The Devil-Ship Pirates

By the early 1960's Hollywood movies had lost their magic touch, due to collapse of the big studio systems, death and retirement of key actors, directors, and other personnel. Pandering to teenagers and others of the lowest mentality and morality hastened the end of whatever potential for quality productions was left in Tensil Town. The occasional good one such as The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) was the fading work of old actors and old directors, a rare oasis in what had become an entertainment desert. American movie makers just couldn't make them like they used to, or at least they wouldn't. It is no wonder then that British pictures, previously regarded as crude, poor cousins of Hollywood productions, enjoyed a height of popularity with American movie audiences during this period.

The leader in providing entertainment-starved Statesiders with entertaining pictures from Albion was Hammer Film Productions, ensconced in a Thames-side country manor upriver from London. Lush sets provided by the palatial manor house and its expansive grounds, talented matte artists, and a special touch with color let Hammer produce handsome, classy looking movies while operating on the cheap. Most of the studio's production were horror thrillers, but the mad geniuses at Hammer, could turn out an old time adventure costumer with the same glossy, high production treatment given the blood-sucking Count and the monster-making Barron.

Rousing, old time swashbuckling adventure is exactly what Devil Ship Pirates dishes up. It starts with an intriguing story line, shot-up privateer galleon from the defeated Spanish Armada in 1588 beaches on the English coast, and its crew of scummy pirates proceeds to terrorize good Queen Bess's good subjects in a nearby village, deceiving them with the lie that the Spanish have won. Christopher Lee, Hammer's master of menace, is terrific, even without fangs, as the ruthless, indomitable captain of the wicked pirates. He dominates this movie as much and is almost as frightening as he ever was as Dracula! John Cairney makes a bland but admirable hero as the one-armed English blacksmith's son willing to resist the pirates. More dashing is Barry Warren as an enigmatic Spanish nobleman and army officer on board with the pirates but ultimately not in tune with their evil plans. Solid support comes from Andrew Keir, Duncan Lamont, Michael Ripper, and Michael Newport, as a very spunky English boy. Suzan Farmer is on hand as the cleavage lass one came to expect from Hammer. Don Sharp's direction is on target, Jimmy Sangster's aforementioned story intelligent, editing and cinematography fluid. As with all Hammer numbers, Eastman Color is made to look almost as good as the highly superior but by this time practically abandoned three-strip Technicolor. No other studio ever did so well with Eastman Color.

The spirited action, which includes lots of well-executed sword play, is almost non-stop. The actors in this picture obviously had many fencing lessons, and Christopher Lee was an artist with a rapier! So much action is crammed into 89 minutes running time, it leaves you feeling as if it were over two hours. And you always know who to root for, as there is no relativist blurring of the line between good and evil here. This element, as was always understood at Hammer and had once been understood in Hollywood, is crucial to making a story entertaining.

Devil Ship Pirates is a top notch, old time, costume adventure entertainment -- perhaps not up with one of Old Hollywood's better Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power swashbucklers, but better than most offered by the shell of its former self Hollywood had become by the 1960's.

Made in 1964, this action romp (set on land) is one of Hammer's few forays beyond the world of horror.

Christopher Lee is on crisply villainous form as Captain Robeles, whose modest privateer Diablo comes off worse when the Spanish Armada gets a sound shoeing and has to limp into hiding in the marshes near an isolated English village.

To carry out repairs and escape safely, he and his crew hit on the wizard prank of terrorising the villagers into believing the Spanish won the engagement and that they represent the new authority.

It's all done on a shoestring but certainly doesn't look it and boasts all the usual Hammer trademarks of solid if slightly dull hero, heaving bosoms, weak authority figures, cowed locals and a meaty villain.

One of Hammer Studios forays away from the horror genre, the film still has the unmistakable Hammer stamp much in evidence.

Story concerns a fighting ship from the Spanish Armada, which after the defeat takes refuge on a remote stretch of English coastline for repairs. The crew, headed by Christopher Lee, convince the locals that the Spanish were victorious and blockade their village.

