The Boy and the Pirates

This film begins with a young boy by the name of "Jimmy Warren" (Charles Herbert) playing on what's left of an old ship that crashed upon the coast near his small town in Massachusetts. Upon gazing out into the ocean he just happens to spot a bottle that drifts on the beach and while handling it wishes he could be aboard a pirate ship. Suddenly a genie named "Adu" (Joseph Turkel) pops out and immediately grants his wish. The next thing Jimmy knows is that he is surrounded by pirates and subsequently forced to work for "Captain Blackbeard" (Murvyn Vye) as his personal cabin boy. To make matters even worse, Abu then tells him that unless he can return the bottle within 3 days to the exact spot in which he found it he will be forced to take Abu's place and live in the same bottle for the next two thousand years. From that point on Jimmy tries his best to get the pirate ship to change course and head back to Massachusetts but the only problem is that Abu is doing everything possible to prevent it. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an okay adventure film which was essentially produced for younger viewers. As such the action, scripts and special effects were toned down to accommodate that particular audience. Even so this wasn't a bad film by any means and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

A young boy (Charles Herbert) is magically transported back in time to a pirate ship on the high seas.

I have something of a fondness for Bert Gordon. While his films are hit and miss, probably more miss, and often cheesy, he does hail from Kenosha, Wisconsin and attended UW-Madison. So I like to consider him a kindred spirit, even if we have never met.

This is actually among his better films, though not one of the more well-known. Of course, he may be best known for the films that appeared on "Mystery Science Theater", so that would tend to skew how people see him. Here the plot, effects and even the scenery and costumes are good. The story seems to be a kid's adventure but is dark enough that people of all ages may appreciate it.

Shockingly, no monsters! And no large animals (though we do have a genie who appears very small, so at least we have that).

Cute 12 year old Charles Herbert stars in this kiddie movie about a boy who dreams of being a pirate. To get him away from his hum-drum life of school, chores, and nagging parents. O to be free like the pirates, and do what a boy wants!

Walking on the Massachusetts shore, little Jimmy (Herbert) finds a genie in a bottle. The genie makes his dream come true. But the boy finds out to his dismay that the life of a pirate is not what he thought it would be. And he longs for home.

Lots of boyish adventure. Blackbeard, and sloops, and man-o-wars, treasure chests, rum and adventures.

The cute Herbert made many movies and also starred in "Houseboat" as the little son to Sophia Loren as his stepmother. See also "Don't Eat the Daisies" also made in 1960 when the lad was 12. Such a comely lad, he should have gone on to other movies but seems to have vanished into high school obscurity. Pity, he was such a cute boy.

The Boy and the Pirates (1960)

** (out of 4)

Bert I. Gordon stepped away from the giant insects long enough to direct this children's film about a young Jimmy Warren (Charles Herbert) who is in trouble by his parents because all he does is think about the days of the pirates. After coming across a genie, the boy is transported back to when Blackbeard (Murvyn Vye) ruled the sea and the boy gets to see what it was really like. THE BOY AND THE PIRATES is innocent enough and there are a few good things about it but I think most adults are going to have trouble staying awake through it. I'll start off with the good stuff, which includes some decent special effects considering some of the director's earlier films and not to mention that the budget here isn't that big. I also thought we got some nice supporting performances including Vye as Blackbeard and Paul Guilfoyle who plays a pirate who befriends the children. The director's daughter Susan Gordon actually steals the show in a dual role as Jimmy's friend. Even Joe Turkel isn't too bad as the genie. I think Herbert wasn't all that interesting in the lead so his performance certainly brings the film down a notch or two. Another problem is that there's really just not enough energy to carry the film and its rather short running time. There are quite a few pirate battles but none of them are so exciting to the point where you're having a great time. Instead, they get the job done to just barely keep you awake. I think the darker moments of the film (the kids constantly being threatened) really don't mix too well with some of the lighter humor (the bubblegum getting in the pirate's food) but these scenes on their own are quite effective.

Basically the story is about little Jimmy, a boy who has no interest in anything but pirates, finding a bottle with a genie in it, and accidentally wishing he were part of Blackbeard's pirate ship. So the genie makes the wish, and little Jimmy goes back to the late 1500's for what should have been rollicking, fun pirate adventure but turns out instead to be less interesting than any adventure on the Love Boat on a bad day. What else happens: little Jimmy meets a Dutch girl with no accent(Susan Gordon, the director's daughter), argues with the genie over some story about how the genie must be thrown back in the same spot where found otherwise Jimmy will take his spot in the bottle, and accidentally leaves bubblegum in the kitchen for the cook to use in a stew. These were the film's highlights(no lie!). Charles Herbert, the child actor from The Fly and Thirteen Ghosts, does an adequate job as Jimmy. He was a very natural child actor with some obvious talent. Susan Gordon is cute if nothing else, and the rest of the cast is, well, adequate at best. Murvyn Vye is actually pretty decent as Blackbeard and Joe Turkel as the genie is also likewise. Paul Guilfoyle as Snipe - the lone pirate with any compassion for the two children - is the only actor; however, that even tries to add any depth to his character and performance. The rest, although not bad, are one-dimensional stereotypes of characters we've seen again and again. The biggest problem with this film is the direction and script. In a film that could and should have created some wonderful scenes for children, The Boy and the Pirates would be lucky to keep even a row boat afloat. Director and screenwriter Bert I. Gordon does a lackluster job bringing this story to the screen. The script has too many non-conventional conventions(once you see it you might know what I am trying to say here). The characters don't have any depth, and the comedy isn't all that funny. That notwithstanding, The Boy and the Pirates has some heart - if only it had a little more blood to give it more life!