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The Pirate Movie

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"Pirate movie" redirects here. For the genre, see pirate film. For copyright infringement, see film piracy.

The Pirate Movie
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKen Annakin
Written byTrevor Farrant
Based onThe Pirates of Penzance
1879 opera
by William Schwenk Gilbert
Arthur Sullivan
Produced byDavid Joseph
Starring
CinematographyRobin Copping
Edited byKenneth W. Zemke
Music by
  • Mike Brady
  • Peter Sullivan
Production
company
Joseph Hamilton International Productions
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • 6 August 1982 (1982-08-06)
Running time
105 minutes[1]
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
BudgetA$6 million[2]
(US$5.9 million)[3]
Box officeUS$9 million

The Pirate Movie is a 1982 Australian musical romantic comedy film directed by Ken Annakin, and starring Christopher Atkins and Kristy McNichol. Loosely based on Gilbert and Sullivan's 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance, the original music score is composed by Mike Brady and Peter Sullivan (no relation to Pirates of Penzance composer Arthur Sullivan).

The film performed far below expectations in initial release and is generally reviewed very poorly,[4][5] but fared far more positively with audiences.[6]

Plot

[edit]

Mabel Stanley is an introverted and bookish teenage girl from the United States in a seaside community in Australia as an exchange student. She attends a local pirate festival featuring a swordplay demonstration led by a young curly-haired instructor and fellow American, who then invites her for a ride on his boat. She is duped by her exchange family sisters, Edith, Kate and Isabel, into missing the launch, so she rents a small sailboat to give chase. A sudden storm throws her overboard, and she washes up on a beach.

She subsequently dreams an adventure that takes place a century before. In this fantasy sequence, the swordplay instructor is now named Frederic, a young apprentice of the Pirates of Penzance, celebrating his 21st birthday on a pirate vessel. Frederic refuses an invitation from the Pirate King, his adoptive father, to become a full pirate, as his birth parents were murdered by their contemporaries. Frederic swears to avenge their deaths and is forced off of the ship on a small boat.

Adrift, Frederic spies Mabel and her older sisters on a nearby island and swims to shore to greet them. In a reversal of roles, Mabel is a confident, assertive, and courageous young woman, while her sisters are prim, proper and conservative. Frederic quickly falls for Mabel and proposes marriage, but local custom requires the elder sisters to marry first.

Soon, Frederic's old mates come ashore, also looking for women and kidnap Mabel's sisters. Major-General Stanley, Mabel's father, arrives and convinces the Pirate King to free his daughters and leave in peace. The pirates anchor their ship just outside the harbour instead of actually leaving. Mabel wants Frederic to gain favour with her father so they can marry, so she plots to recover the family treasure stolen years earlier by the pirates. Unfortunately, the treasure was lost at sea, but the location where it lies was tattooed as a map on the Pirate King's back. Mabel successfully tricks the Pirate King into revealing his tattoo while Frederic sketches a copy. After Mabel manages to escape from him, she and Frederic, who has sabotaged the pirate's ship, leap overboard and swim for safety. The pirates open fire on them, but the ship partially sinks, enabling them to escape.

The next day, Mabel and Frederic recover the stolen treasure and present it to her father. The Major-General is underwhelmed as he believes the treasure will simply be stolen again once the pirates realise it is missing. Mabel dispatches Frederic to raise an army for protection, but the Pirate King interferes. The ship nurse, Ruth, convinces them to stop fighting, reminding the Pirate King of Frederic's apprenticeship contract. Frederic's birthday is 29 February, and he is dismayed to see that the contract specifies his twenty-first birthday, rather than his twenty-first year. As his birthday occurs every four years, Frederic has celebrated only five birthdays and is still bound by contract to remain with the pirates.

That night, the pirates raid the Stanley estate, and the Pirate King orders their execution. Mabel demands a "happy ending" – admitting for the first time that she believes this all to be a dream. Everyone – even the pirates – cheers their approval, leaving the Pirate King disappointed and shocked. Mabel then confronts her father, but the Major-General is steadfast that the marriage custom remains in effect. Mabel quickly pairs each of her older sisters with a pirate, and she also pairs the Pirate King to Ruth. With Mabel and Frederic now free to marry, the fantasy sequence ends in song and dance.

