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The Pirate

Released May 20, 1948 1h 42m Musical List
78% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 75% Audience Score 5,000+ Ratings
Manuela Alva (Judy Garland) is unhappily engaged to Don Pedro (Walter Slezak), the mayor of her town. When a circus arrives, she's enchanted by performer Serafin (Gene Kelly), who's likewise smitten with her. The mayor tries to evict the circus from town, but Serafin turns the tables after realizing Don Pedro is Macoco, an ex-pirate in hiding. When Serafin learns that Manuela dreams of Macoco, he adopts the discarded identity to woo her -- but is then condemned to death for the pirate's crimes. Read More Read Less
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Critics Reviews

View All (18) Critics Reviews
Dan Callahan Slant Magazine The Pirate takes place in some Caribbean of the mind, with lots of shadows and lace and high mantillas, and it's all about the promise of sex; the film keeps tapping into a nervous, adolescent sort of fear and desire. Rated: 3/4 Jul 18, 2007 Full Review Michael J. Casey Michael J. Cinema Pure pleasure. Rated: 4.5/5 May 30, 2021 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row Its metatheatrical musical stylings border on the avant-garde under Minelli's nimble direction, and while the film certainly has some cringe-worthy sexual politics in hindsight, it's also a much better film than its reputation suggests. Rated: 3.5/4 Mar 25, 2021 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy It's certainly cumbersome in spots, but some zesty musical numbers and spirited performances help carry it over the finish line. Rated: 3/4 Nov 27, 2020 Full Review Josh Larsen LarsenOnFilm Judy Garland at her sexiest and most comedic, all at once. Rated: 3/4 Sep 3, 2019 Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid Like a warm-up to An American in Paris (1951). Aug 2, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Charles D The definition of Camp. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/02/24 Full Review Audience Member Yes, this is another old MGM musical with Gene Kelly and Judy Garland, which is more an excuse for singing and dancing rather than plot. Problem is, the singing and dancing (especially by Gene Kelly) is good, but too sparse compared to the rest of the movie's running time, and worse yet, the musical scenes are almost peripheral to the movie's story line itself. The plot actually had potential. Judy Garland is a young adult raised by her aunt, who has arranged for her to marry her small town's wealthy, but fat and seemingly dull mayor. The marriage is for financial reasons, and Garland isn't impressed by her fiancé. In fact, Garland has her mind in a fantasy world, dreaming of leaving her sheltered existence and travailing the world, even being taken away by the legendary pirate Macoco. Gene Kelly is the head of a group of strolling entertainers who learns about Garland's fantasies and wants Garland for himself. But then comes a shocking plot twist which, if the producers had properly developed it, could have added real tension and depth to the movie. Instead, the movie ends up drifting toward an unsatisfactory conclusion. You might enjoy this if all you want to see is Gene Kelly singing and dancing. But there are far better musicals out there that you can see instead. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review camille l Bien qu'on sera tous d'accord que The Pirate n'est pas le plus grand film de la carrière de Vincente Minelli, Gene Kelly et Judy Garland et que les numéros musicaux sont parfois peu convaincants en dehors du tout premier, cette histoire de mariage arrangé et d'identité trouble est assez amusante pour tenir son rang pendant 1h40. Les décors font toc, mais cela semble assumé étant donné la légèreté et la bonne humeur de l'ensemble. Cela rend le film éminemment sympathique à défaut d'être mémorable. Gene Kelly et Judy Garland sont excellents, bien évidemment, mais affublés de terribles costumes et maquillages, leur charme habituel n'est pas autant présent qu'à l'accoutumée. C'est assez dommage car n'est-ce pas le but de ce genre de musical? Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member One of Judy's campiest films, and one of her most fun. Her chemistry with Gene Kelly is undeniable. "Magnificent." Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review kimberly s This movie seems decades ahead of its time. The humor is almost modern in nature, the costumes had to have been revealing for their time, and the film doesn't take itself too seriously. I was surprised how strong a female character Manuela was. She really knew how to throw the punches. Judy Garland is such a firecracker and this role fit her well. I also liked Gene Kelly, because this is not a typical role he plays. The plot was interesting and even had a few twists that I wouldn't expect from a 1940's musical. Quite refreshing! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review william k Superb Hollywood musical may be stage-bound, but is very lively, sumptuously produced with excellent choreography and photographed in wonderful Technicolor. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Manuela Alva (Judy Garland) is unhappily engaged to Don Pedro (Walter Slezak), the mayor of her town. When a circus arrives, she's enchanted by performer Serafin (Gene Kelly), who's likewise smitten with her. The mayor tries to evict the circus from town, but Serafin turns the tables after realizing Don Pedro is Macoco, an ex-pirate in hiding. When Serafin learns that Manuela dreams of Macoco, he adopts the discarded identity to woo her -- but is then condemned to death for the pirate's crimes.
Director
Vincente Minnelli
Producer
Arthur Freed
Screenwriter
S.N. Behrman, Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett
Distributor
MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre
Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 20, 1948, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 42m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Flat (1.37:1)
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