Last of the Buccaneers

"Last of the Buccaneers" concerns Jean Lafitte (1776-1823), a French pirate and privateer who is best known for having fought in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. The film begins after the Battle of New Orleans.

Austrian born Paul Henreid (1905-92) plays Lafitte, but he's no Burt Lancaster or Errol Flynn. Henreid was well past his prime (e.g., Victor Laszlo from "Casablanca" or Jerry Durrance from "Now Voyager"), and it shows. Shortly after this film Henried was a victim of the communist scare and was blacklisted as an actor, turning his attentions to directing and work on stage.

Jack Oakie and John Dehner plays pirate sidekicks, and this may be the worst acting for either of them. Oakie is just plain out of his element and Dehner's accent is downright embarrassing.

The special effects are cheesy and the fighting scenes look like a high school play.

IMO the best pirate films are - Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) with Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, The Sea Hawk (1940) and Captain Blood (1935) with Errol Flynn, Treasure Island (1934) Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper, Peter Pan (1953) Disney's animated version, The Crimson Pirate (1952) with Burt Lancaster, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), The Black Swan (1942) with Tyronne Power and Maureen O'Hara, and Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kid (1952) with Charles Laughton as Captain Kidd.