E X T E N S I O N PIRATE MOVIES A great number of pirate movies has been made over the last century. This genre has always been well received by the public, as is shown by the numerous remakes of old films and by the famous actors starring in them. Pirate films are often called swashbucklers1 , as they are based on the adventures of brave characters who fight with their swords against enemies. Most of them are inspired by the biographies of famous pirates or by historical events in which they were involved. But they are all largely fictionalized and rarely give an accurate account of the actual personages or facts.They are based on well-made exciting plots, realistic settings (some were filmed on the historical locations), elaborate sea battles and rich costumes. One of the first pirate movies was a silent film, The Black Pirate (1926), starring Douglas Fairbanks, which includes one of the most famous sword fight scenes ever filmed. It was directed by Albert Parker. Captain Blood (1935), by Michael Curtiz, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, is set in 17th century England and narrates the story of a doctor who is convicted for curing a rebel to the king and then sold into slavery. He escapes and becomes a pirate of the Robin Hood type. For Errol Flynn, this was the first of many pirate movies which made him a major swashbuckling star. Among the most important ones are: The Sea Hawk (1940), where Flynn plays the part of a privateer looting2 Spanish ships with the blessing of Queen Elizabeth; Against All Flags (1952) about an English spy who infiltrates into a major pirate haven3; and The Master of Ballantrae (1953), from Stevenson s novel, about a Scottish Lord driven from his family and homeland and forced to join the pirates. A remake of Captain Blood was made in 1950 with the title Fortunes of Captain Blood and its sequel, entitled Captain Pirate, appeared in 1952. A lot of famous stars played pirate roles. Laurence Olivier went to the high seas in Fire over England (1937), where Spain and England fight for the control of trade routes. The Black Swan (1942) features Tyrone Power, Anthony Quinn and Maureen O Hara. This is a story of a dashing4 pirate intent on rescuing a beautiful woman. In The Crimson Pirate (1952), Burt Lancaster is Captain Vallo, an acrobatic 1. swashbuckler: a film with a lot of fights and exciting experiences. 2. loot: attack and rob. 3. haven: refuge. 4. dashing: attractive. 117