Description

Made at the height of Fairbanks’s career, this was the first grand-scale epic shot entirely in Technicolor. The great expense and unreliability of shooting in the process (still in its early stages of development) made The Black Pirate a daring endeavor. However, with the help of a team of talented artists and technicians, Fairbanks carefully modulated the film’s color scheme so the results would be beautiful rather than garish, inspiring The New York Times to praise the film’s “unrivalled beauty… mindful of the paintings of the old masters.” The sole survivor of a ship pillaged by buccaneers, Michel (Fairbanks) poses as the mysterious Black Pirate and infiltrates the nest of bandits. He mounts an elaborate ploy to recover the brigands’ treasure, reclaim the ship and rescue the divine Princess (Billie Dove) held captive there. Like a Robert Louis Stevenson adventure come to life, The Black Pirate ripples with customary intrigue and a rapid succession of brilliantly inventive stunts that never fail to astound. This Kino on Video DVD edition features a stereo recording of the original 1926 orchestral score, audio commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer and a selection of outtakes and candid glimpses behind the scenes of this monumental production.