The legend of Anne Romney (here referred to as Anne Providence) has recently been made into a short-lived Broadway musical, but in the early 50's, there were two films about her which couldn't be any more different in presentation. Universal's "Double Crossbones" features Romney as a secondary character (played by the quite imposing looking Hope Emerson) in support of Donald O'Connor. That was a comedy/adventure, but for a more serious look at her, 20th Century Fox cast their rising player Jean Peters as the legendary captain of the Sheba Queen. Peters was much more diminutive than Emerson (best known as the evil matron in "Caged"), so it makes a different character altogether. But she is still as tough, trained by none other than Blackbeard (Thomas Gomez in a very showy performance) to captain her own ship. She is first seen in a sword fight with Blackbeard, revealed only to be for fun. When Frenchman Louis Jourdan is about to be made to walk the plank, Peters steps in to save his life, learning he is an enemy of the British. It is her love for him (an enemy of Blackbeard's) which causes her mentor to declare war on her, and she in turn, declares war on Jourdan when she learns that he is married. Herbert Marshall plays her drunken adviser who incurs her wrath when he disapproves of her revenge on Jourdan and his wife (Debra Paget).
This is a colorful tale of the romanticism of pirate life that will delight fans of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. Some parts of the movie, in fact, highly resemble the ride at Disney's Amusement Parks. From an entertainment point of view, the film works its magic and ranks a good review. Peters gives a lot of gusto to her portrayal, and Jourdan is romantic and handsome. Paget gets to be a bit more than decorative, and veteran actor Marshall gives a touching, wise performance. While the true story of Anne Romney may be quite different, this will do for a typical rousing Hollywood version of the legends of the high seas.
This is a colorful tale of the romanticism of pirate life that will delight fans of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. Some parts of the movie, in fact, highly resemble the ride at Disney's Amusement Parks. From an entertainment point of view, the film works its magic and ranks a good review. Peters gives a lot of gusto to her portrayal, and Jourdan is romantic and handsome. Paget gets to be a bit more than decorative, and veteran actor Marshall gives a touching, wise performance. While the true story of Anne Romney may be quite different, this will do for a typical rousing Hollywood version of the legends of the high seas.