

Yet the film does have its share of fiercely loyal fans and, while Kelly's presence far outpaces Garland's here, die-hard fans of the late, great icon will be just as pleased to add The Pirate to their ever-growing musical collection. As usual, Warner Archive puts in great work on their still-available Blu-ray package, including another rock-solid A/V restoration and a surprisingly great collection of bonus features. It may not prove tempting enough if you've never been won over byThe Pirate's charms, but there's enough here that even casual fans will get their money's worth.

The Pirate Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Pirate is an absolute stunner on Warner Archive's Blu-ray; no surprise at all, given the film's top-shelf Technicolor origins and, of course, the boutique label's near-perfect track record for purist-friendly restorations. Although I did not have their parent company's 2007 DVD on hand for a direct comparison, this disc is advertised as being sourced from a 4K remaster and is extremely clean from start to finish. Fine detail and textures are quite strong, especially in regard to clothing and background production design, with a steady layer of natural film grain that hasn't been processed with any obvious noise reduction. But the real star here is The Pirate's vivid Technicolor palette, which really packs quite a punch during several dance numbers like the fiery red "Pirate Ballet"; primaries are especially bold but do not succumb to over-saturation or bleeding. Darker moments also look quite good, showcasing strong levels of shadow detail that similarly don't fall victim to black crush. Overall, this is an extremely stable 1080p transfer that wrings as much detail as expected from source material of this type, and maybe even more. Simply put, it'll never look better.

The Pirate Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While the large majority of this DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track sounds perfectly fine (and at the very least, dutifully preserves the modest original 1.0 mono mix faithfully), a handful of short scenes and exchanges suffer from a tinny and borderline gauzy distortion that renders portions of dialogue somewhat tough to decipher. This is likely an age-related or other source material issue and isn't too prolonged or distracting, but it's definitely noticeable at times; luckily, the included English (SDH) subtitles are on hand to clear up some of those issues. Aside from that -- and, of course, a somewhat strained high end during non-performance music cues -- The Pirate enjoys a largely smooth and satisfying audio presentation that feels more or less in line with other musical dramas from this era.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, but not the extras. This is pretty annoying since the DVD collection that most of them were sourced from did in fact have optional subtitles available. It's perhaps my only ongoing hang-up regarding Warner Archive releases, and one that I hope is addressed at some point.

The Pirate Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover art and no inserts. All extras are ported over from Warner Bros.' 2004 DVD (one of several releases on that format), although a few upgrades have been made.

• Audio Commentary by John Fricke - This feature-length discussion by the noted film historian and author, who specializes in Judy Garland and The Wizard of Oz, is a very organized, detailed, and informative track that covers the film's casting, behind-the-scenes drama, Technicolor cinematography, music, and more.

• The Pirate: A Musical Treasure Chest (18:53) - John Fricke, Liza Minnelli, Patricia Ward Kelly (widow of Gene), author/historian Richard Barrios, and more speak about the film's unique qualities, troubled production, lukewarm critical reception, and box office failure, making a case for reevaluation decades later.

• Pete Smith's "You Can't Win" (10:33) - This Oscar-nominated 1948 short features Dave O'Brien (Reefer Madness) as "Harried Homeowner", a poor guy who takes a relaxing day off from work only to have everything go wrong. I mean, geez, the man's wife doesn't even starch his shirts properly! Amirite, fellas?

• Vintage Cartoon: Cat Fishin' (7:43) - This classic Tom and Jerry short was originally released in 1947 and is also available on Blu-ray as part of the excellent Golden Collection, Volume One.

• "Mack the Black" Stereo Remix Version (3:47) - A clip from one of the main feature's main songs, this time presented in full DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo.

• Audio Outtakes - Three short excised bits presented in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio (mono).

• "Love of My Life" - Original Long Version (4:43)
• "Mack the Black" - Unused Versions (6:03)
• "Voodoo" (6:11) - Performed by Judy Garland.

• Roger Edens' Guide Tracks / Versions - Five short piano and vocal temp tracks recorded by Roger Edens, all presented in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio (mono).

• Be A Clown (1:29)
• "Manuela" (1:41)
• "Nina" (2:32)
• "Voodoo" (2:54)
• "You Can Do No Wrong" (6:11) - Performed by Judy Garland.

• Radio Interviews - Two short promotional broadcasts presented in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio (mono).

• Gene Kelly for "On the Town" (4:18)
• Judy Garland for "The Pirate" (4:37)

• Theatrical Trailer (2:29) - This lively promotional piece can also be seen here.

• Song Selection - Instant access to The Pirate's 10 main musical and dance numbers, listed below.

• Main Title
• "Nina" (Song)
• "Nina" (Dance)
• "Mack the Black"
• "The Pirate Ballet"
• "You Can Do No Wrong"
• "Be A Clown" (Trio)
• "Love of My Life"
• "Be A Clown" (Finale)
• End Title

The Pirate Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

On paper, The Pirate is a sure bet: a musical starring Gene Kelly and Judy Garland, directed by Vincente Minnelli, with original songs by Cole Porter. The result isn't as good as that lineup suggests, as its highlights are held back by tonal and pacing issues (and rather fiery behind-the-scenes drama), not to mention a borderline silly story that feels beneath its big stars. There's still some enjoyment for Kelly and Garland fans, of course, and in some ways The Pirate is a very unique production among its contemporaries... but as far as I'm concerned, this is second-tier stuff at best. Don't tell Warner Archive, that, of course, as their new Blu-ray checks all the boxes with yet another robust and impressive Blu-ray package that fans will enjoy from top to bottom. Recommended, but only to the right audience.