Many aspects of Hammers historical horror films are present - the nervous, subdued villagers, the local landowner who gives in to the outside forces, the buxom village wench to be plundered, the young headstrong villager who organises resistance etc. With Lee playing the evil force, the films middle is similar in tone to many a Hammer Dracula film - the pirate ship taking the place of the usual castle, but the effect and implications it has are the same.

As a swashbuckler, 'The Devil-Ship Pirates' doesn't really offer anything of lasting interest - for Hammer fans though there is much to enjoy, with production values above average, and a storyline which satisfies all requirements.

Nice to see Michael Ripper in a surprisingly large role - he must have as many lines in this as every other Hammer film he was in put together.

July 1588 . In the English channel the British fleet has been battling for two days against the mighty Spanish armada . Badly damaged with half their crews killed , the ships of Spain battle their way on up the channel . And the thickest part of the fighting is one of the smallest Spanish ships , the licensed privateer 'Diablo' . As the damaged privateer deserts the Spanish Armada and makes land for repairs near a village on the British coast , terrorizing the local inhabitants . They have to put it near from a village on the coast for repairs . The place is small and isolated and the Spanish military convince the villagers that the British fleet has been defeated and that they are now their conquerors . The hot-blooded as well as shipwrecked crew of cut-throats is led by Captain Robeles (Christopher Lee) .

Entertaining pirate movie , plenty of action , thrills , exciting sword-play , luxurious costumes , athletic feats , enjoyable score ; all meld together under Don Sharp's right direction . Combination of spectacular ships battle , sword-play and full of villainy , betrayal , swashbuckling and heroism . Hammer Production built a real Spanish pirate ship for the film planning to reuse it on other flicks . The full-sized galleon was built in some sand pits on a steel structure under the water ; although warned not to have too many people on board at once, one day the tea boat was lifted onto a platform level with the water with too many people getting their tea . The ship capsized throwing most of the cast and crew in the water , thankfully no one was drowned or seriously hurt . In the film appears Hammer ordinary actors such as Andrew Keir , Duncan Lamont , Susan Farmer , Philip Latham , Michael Ripper and , of course , the great Christopher Lee . Interesting script by screenwriter Jimmy Sangster , Hammer's usual , he remarked that this movie's basic premise is similar to that of "The Desperate Hours" in which a gang of criminals holds a family hostage . Well produced by Anthony Nelson Keys at Bray studios , England , with nice production design by Bernard Robinson , in fact "village square" set was also used , only slightly altered , in "The Crimson Blade" . Evocative as well as thrilling musical score by Gary Hughes . Colorful cinematography in Hammer style by Michael Reed .

The motion picture was professionally directed by Don Sharp , it premiered in the United States before debuting in Britain and was double-billed with "The Invincible Seven" . In the mid-1960s Sharp was hired by horror specialist Hammer Films and resulted out some well-received thrillers , and horror movies including Kiss of the vampire (1963) , his first for Hammer , Witchcraft (1964) and The curse of the fly (1965) . Don directed Christopher Lee six times , he was his fetish actor . Don worked on a few films as second-unit director , most notably Those magnificent men and the flying machines (1965) and Puppet on a chain (1965) before returning to filmmaking again , and turned out a string of thrillers as The thirty nine steps (1979) , Bear Island (1984) , horror films as Dark places (1974) , Secrets of the phantom caverns (1985) , Guardian of abyss (1988) and comedies . Towards the end of his career he worked in television on mini-series .

Beautiful Eastmancolor 2.35:1 widescreen production with lots of action. "The Devil-Ship Pirates" is a well-paced and directed Hammer film with a decent budget and fine acting, including Sir Christopher Lee (then just plain Mr. Lee) convincingly mean and cruel as a pirate captain. One of Lee's better acting jobs in my opinion as he swashes and buckles (including some good sword fights) in an energetic role.

English vs. Spaniards and pirates at the time of the Armada, while not much at sea there is plenty of action. Will hold your attention and moves at a brisk pace, therefore everyone can watch and everyone will be entertained.