Mabel wakes up back on the beach to discover that she is wearing the wedding ring that Frederic had given her in her dream. At that moment, the handsome swordplay instructor arrives and lifts her to her feet. He passionately kisses Mabel, who is still shaken by her dream. She asks if his name is Frederic. He assures her that he isn't who she imagines him to be, but then carries her off to marry her, thus giving Mabel her happy ending in reality as well.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

Joseph Papp's Broadway revival of "The Pirates of Penzance" had piqued the interest of music executive David Joseph, who had recently entered into a production partnership with actor Ted Hamilton (The Pirate King).[7] Together, they hatched the idea for a comedic film adaptation. Initially, Papp was approached to direct, but he declined because he had his own plans for a film adaptation of the musical.[8]

The producers then turned to 20th Century Fox studio, which not only agreed to distribute the film but also provided two lead actors for the project. Kristy McNichol, renowned for her role in the TV drama Family, had transitioned to a film career and was eager for another big-screen opportunity. Christopher Atkins, who had made a splash in The Blue Lagoon, was a notable presence in teen magazines. Both actors were invited to watch a production of "Penzance" in preparation for their roles. McNichol said that she was bored by it,[9] and Atkins believed he was cast primarily due to his resemblance to his Broadway counterpart, Rex Smith.[10] Atkins was under contract to Columbia Pictures, which lent him out to Fox for the movie, and then took half of his profits.[11] Although McNichol had sung professionally and released an album with her brother, she went to a vocal coach to prepare.[12] Meanwhile, Atkins, who had no musical experience,[13] not only had to be taught to sing, but underwent extensive dancing and fencing training.[14]

As the production gathered momentum, Ted Hamilton enlisted Trevor Farrant,[15] a collaborator from previous projects, to craft the screenplay.[16] Farrant received a substantial payment of $55,000 for his work, which, when adjusted for inflation, equates to $174,000. This was reported to be the highest salary ever earned by an Australian screenwriter at the time.[17] Farrant claimed to have completed the screenplay in just four days.[18]

Originally, the production had selected the young director Richard Franklin to helm the film.[19] Rehearsals commenced in August 1981, with plans to begin shooting in September.[20] Excitement was palpable among the cast and crew as they embarked on rehearsals.[21] However, McNichol, who had final script approval, clashed with Franklin over his vision for the film, resulting in Franklin's sudden departure from the production.[22] Ted Hamilton had the unenviable task of informing the cast and crew that "creative differences" had forced Franklin to exit.[23] This unexpected turn of events left production in a state of uncertainty, forcing Atkins (and presumably McNichol) to return to the United States[24] while the Australian team continued rehearsals.[25]

Ultimately, Ken Annakin was hired as Franklin's replacement. Being more than twice the age of his predecessor, there were concerns within the cast about Annakin's suitability for the role,[26] but production soldiered on.

Filming

[edit]

With the new director in place, principal photography began in November 1981[27] and stretched into January 1982.

Since McNichol wore a light, natural makeup, none of the "sisters" were allowed to enhance their features with makeup. Two actresses arrived with eyeliner on, were reprimanded and forced to remove it.[28]

Annakin found himself at odds with McNichol over one annoyance: her chewing gum. She continuously had gum in her mouth, and frequently tried to hide it in her cheek.[29] This led to an outtake that's seen right before the credits roll, which seems fairly random out of context.

Primary locations included the Polly Woodside at the South Melbourne wharf, the Farm and Mansion at Werribee Park, and the Loch Ard on the Great Ocean Road, Port Campbell, from November 1981 to January 1982. Secondary locations included various parts of Sydney, namely McDonald's Cremorne (in the beginning sequences, after Fred invites Mabel and her friends on the boat), Rushcutters Bay Marina (where Mabel obtains a small sailboat), and Palm Beach for some of the beach scenes. The Stanley family's library, which required a controlled environment for all of the stunt work, was a set erected in a Sydney studio.[30]

Post-production

[edit]

The film that was released was a little bit different from the film that was shot. "Pumping and Blowin'" was originally supposed to include a sequence with Mabel's sisters frolicking underwater,[31] but this footage was scrapped and replaced with animation by Yellow Submarine veteran Maggie Geddes.[32]

Despite Hamilton's objections, Fox ended up shaving 20 minutes out of the movie, which he claimed had "emasculated" the film and ruined a lot of the jokes.[33] They were particularly sensitive to racial jokes,[34] but other off-colour humor found its way onto the cutting room floor.[35]

Music

[edit]

The musical numbers, primarily inspired by Gilbert & Sullivan, were written by Terry Britten, Kit Hain, Sue Shifrin and Brian Robertson.

