THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER
UK, 1962, 87 minutes, Colour.
Kerwin Matthews, Glenn Corbett, Christopher Lee, Andrew Keir, Peter Arne, Oliver Reed.
Directed by John Gilling.
The Pirates of Blood River comes from the Hammer Studios after their initial success with horror films in the latter part of the 1950s including Dracula and the Curse of Frankenstein. Christopher Lee was one of their principal stars and appears here as the French-accented pirate chief, with his eye-patch, and his sinister presence (Christopher Lee at about age 40). The co-stars are Americans and American-accented. Kerwin Jonathons had made his mark as Sinbad. Oliver Reed can be seen in an initial role – which did not indicate his success and future career.
Huguenots had escaped from France and persecution to an island off the coast and had set up a prosperous colony, although the leaders had become far more strict and God-fearing as the years went on. Inhabitants were rebelling. This is especially the case at the opening when the hero has a rendezvous with the wife of one of the elders. She tries to escape, into the river which turns to blood, the suggestion there were Piranha-like creatures – who also destroy the pirates of the end. In the meantime, the hero is sent to a penal colony. When he escapes he discovers a pirate community at the other end of the island, led by Christopher Lee, and intent on finding treasure.
This builds up to the confrontation between pirates and colonists with the expected results. Hammer Studios also produced another pirate movie at this time, Devil- Ship Pirates.
1. A 1960s pirate film, though the action taking place on land? An action adventure?
2. Hammer films and the tradition of horror, this variation on their subjects, yet their cast including Christopher Lee?
3. The film shot in the UK, the island off the coast, the refuge for Huguenots, the colony and its history, the initial information, religious freedom, but tyrannical society, the leaders, the Ten Commandments, invocation of God?
4. The introduction to Jonathon and Margaret? The others, pursued? Court? Margaret escaping, her death in the river, the blood in the river? Jonathon’s arrest, his appeal to his father, his criticism of Margaret’s husband and his cruelty, the trial, his condemnation, his father’s bearing him death? to be sent to the penal colony?
5. Jonathon, Bess and her plea, Henry as his friend? The time in the colony, the hard work, the cruelty, the deprivations? With the old man, the carriage, the rocks, the guard falling to his death, the escape, the dogs pursuing, the old man collapsing, Jonathon’s escaping through the water?
6. The pirate colony, its origins, the leader and his French accent? His character, eye-patch? His control of the men? Hatch as his assistant? The other men and their brutality? The interest in the settler’s colony, presuming they had treasure?
7. Jonathon, in the colony, recovering, his agreement with the leader, the approach to the colony, the boy seeing him and reporting what had happened? The attack on the women, the death of the father?
8. The leader, his presumptions about treasure, the confrontation with the leaders? The gun battle? Going into the hall, the statue of the founder?
9. Jonathon, his escape, trying to help? His being taken? The gathering of the people, the execution of two of the men? The threats? The brawling pirates and their blindfold, fighting over the Bess?
10. Jonathon and Henry working together, the build-up to the confrontation, the fight, Jonathon and the leader and the sword fight? The leader being killed? The pirates killed in the river – and the blood?
11. Ridding the colony of the pirates, the new beginning?
12. An interesting variation on popular pirate stories – though some considered it to landlocked!
