Captain Kidd (1945)

Crappy film

Brilliant and touching

As Good As It Gets

The acting in this movie is really good.

On paper, Captain Kidd looks quite presentable. Laughton, Scott, Owen, Carradine, Daniell in a scenario by Norman Reilly Raine (Emile Zola, Robin Hood, Elizabeth and Essex, Fighting 69th, Captains of the Clouds, A Bell for Adano, etc), directed by Rowland V. Lee (Son of Frankenstein, Tower of London, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, etc.).However, in actual fact the script is awful, the direction pedestrian and excitement somewhat meager. The acting is atrocious too - but at least it's entertaining. Laughton must have signed for the film without first reading the shooting script. Certainly it's great to see him in the star part (the hero played by Randolph Scott is definitely subsidiary, while the heroine doesn't even come on till the halfway mark), but handed such impoverished lines and woeful business! However much this assignment would have defeated a lesser actor, Laughton sets to with a will, hamming up the part with such lively gusto and infectious enthusiasm as to turn the bird-droppings of an almost featherless screenplay into a veritable feast of robust entertainment. Laughton is greatly helped in his endeavors by Reginald Owen, another seasoned performer who knows all the tricks of inflection and demeanor to strike sparks of histrionic excitement from the driest pasture. John Carradine also has a nicely insinuating way with words, but the rest of the players are far less able to spin their spidery lines into threads of gold. Henry Daniell is miscast as good King William. Gilbert Roland tries hard and does most of his own fencing (while an obvious double substitutes for our hero) but misses the ingratiating charisma of a true-born villain. Mr Scott's resourceful hero signally lacks a tongue in his cheek. Miss Britton is a bland and featureless heroine.As for the production itself, it sweeps high on promise but considerably short in actual achievement. A few of the sets are remarkably lavish, but a general air of cheese-paring pervades. The pacing is slow, the action spots few and far between, the direction flat and the photography colorless. In short the film bears every sign of being soldered together in budget-conscious haste.For Laughton fans who are oblivious to all else, Captain Kidd offers a reasonably entertaining romp through the pages of piracy. For the rest of us, it's a definite disappointment.

There have been many movies about pirates, some better than others. This is certainly one of the all-time silliest and most farcical. Randolph Scott looks a bit like a stuffed shirt version of Errol Flynn. His buddy, John Qualen, doesn't have much to say. He usually plays Scandinavians with a funny accent. He was the Norwegian in Casablanca. Henry Daniell was quite convincing as William III, and looked the part. There was a pretty girl, who had almost nothing to do. Otherwise the story, the script and the performances were truly laughable: so bad they were good. Only missing were Abbott and Costello, and I believe they turned up in a later version. Sample dialogue. Last pirate alive on Laughton's hilariously hidden hitlist says: "You can't kill me. I've left a letter with my lawyer, to be opened if I don't come back to London." Captain Laughton: "Spoil sport." Wink, wink, blink. I kid you not! Reminds me of "The Outlaw".However, there is one brief scene which I've watched over and over. Just about 20 minutes into this total nonsense (a better title would be "Carry on Pirating"), a gang of dirty, filthy pirates have been told to get cleaned up, and they are waiting their turn in the hot tub. One of those in the queue is a bloke with a towel round his nether parts. Stap me vitals, and shiver me timbers if this shipmate ain't Charlton Heston! Features --- both face and physique --- are a perfect fit. All that bothers me slightly is the hair, but his hair, if it was his, always did seem to sit a little oddly on his head.This film was made in 1945. In that year, according to Wikipedia, Chuck Heston had just left the army and got married, and was doing some modelling work. It does look as if he picked up a few more pennies as an extra. Can someone confirm or refudiate the possibility? It's one of the main reasons for watching this shipwreck. Three stars for the laughs.

Fictionalized account of Captain Kidd has him looking to gain entry into favored English society after tricking the king to commission him as escort to a ship coming from India loaded with treasure. Of course, Kidd (here played with gusto by Charles Laughton) has his eyes set firmly on gaining much of said treasure for himself without the king even realizing what's he done.Despite Laughton's best efforts and boisterous acting performance and an all star cast including Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, John Carradine and even Henry Daniell in a short role as the King, this never rises above being just average at best. In terms of a swashbuckler, this has one sword fight that's much too short. In terms of action of the high seas, the sea battles prove all too brief. Mostly this features talking between characters to further advance the plot. In short, there's way too much posturing and talk and nowhere near enough action. Overall, it's surprisingly dull.

Very good swashbuckler film from the mid 40s. Charles Laughton is at his best...deceitful, scheming and conniving as Captain William Kidd. The ruthless Captain Kidd buries treasure on Madagascar intending to never split the spoils with anyone. And that same treasure may never be found. The infamous pirate tries to pull a scheme on the King of England by offering to give protection to a treasure ship bound from India to England. Kidd will skillfully remove the treasure from the ship he is suppose to be guarding and then blows it to smithereens. But is the notorious scoundrel of the sea smart enough to keep escaping the law? CAPTAIN KIDD features a talented and well respected cast: Randolph Scott, Reginald Owen, Gilbert Roland, John Carradine, Barbara Britton, John Qualen and Sheldon Leonard.