one of my absolute favorites!

Beautiful, moving film.

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Raoul Walsh's 1952 film "Blackbeard the Pirate" doesn't strive for any historical accuracy, but it's high in the entertainment category and one of the best of its kind. Robert Newton has literally a "field day" as Blackbeard and he set the standard for all future screen pirates. His famous "AAARRGGGG" is a crucial part of the dialog and Newton uses the expression for all its worth. Along for the ride are lovers Keith Andes and Linda Darnell; she's a captive and he's her rescuer. The rest of the plot revolves around Blackbeard and his men wreaking havoc in the Caribbean while kicking butt and taking names. But it's tough work with a woman like Ms. Darnell aboard ship. Lovely Linda displays plenty of cleavage and is so "top heavy" that it's a wonder she doesn't sink several frigates. Also in the cast is William Bendix ("The Life of Riley") as a pirate with a Brooklyn accent, but he fits right in with Blackbeard's motley crew. It's all done with flair and style under the guidance of Walsh who was one of Hollywood's best action directors. The final end to Blackbeard's reign of terror is befitting for the man and the movie. It's an image that will stay with viewers (particularly young ones) for a long time. Suffice to say that Blackbeard receives something a lot worse than "water-boarding."

This film seemed to be a staple of late nineteen fifties Saturday afternoon television. Even a ten year old could discern the broad elements of self-parody, and the motley collection of Dickensian characters....Equally important, the movie contains one of cinema's greatest one-liners: "I am the King of Spain!", perhaps second only in the low budget genre to "Slowly I turned." Yes, am a self-admitted Abbott & Costello fan as well, but "Blackbeard" outshines "Abbott & Costello Meet Captain Kidd" (1952)in almost every category. Perfection of a definitively weird sort, but perfection none the less. Alas, never actually saw it on the large screen.

Enough has been said by other reviewers about Robert Newton's performance, so I want to make some comments about Linda Darnell's appearance in this film. Although she was given second billing, her part is rather small in the overall script. There wasn't much great dramatic effort required to do her part.I'm guessing her star power had something to do with her being cast in this film. The incidental love story involving her character could have been eliminated from the film without the film being affected. I guess it was needed to give the film a "happy ending".Since most of her work was filmed in black and white, it's nice to have another opportunity to see her photographed in Technicolor.

Between the opening credits and the first scene of "Blackbeard, the Pirate" viewers encounter the following verse:The meeker the man, the more pirate he Snug in his armchair, far from the sea, And reason commends his position: He has all of the fun and none of the woes, Masters the ladies and scuttles his foes, And cheats both the noose and perdition!It's called "The Armchair Pirate" and it serves as notice that what you're about to see isn't the true story of Blackbeard, but rather an everyman's fantasy of life on 18th Century seas. Real pirate life must have been nasty, brutish, and short, but here it's spirited, colorful, and often uproarious. Most of the credit for this goes to Robert Newton who delivers a wonderfully unrestrained performance as Blackbeard. Critics routinely dismiss Newton's work as hamming, but it's the choicest, most savory ham acting you'll ever see.Newton is ably supported by Keith Andes, Linda Darnell, William Bendix, and especially Skelton Knaggs as Blackbeard's henchman, Gilly. Well paced, cleverly plotted, and brimming with action, "Blackbeard" is the most entertaining pirate film of all. Just settle back in your armchair and enjoy the fun.