Blackbeard's Movie History

[Hawkey]

Well, me buckos, tomorrow the black banner of the Jolly Roger is 'oisted over the airspace of 500 South Buena Vista Street in Burbank, Californy --- The Walt Disney Studios, in case ye ain't figger'd it out --- fer the 15th time in Disney's 89 years o' filmmakin', assumin' that ye starts with Disney's 1950 Treasure Island.

For ye lovers o' Blackbeard, this be a particularly auspicious moment, as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides marks Ed'ard Teach's first major-studio movie appearance in more'n 50 years.

Here be a look-see at Blackbeard's feature film resume. That would be those movies what bin theatrically released, mind ye!

Sydney Ayres were the first acter to portray our patron saint of Piracy, in a 1911 silent film about Blackbeard; after that, there'd be a very long lull in further movies about him until 1951, when one Louis Bacigalupi (1908-1966) portrayed him in Universal Pictures' Pirate musical swashbuckler Double Crossbones (1951), directed by Fred de Cordova, an' starrin' Donald O'Connor. That same year, Thomas Gomez took on the role, in 20th Century-Fox's Anne of the Indies, alongside Jean Peters an' Louis Jourdan.

Then, in 1952, as ev'ry Pirate movie lover be knowin', Robert Newton --- patron saint o' Talk Like a Pirate Day --- assum'd the role in RKO-Radio's Blackbeard, the Pirate, wi' Keith Andes, Linda Darnell an' William Bendix. Released Christmas Day 1952, Blackbeard, the Pirate, directed by Raoul Walsh, were th' film wi' that rawther icky endin,' when Blackbeard's crew mutiny an' bury him up ter 'is neck ter drown him fer his thwarted dubble-crossin' o' his own shipmates!

Two years later, 1954, a Michael Ross essay'd the role, in Edward Small's production Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl, directed by Lew Landers, an' featurin' Anthony Dexter an' Eva Gabor in the title roles.

Finally, in 1960, Murvyn Vye did somethin' Blackbeard never did: blowin' bubble gum, in Bert I. Gordon's The Boy and the Pirates.

From 1966 until the present day, Blackbeard's subsequent film career has been relegated to various made-fer-TV movies an' documentaries, videogames an' at least one direct-to-video movie, Moonbeam Entertainment's Magic Island (1995), where Andy Divoff challeng'd then young star Zachary Ty Bryan to seekin' out ol' Teach's treasure!

The last time Blackbeard did sumthin' fer Disney was 1968. The movie was Blackbeard's Ghost, with Peter Ustinov in the lead, and Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette as his shipmates. Now, Blackbeard be the newest of the Disney Pirates --- and as ye knows, mateys, he's got a standard ta uphold! Mark me words, mateys: This new Blackbeard will surely join Cap'n Jack Sparrow, Commodore Hector Barbossa, an' ol' Squidbeard hisself, Davy Jones, as the Buccaneers th' fans'll be lovin' once they show 'emselves at th' Disney Parks! Ye kin sense th' hexcitement already now, can't ye mates? Aye, so can this ol' Hawk!

Prepare yerselves now, shipmates! Party time, sez I!

[Capn Bob]

And scupper me hide, I'll be seein' the movie tomorrow (May 20)...also the day I need to go pillagin' fer two necessities, rum and Doritos.

I'm also plannin' to hit Magic Kingdom this October, as a shore excursion durin' me cruise, an' I'll be doin' some pillaging in the Pirate Marketplace just next to the PotC ride, ye may lay to that!