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The Pirates of Blood River
1962 British film by John Gilling From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Pirates of Blood River is a 1962 British swashbuckler film directed by John Gilling and starring Kerwin Mathews, Glenn Corbett, Christopher Lee and Oliver Reed.[1]
![Thumb](#/media/File:"The_Pirates_of_Blood_River"_(1962).jpg)
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Plot
While in a penal colony, Huguenot Jonathan Standing is captured by pirates led by Captain LaRoche who force him to lead them back to his home village to retrieve a treasure supposedly hidden there.
Cast
- Kerwin Mathews as Jonathan Standing
- Glenn Corbett as Henry
- Christopher Lee as Captain LaRoche
- Peter Arne as Hench, a pirate
- Marla Landi as Bess Standing
- Desmond Llewelyn as Tom Blackthorne
- Oliver Reed as Brocaire, a pirate
- Andrew Keir as Jason Standing
- Michael Ripper as Mack, a pirate
- David Lodge as Smith
- Dennis Waterman as Timothy Blackthorne
- Jack Stewart as Godfrey Mason
- Marie Devereux as Maggie
- Lorraine Clewes as Martha Blackthorne
- Jerold Wells as Penal Colony master
- Diane Aubrey as Maggie (uncredited)
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Production
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Development
After becoming established as a horror studio, Hammer approached Jimmy Sangster to write a pirate film, with their only stipulation that the film had to take place on land for budget reasons.[2] The resulting film was the first of a series of pirate-themed pictures by Hammer, the others being Captain Clegg and The Devil-Ship Pirates.[3]
Filming
Filming took place from 3 July to 31 August 1961 at Bray Studios and Black Park.[4] Christopher Lee and Oliver Reed both recalled performing a scene which the stunt professionals refused to (so that the actors playing pirates had to wade through a lake); Lee claimed that Michael Ripper nearly drowned and that he himself was only saved by being 6'4", while Reed sustained an eye infection that left him hospitalised. Reed's own memory was that director John Gilling "thought I was really quite something, because I'd do things that stunt men wouldn't do. It was only because I was stupid".[4][5] Gilling, who had a reputation for being abrasive on set, fired the stuntmen for refusing.[6][3]
Post-Production
The film was originally given an X certificate by the BBFC; after Hammer agreed to make cuts, it received an A certificate, and further cuts needed to be made before it could get the "U" rating Hammer wanted. A scene where a young woman, trying to swim away from the pirates, was attacked by piranhas was among the cuts.[7]
Reception
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Box office
The film premiered at the London Pavilion on 13 July 1962,[4][8] then on 2 August it went on general release, on a double bill with Mysterious Island (1961); the two became Britain's biggest grossing double bill of the year.[4][9] According to Films and Filming it was the tenth most popular movie in Britain for the year ended 31 October 1962.[10][11]
Critical
The Guardian called it "bright and breezy, thought-free and weightless", noting that it had been released to coincide with school holidays.[12]
Kinematograph Weekly praised it for "Thrilling story, robust characterization".[4]
Variety said, "Satisfactory adventure... Christopher Lee lends magnetic personality to the role".[4]
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Stodgy, two-dimensional costume piece. Blood flows freely against colourful locations, but most schoolboys are likely to wish that the pirates had stayed out at sea."[13]
Leslie Halliwell said: "Land-locked blood and thunder for tough schoolboys".[14]
The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 3/5 stars, writing: "This Hammer swashbuckler is a colourful, action-packed adventure. ... There are wenches and scurvy knaves galore, but only tantalising vestiges of the X-rated bloodbath intended, as the film was reduced to U certificate derring-do for the school holidays after long sessions at the censor's office".[15]
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References
Bibliography
External links
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