  1. "Victory" – The Pirates
  2. "I Am a Pirate King" – The Pirates
  3. "The Sisters' Song" – The Sisters
  4. "First Love" – Frederic and Mabel
  5. "The Modern Major General's Song" – Major General Stanley and Cast
  6. "Pumpin' and Blowin'" – Mabel
  7. "How Can I Live Without Her?" – Frederic
  8. "Hold On" – Mabel
  9. "Tarantara" – The Policemen
  10. "We Are the Pirates" – The Pirates
  11. "Come Friends, Who Plough the Sea" – The Pirates
  12. "Happy Ending" – Cast

Soundtrack

[edit]
The Pirate Movie: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture
Soundtrack album by
Various
ReleasedAugust 1982
GenrePop rock
LabelPolydor Records
ProducerPeter Sullivan, Roger Savage, Terry Britten a.o.
Singles from The Pirate Movie
  1. "How Can I Live Without Her"
    Released: 1982
  2. "Happy Ending"
    Released: 1982
  3. "First Love"
    Released: 1982

The Pirate Movie soundtrack album was released by Polydor Records in August 1982, available in both vinyl and cassette formats. The company invested a substantial $800,000 to secure the rights for this release,[36] which would be equivalent to over $2.5 million when adjusted for inflation. However, the album's performance on the American Billboard 200 was modest, reaching only number 166.[37]

Singles were issued for "How Can I Live Without Her?"[38] "First Love"[39] and, exclusively in Australia, The Peter Cupples Band's version of "Happy Ending."[40] "How Can I Live Without Her?" managed to reach number 71 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100,[41] while "First Love" failed to chart.

In Australia, the album achieved better success, reaching a position of number 39 on the charts.[42] "How Can I Live Without Her" peaked at #31 on the Australian charts,[43] and was even featured on the K-Tel compilation "Raiders of the Pop Charts" the following year.[44] "Happy Ending" became a signature song for Cupples, who was still performing it decades later.[45]

In most countries, the soundtrack was released as a double album containing the complete versions of all the songs, along with highlights from Peter Sullivan's orchestral score. However, abridged single-album versions were made available in Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Argentina, featuring only selected tracks.[46] Despite the variations in track listings, the album's packaging remained virtually identical worldwide, except for Germany, where it showcased alternate poster artwork on the front cover.[47]

A1 – "Victory" – The Pirates (2:37)
A2 – "First Love" – Kristy McNichol and Christopher Atkins (4:13)
A3 – "How Can I Live Without Her" – Christopher Atkins (3:08)
A4 – "Hold On" – Kristy McNichol (3:14)
A5 – "We Are the Pirates" – Ian Mason (3:36)
B1 – "Pumpin' and Blowin'" – Kristy McNichol (3:05)
B2 – "Stand Up and Sing" – Kool & the Gang (4:32) (from Something Special)
B3 – "Happy Ending" – The Peter Cupples Band (4:58)
B4 – "The Chase" – Peter Sullivan and The Orchestra (1:33)
B5 – "I Am a Pirate King" – Ted Hamilton and The Pirates (2:03)
C1 – "Happy Ending" – The Cast of The Pirate Movie (4:18)
C2 – "The Chinese Battle" – Peter Sullivan and The Orchestra (2:36)
C3 – "The Modern Major General's Song" – Bill Kerr and The Cast of The Pirate Movie (2:00)
C4 – "We Are the Pirates" – The Pirates (2:18)
C5 – "Medley" – Peter Sullivan and The Orchestra (4:03)
D1 – "Tarantara" – Gary McDonald and The Policemen (1:53)
D2 – "The Duel" – Peter Sullivan and The Orchestra (4:04)
D3 – "The Sisters' Song" – The Sisters (2:42)
D4 – "Pirates, Police and Pizza" – Peter Sullivan and The Orchestra (3:32)
D5 – "Come Friends Who Plough the Sea" – Ted Hamilton and The Pirates (2:00)

