SCALAWAG

US, 1973, 93 minutes, Colour.
Kirk Douglas, Mark Lester, Neville Brand, Lesley- Anne Down.
Directed by Kirk Douglas.

Scalawag is a raucous Pirate film based on a story by Robert Louis Stevenson. It has interesting credits: beautiful colour photography by Jack Cardiff, songs by Lionel Bart, Mel Blanc (who voices for so many cartoons) voicing a parrot. Direction is by Kirk Douglas - who later directed the more successful western Posse. There is an interesting cast with Mark Lester at the end of his adolescent career and Lesley-Anne? Down at the beginning of her successful career. The film is a strange blend of action and comedy which doesn't quite come off. But it is passable light entertainment.

1. Entertaining pirate story? Robert Louis Stevenson and the atmosphere of the 19th century? California and Mexico and the atmosphere of the 19th century frontiers? An adventure for young audiences?

2. Atmosphere, colour photography, the locations for California and Mexico, the coast, the cliffs, the sea, the inn? The score and the songs?

3. The title and the suggestion of mischief?

4. The focus on Peg - and Kirk Douglas' control and domination of the film? His appearance, offbeat character? As chief of the pirates, his hold over the crew, greed and violence? Piracy on the Pacific coast? Peg's encounter with Jamie and Lucy-Anne? The bond between Peg and Jamie? Hero worship? His using the children? The deaths, the explosions, the final confrontation at the bottom of the cliff? His escape? Leaving some of the gold for Jamie? The moralising end of the film? Jamie and Lucy-Anne? orphans, the inn, the farm, their work, family love? Their involvement in the adventures? The gold? Jamie and his participation in the danger? His final intervention - and the climb of the ladder? Lucy-Anne? and her charm and glamour? The hero worship, the balloon escape? Jamie being changed by his hero worship of Peg? The character gallery of villains: robbers, fighting, hiding the gold, the explosion, the map and the parrot, suspicions, watching one another, manoeuvres, thieves falling out?

7. The characters of the pirates: Brimstone, Velvet, Mudhook? Harsh, cruel, treacherous? The ironic comedy with the parrot and the map?

8. Don Aragon and the aristocracy of California? Hunting helping, his love for Lucy-Anne?

9. A piece of pirate escapism?