THE BOY AND THE PIRATES

US, 1960, 84 minutes, Colour.
Charles Herbert, Susan Gordon, Murvyn Vye, Paul Guilfoyle, Joseph Turkel.
Directed by Bert I. Gordon.

The Boy and the Pirates is a minor entertaining adventure fantasy for young audiences. It has all the interesting pirate and genie ingredients for entertainment. It was produced and directed by Bert I. Gordon, who specialised in this kind of film and in special visual effects he called Perceptovision.

1. A good children's film, family film, boys' film? Why?

2. Colour, 20th century, contrasting with 18th century? Ships, battles, the magic genie, the special effects?

3. The theme of boys' adventure and boys' dreams? Jimmy's daydream about being a pirate, his not being content with the present, his grizzling at his parents' strictness? His being put in the middle of adventure, the fantasy not living up to his imagination, being much harsher, the change to realism? The basic point behind Jimmy’s testing of his fantasies with reality?

4. How attractive a young boy was Jimmy. pictured at play, his imagination about pirates, his schoolwork in History, his place in the family, friendship with Kathy? A daydreamer who wanted wish fulfilment?

5. The character of the genie: a pleasant genie, a type, magic, tricking Jiminy, testing him, finally helping him? How plausible was this character?

6. Blackbeard as he lived in Jimmy's 20th century imagination? The confrontation with the reality? Blackbeard as a hero, as a real pirate, his cruel and greedy piracy, his pursuit of Jimmy and trying to kill him? The fantasy and reality about pirates?

7. The picture of the pirates themselves and their harshness, the cook and his greed and plots, the kindly pirate who helped and was killed by Blackbeard?

8. How effective was it, having Kathy worked into the fantasy? On the plundered ship, the death of its captain, her Dutch background from New Amsterdam, Jimmy and his friendship with Kathy? How did this transfer when he cam back to the present?

9. Comment on the adventure ingredients: the drawing of the map, changing of the letters, the dangers, the battles, the magic clouds, the swordfights etc.

10. How content was Jimmy when he woke up and came back to real life?