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1981) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[42] 39
US (Billboard 200)[37] 166

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[48] Gold 20,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release

[edit]

Promotion

[edit]

In preparation for the film's August release, 20th Century Fox embarked on an extensive $3 million promotional campaign.[49] It was one of the earliest movies to feature an electronic press kit distributed on videocassette.[50]

Just prior to the film's August debut, Baskin-Robbins released "Pirates' Gold" as their flavour of the month for July.[51] This ice cream flavour was rum-flavoured and included butter brickle candy pieces, accompanied by playful marketing featuring a pirate-themed caricature of Bill Kerr, who is seen selling the ice cream from a Baskin-Robbins cart at the beginning of the movie.[52]

A total of 179 American shopping malls joined in on the promotional extravaganza.[53] The campaign encompassed various engaging activities such as colouring contests featuring poster artwork,[54] costume contests,[55][56] treasure hunts,[57] fashion shows,[58][59] and giveaways.[60] Freebie items included pirate banners, movie posters, chocolate "gold coin" candy, videotapes, and movie tickets.[61] Fox also arranged radio giveaways of sailboards, and Hang Ten gave away exclusive posters.[61]

Christopher Atkins and Kristy McNichol did the obligatory rounds with journalists and tabloid-news reporters. On television, Atkins took the spotlight as he hosted "The Swashbucklers," a syndicated TV special that delved into the history of pirate films. The show included an appearance by McNichol and provided behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of the movie.[62][63][64] Atkins also showcased his newfound musical talents by performing "How Can I Live Without Her?" on popular shows like American Bandstand,[65] Solid Gold,[66] and the Australian series Countdown,[67] which he even guest-hosted. He also appeared at record store signings to promote the soundtrack.[68] Additionally, the cast version of "Happy Ending" closed ABC's Thanksgiving TV special "Dancin' on Air."[69]

The Peter Cupples Band released a music video for their rendition of "Happy Ending"[70] and also appeared on Countdown. Their performance took a dramatic turn as Atkins burst onto the stage, engaging in a mock duel with a pirate.[71]

An additional bit of promotion was ill-timed. The same month that the movie was released, Atkins graced the cover of Playgirl magazine.[72] Although there were no full-frontal images included in that spread,[73] it was an era when male nudity was very taboo,[74] creating a disconnect with the family audience that Fox was targeting for the film's marketing.

Box office

[edit]

In the USA, the film opened at #5, trailing behind juggernaut E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Things Are Tough All Over, and An Officer and a Gentleman.[5] In its second week, after the reviews hit and now in direct competition with a successful re-release of Fox's own Star Wars, it plummeted to #13,[75] and dropped off the charts in its third week. Ultimately, the film grossed $7,983,086 in its American theatrical release.[76]

The film earned A$1,013,000 at the Australian box office.[77][78]

Critical reception

[edit]

Fox didn't allow the press to pre-screen the film, with executive Vice-President Irv Ivers explaining, "You can look at movies and you can tell if they're going to be killed by critics."[79] He then asked the reporter, "If you were in my place, would you show them?" Just as Ivers foresaw, when the reviews finally surfaced, "The Pirate Movie" was brutally criticised, with numerous headlines invoking pirate-themed puns, including piracy,[80][81] shipwrecks,[82] walking the plank,[83][84][85][86][87] and other stereotypical terminology.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 9% based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 2.23/10.[6] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 19 out of 100, based on reviews from 6 critics, indicating "Overwhelming dislike".[88]

Screenwriter Trevor Farrant issued a press statement after the American reviews surfaced but before the Australian release. Farrant blamed "everybody" else for the film's box-office failure,[89] decrying "phallic and homosexual jokes which I didn't write,"[90] and denouncing product placement for McDonald's and Baskin-Robbins, asserting, "This is not a film, this is prostitution. The final film is a travesty of my script."[91] Producer and star Ted Hamilton countered Farrant's claims by suggesting that he was "acting irrationally."[92]

