Main Cast: Yul Brynner, Charlton Heston, Claire Bloom, Charles Boyer, Inger Stevens
Release Year: 1958
Country: US
Run Time: 121 minutes
Plot
When Cecil B. DeMille was set to direct a re-make of his 1938 swashbuckler The Buccaneer and suddenly became ill, his son-in-law, Anthony Quinn, jumped into DeMille's jodhpurs. In this version, Yul Brynner plays the starring role of debonair pirate Jean Lafitte, who is contacted by General Andrew Jackson (Charlton Heston) to come to the aid of the United States when the British attack New Orleans during the War of 1812. Lafitte immediately falls in love with Annette Claiborne (Inger Stevens), the daughter of William Claiborne (E.G. Marshall), the first governor of Louisiana. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Albert Nozaki - Art Director, Hal Pereira - Art Director, Walter Tyler - Art Director, John Jensen - Costume Designer, Edith Head - Costume Designer, Ralph Jester - Costume Designer, Anthony Quinn - Director, Archie Marshek - Editor, Arthur Rosson - Editor, Cecil B. DeMille - Executive Producer, Elmer Bernstein - Composer (Music Score), Wally Westmore - Makeup, Ray Moyer - Production Designer, Sam Comer - Production Designer, Loyal Griggs - Cinematographer, Henry Wilcoxon - Producer, Ray Moyer - Set Designer, Bernice Mosk - Screenwriter, Jesse Lasky, Jr. - Screenwriter, Harold Lamb - Play Author, Edwin Justus Mayer - Play Author, C. Gardner Sullivan - Play Author, Lyle Saxon - Short Story Author
The film is a remake of the 1938 film of the same name which starred Fredric March and Akim Tamiroff. The 1938 version was produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille, but he was seriously ill by the time the 1958 version was made, so he was only the executive producer on that version, leaving his then son-in-law, Anthony Quinn, to direct. It was the only film that Quinn ever directed. Henry Wilcoxon, DeMille's long-time friend, who made frequent appearances in his films, was the actual producer, and DeMille did not receive screen credit, though students of his films would probably say that his touch is obvious throughout the film. Nevertheless, DeMille was unhappy with the film and tried unsuccessfully to improve it; critical response was generally unfavorable, despite some impressive battle scenes.
