Clothes Make the Pirate

Clothes Make the Pirate is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Maurice Tourneur and starring Leon Errol and Dorothy Gish. The film was written by Marion Fairfax from the novel of the same name by Holman Francis Day.^[1]

Clothes Make the Pirate
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Maurice Tourneur
Written by	Marion Fairfax
Based on	Clothes Make the Pirate by Holman Francis Day
Produced by	Sam E. Rork Productions
Starring	Leon Errol Dorothy Gish Nita Naldi Tully Marshall
Cinematography	Henry Cronjager Louis Dunmyre
Edited by	Patricia Rooney
Distributed by	First National Pictures
Release date	November 29, 1925 (1925-11-29)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

Plot

Tremble-at-Evil Tidd is a disgruntled 18th-century Bostonian wishes that he was a pirate. He dons the clothes and play-acts the part. He is mistaken for the real pirate, Dixie Bull whom Tidd, of course, bumps into later. Tidd "slays" the villain and puts his foot upon the pirate's head. This is more than enough and he heads back home to his unappreciated wife.

Cast

• Leon Errol as Tremble-at-Evil Tidd
• Dorothy Gish as Betsy Tidd
• Nita Naldi as Madame De La Tour
• George F. Marion as Jennison
• Tully Marshall as Scute
• Frank Lawlor as Crabb
• Edna Murphy as Nancy Downs
• James Rennie as Lieutenant Cavendish
• Walter Law as Dixie Bull
• Reginald Barlow as Captain Montague

Reception

Contemporary reviewers of the time claimed Errol was miscast, perhaps for the comedic cowardice of the part. Variety gave the film a poor review, stating that the children would like it. However other reviews, such as that in the Los Angeles Times of January 10, 1926 gave the film, as a satire, generally good reviews. However, the camera work of Cronjager was critically acclaimed.^[2]

Preservation

With no prints of Clothes Make the Pirate located in any film archives,^[3] it is a lost film. A one minute trailer, however, does survive.