Michelene Keating of The Tucson Citizen was bewildered by the audience's reaction, noting, "Everyone who attended the same matinee showing that I did (a sparse attendance and, to my surprise, mostly adults) did not share my opinion of the movie. A woman who sat in front of me laughed quite a bit between going out three times for popcorn refills."[93] The Sunday Pennsylvanian's Mary Lou Kelsey was surrounded by a young crowd that made her "feel like you need a walker," and complained that the audience was "laughing hysterically at the most infantile jokes you have ever heard. You might need a walker, but their brains need corrective surgery."[94]

Among the few positive reviews, Martha Steimel of The Witchita Falls Records News gushed that it was a "wonderfully funny," "rollicking frolic,"[95] remarking that "the fun of the pirate movie is that we know all along it's a dream." The Orlando Sentinel's Sumner Rand called it "a lighthearted, colorful summertime romp," concluding, "Unless you're a Gilbert & Sullivan purist, you should be entertained."[96] Bill Pelletier of The Evansville Press warned that "a trip to the concession stand could rob you of some funny moments," and concluded, "The key to this Australian-made beauties, me hardies, is fun, fun, fun!"[97] The Louisville Courier Journal's Owen Hardy remarked that "despite its problems, 'The Pirate Movie' at times displays an infectious inanity," and that "the cast sings with gusto."[98]

The Irish Times review called The Pirate Movie a "travesty" of the Gilbert and Sullivan original and said "with a philosophy of shove everything in regardless, it's nothing more than a waste of Miss McNichol's abilities, the audience's time and the incentives offered to make films in Australia."[99] Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide rated the film as a BOMB and stated: "Not only trashes the original, but also fails on its own paltry terms. It should have been called The Rip-off Movie".[100] TV Guide stated "Pop tunes are mixed in with some of the original G&S songs in a pirate period setting that grates on the nerves, as does the inane toilet humor that substitutes for wit. All the performers, especially McNichol, look as if they can't wait until the film is over, and one can hardly blame them."[101] Michael and Harry Medved's book Son of Golden Turkey Awards includes The Pirate Movie's "First Love" on its list of "Worst Rock 'N Roll Lyrics in a Movie".[102] The most creative review came from the Argus Leader's Marshall Fine, who set his poetic opus to the rhythm of "The Major-General's Song," ultimately stating, "In short, 'The Pirate Movie' should crawl back into the sewer. At least that's the opinion of this modern film reviewer."[103]

Australian film critic Michael Adams later included The Pirate Movie on his list of the worst ever Australian films, along with Phantom Gold, The Glenrowan Affair, Houseboat Horror, Welcome to Woop Woop, Les Patterson Saves the World and Pandemonium.[104]

Accolades

[edit]
Award Category Subject Result
AACTA Awards
(24th Australian Film Institute Awards) 		Best Supporting Actor Garry McDonald Nominated
Best Costume Design Aphrodite Kondos Nominated
Razzie Award Worst Actor Christopher Atkins Nominated
Worst Actress Kristy McNichol Nominated
Worst Supporting Actor Ted Hamilton Nominated
Worst Original Song ("Pumpin' and Blowin'") Terry Britten, B.A. Robertson, and Sue Shifrin Won
Worst Original Song ("Happy Endings") Nominated
Worst Musical Score Kit Hain Won
Worst Screenplay Trevor Farrant Nominated
Worst Director Ken Annakin Won
Worst Picture David Joseph Nominated
Stinkers Bad Movie Award Worst Picture[105] Nominated

