Pirates of 1920, The
Entry updated 18 April 2022. Tagged: Film.
UK silent film (1911). Cricks & Martin Films. Directed by David Aylott and A E Coleby. Cast unknown. 21 minutes. Black and white.
In the then Near Future of 1920, pirates descend from their Airship on rope ladders, boarding an ocean-going ship and stealing the gold bullion it carries. As they leave, ship's officer Jack Manley grabs the ladder as it is being raised – a fortunate act, as the pirates now drop bombs onto the ship, killing those on board. Jack clambers onto the airship's deck to fight the pirates; as there are seven of them he is quickly restrained. On discovering a photo of Jack's sweetheart, Marie Thompson, the pirate chief immediately falls in love and decides to kidnap her. Jack is tied to a rope and dangled from the airship: using his penknife to cut himself free, he swims to shore and tells his story to the police.
Meanwhile, the pirates spy Marie at home on her balcony, lovingly reading a letter from – we assume – Jack. The pirates break into the house and kidnap her: the maid is throttled and the butler shot as they try to stop them; her father survives, having done very little to hinder the abduction – clearly the servants' responsibility. Marie manages to write a note explaining the situation and giving the pirates' destination as "lonely island 20 miles north of Bute" (which actually would be mainland Scotland), then attaches it to a piece of jewellery and drops it from the airship. Fortunately it lands on a policeman's head. Shortly after she grabs one of the pirates' bombs and threatens to blow up the airship unless they land: cowed, they do so. Marie runs off and the pirates pursue: she throws the bomb, killing three, but the others grab her. The final four minutes are missing; however, a contemporary review explains that the police, Jack and her father now arrive and rescue her, capturing the pirates (see Crime and Punishment).
Though the holes in The Pirates of 1920's Pulp plot can be excused given the short run time, it is a little dull and the special effects unexceptional: Walter R Booth's not dissimilar The Aerial Submarine (1910) is far more fun and inventive with its small budget. The most memorable element is Marie as the feisty heroine. [SP]
links
- Internet Movie Database
- British Film Institute (with copy of film)
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