DEVIL SHIP PIRATES

UK, 1964, 86 minutes, Colour.
Christopher Lee, Barry Warren, John Cairney, Suzan Farmer, Michael Ripper, Duncan Lamont, Ernest Clark, Natasha Pine, Philip Latham, Andrew Keir.
Directed by Don Sharp.

Devil Ship Pirates is a Hammer Studios film, filmed in Ireland. However, it is a bit out of the run of their usual style of horror film, especially their Dracula and Frankenstein series.

The idea is an interesting one. A Spanish ship from the Armada is separated from the fleet, lands on an island, tells the inhabitants that Spain has conquered England and dominate accordingly. However, there are local British heroics, a revolt against the pirates.

Christopher Lee gives his typical performance as the captain of the Spanish ship. The film was directed by Don Sharp, the Australian-born director who worked in television in England, made a number of horror films during the 1960s including The Curse of the Fly and Rasputin the Mad Monk. He went more upmarket in the latter part of the 1970s with cinema features including remakes of The Four Feathers and The Thirty -Nine Steps as well as a version of the Alistair Mac Lean story, Bear Island.

1. How enjoyable a historical spectacular? The basic appeal of this kind of film?

2. The visualizing of the Armada, ships of the time, England and the marshes, the town and its way of life? How authentic did this 1588 reconstruction seem?

3. The title, the name of the ship, the judgement on the pirates? How was this borne out?

4. Captain Robeles: the devil-pirate, the devil, his role and participation? his cruelty and shooting the Spanish? a law to himself, no respecter of people, lord over the crew, his hold on the town, his skill in sword-fighting? How real a character did he seem? villain, overtones of evil and the devil?

5. The picture of the crew: their fights, drinking and lusting, violence and death, being burnt in the Hall of the Island? Which characters stood out?

6. The contract with the hero and his code? The shock about the pirates? His decision to help the people? His dying for them? His heroism?

7. The contrast with the people in the town? Tom and the sadness of his death? Harry as a hero, rescuing Jane, fighting the sailors? leading the people? Angela and her father, Jane and her father? Sailer and his being sent off? Robeles’ use of him to make the people fear? The hanging, the whipping of Harry? the killing, the rape? The attitude of Sir Basil and his chaplain? The irony of Sir Basil's death?

8. The ruse for the ship and its destruction?

9. The question of communications in this time? Spanish pirates pretending to rule England? The people cut off and believing them?

10. The picture of pressure on a town, the battles? how well were these visualized?

11. Awareness of a way of life at a particular historical time? The value of an action film for an authentic look at history?