The film is listed in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book The Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.[100]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "THE PIRATE MOVIE (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. 8 June 1982. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  2. ^ Scott Murray, "The Pirate Movie", Australian Film 1978–1992, Oxford Uni Press, 1993 p107
  3. ^ "Currency converter in the past with official exchange rates from 1953". FXTOP. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  4. ^ "The Pirate Movie (1982)". IGN. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  5. ^ a b "Weekend Box Office Results for August 6–8, 1982 – Box Office Mojo". IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  6. ^ a b "The Pirate Movie (1982)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  7. ^ Elias, David; Reed, Christopher (12 December 1982). "The Aussies Are Coming". The Age. p.21. Retrieved 7 September 2023. 'The Pirate Movie' is being made because of the successful revival of 'The Pirates of Penzance' on Broadway starring Linda Ronstadt. Ted Hamilton explained that David Joseph phoned him from America to talk about the revival and suggest that they put a film together. The two had already established their film company, JHI Productions, and were planning to start with a couple of small television productions. These were shelved while the two men laid their plans for 'The Pirate Movie.'{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  8. ^ Elias, David; Reed, Christopher (12 December 1982). "The Aussies Are Coming". The Age. p.21. Retrieved 7 September 2023. Their first approach was to Joseph Papp, who declined on the grounds that he intended to next year make his own film which would be faithful to the original Gilbert & Sullivan version. According to an aide, he wanted to keep together the original team.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  9. ^ Miller, Edwin (February 1982). "Kristy Crystal Clear". Seventeen. p.148. Retrieved 12 September 2023. Before Kristy went to Australia, she looked over the Broadway production. "It bored me a lot," she reports. "The way they dance around made you wake up, but otherwise, you'd sink down in your seat and just go, 'Uh-oh!' My movie's based on the same characters and storyline, but it's more a fantasy than a real version of pirate days. It's incredibly fun -- I think it's zanier, cuter, and much more exciting than the play."{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  10. ^ Mills, Nancy (15 August 1982). "Chris Atkins enjoying his fling as teen idol". The Kansas City Star. 3-I. "When 'The Pirate Movie' came up, I didn't know who Gilbert & Sullivan were. The producers flew me to New York to see the stage production of 'The Pirates of Penzance' with Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith. Rex has curly blond hair," which is why Mr. Atkins figures he was cast in the same part - that of Frederic, the apprentice pirate.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  11. ^ Beck, Marilyn (1 July 1982). "The Honeymoon is Over". New York Daily News. Retrieved 6 September 2023. [Columbia Pictures] signed me to a four-year deal when I made 'Blue Lagoon,' but they didn't line up anything for me after that, and when they lent me out to NBC to make 'Child Bride at Short Creek' and to 20th Century Fox for 'The Pirate Movie,' I had to end up splitting what I made with Columbia.
  12. ^ Carl, Alfred (11 September 1982). "Atkins makes his singing debut in 'Pirate Movie'". The Muncie Evening Press. Atkins took lessons from Miss McNichol's voice coach.
  13. ^ Carl, Alfred (11 September 1982). "Atkins makes his singing debut in 'Pirate Movie'". The Muncie Evening Press. I've never sung before. We'll see what happens.
  14. ^ "Christopher Atkins reveals secrets about The Blue Lagoon & The Pirate Movie". YouTube. Celebrity Drop. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022. I was taking singing lessons, dancing lessons, fencing lessons, all [in Australia]. So I was going from one place to the next to the next, super, super busy.
  15. ^ Elias, David; Reed, Christopher (12 December 1982). "The Aussies Are Coming". The Age. p.21. Retrieved 7 September 2023. In fact, Farrance [sic] had not been called in until March, when the negotiations were well under way, and he still had to commit his first draft to paper when he went to America in May to give a detailed explanation of his scripting ideas to Fox and the artists' managers.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  16. ^ Murphy, Damien (18 August 1982). "Daggers Out for 'Pirate' Crew". The Age. Retrieved 6 September 2023. [Hamilton] says that a decade ago he took the writer from a nobody and made him his scriptwriter for an ABC musical series.
  17. ^ Murphy, Damien (18 August 1982). "Daggers Out for 'Pirate' Crew". The Age. Retrieved 6 September 2023. Mr. Farrant, who received $55,000 for the screenplay (said to be the highest paid for an Australian production), tells us he is a writer of repute.
  18. ^ "The Pirate Movie Trivia". IMDb. Retrieved 6 September 2023. I wrote the screenplay in four days. The producers sold it to 20th Century Fox for $3 million...Australia's first ever 'negative pick up' deal. Not too much of the $9 million budget actually hit the screen and even less of what I wrote. Garry McDonald did his part as written, out of loyalty to me.
  19. ^ "McNichol, Atkins to team up". The State and The Columbia Record. 10 July 1981. Retrieved 6 September 2023. Richard Franklin will direct the adventure drama-love story on locations around Sydney and Queensland for producer David Joseph and JHI Productions.
  20. ^ "The Pirate Movie". OZ Movies. Retrieved 6 September 2023. Rehearsals were originally slated for August 1981 with major photography to begin in September 1981, in Sydney and Queensland, but the sacking of original director Richard Franklin led to delays.
  21. ^ Burchmore, Rhonda. "Legs 11 (excerpt)". OZ Movies. Retrieved 6 September 2023. We all started rehearsals in a rooftop studio in Fitzroy, full of expectation and enthusiasm.
  22. ^ Murton, Iain (2020). "Comments". YouTube. Retrieved 7 September 2023. My understanding was that somehow, Kristy's management managed to negotiate a deal where she had final script approval, and THAT was the reason why Richard and his team, finally had to "abandon ship", because a 19yr old television actor was suddenly calling the shots! She wanted one draft of the script (and there were MANY) and Richard wanted another. This is also why Trevor tried (unsuccessfully) to have his name removed from the credits. I worked with Richard a couple of times after that, and it was clearly a particular regret that he was effectively forced to leave. Because he LOVED musicals and his vision for our film was actually much closer to the OTHER film that was being made at much the same time in the States, of the G&S/Joseph Papp version.
  23. ^ Burchmore, Rhonda. "Legs 11 (excerpt)". OZ Movies. Retrieved 6 September 2023. But suddenly, one day, Richard Franklin was gone with the wind. Ted Hamilton made a speech to the company telling us there'd been some creative differences and that Richard had chosen to depart, wishing us all the best.
  24. ^ "Christopher Atkins reveals secrets about The Blue Lagoon & The Pirate Movie". YouTube. Celebrity Drop. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022. They hired a director, [but] that director didn't work out and they had to hire Ken Annakin, so Ken came in and it was another time. So I literally had to leave and come back because I was there for six months shooting that picture.
  25. ^ Burchmore, Rhonda. "Legs 11 (excerpt)". OZ Movies. Retrieved 6 September 2023. So for a few weeks we rehearsed the musical numbers over and over again, all of us filling in time until a new director would, hopefully, appear. It was obviously taking some time to solicit some excitement from the directing fraternity, so David Atkins dutifully took us over and over the same dance routines every day, making sure we were earning our money. Boy, did we know those dance routines! I still wake in a cold sweat some nights doing them. How's that for a nightmare?
  26. ^ Burchmore, Rhonda. "Legs 11 (excerpt)". OZ Movies. Retrieved 6 September 2023. By the time we got Ken he was nearing [70] and in a year of such movies as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Arthur and Stripes, his finger was far from the pulse of what was happening in Hollywood.
  27. ^ "Werribee Park "Filming in Progress" ad". The Age. 4 November 1981.
  28. ^ Burchmore, Rhonda. "Legs 11 (excerpt)". OZ Movies. Retrieved 6 September 2023. Us girls of the chorus were also not allowed to wear make-up lest we look more beautiful than Kristy McNichol. No eyeliner, no lip gloss, zip, nada, noffin'. One day my dear friend Linda Nagle and I got a real dressing down when they caught us with a bit of eyeliner on. We were immediately sent off the set to have it removed. Obviously it was quite an insult if you were chosen to have a close-up in this picture.
  29. ^ Darvi, Andrea (25 July 1982). "The Nineteenth Summer of Kristi McNichol". News Press Sun. Family Weekly, p.25. She had her gum in her mouth all the time," recalls Ken Annakin. "We had a constant battle. She would hide it in her cheek. I'd say, 'Come on, you've got the gum! And she'd say, 'No, I don't!' Then I'd make her open her mouth and give it up.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  30. ^ "The Pirate Movie". Oz Movies. Retrieved 6 September 2023. According to Annakin, the stunt sequence set in a library was shot on a set, in a studio in Sydney, and because it was shot at the very end of the schedule, he was able to influence the set design.
  31. ^ Burchmore, Rhonda. "Legs 11 (excerpt)". OZ Movies. Retrieved 6 September 2023. We shot a whole underwater sequence of us frolicking beneath the waves to the song 'Pumpin' and 'Blowin'' only to have it replaced in the final film by animation.
  32. ^ "The Pirate Movie". Oz Movies. Retrieved 6 September 2023. The animation has something of the Beatles' Yellow Submarine feel about it, which isn't surprising because Melbourne-based animator Maggie Geddes (aka Margaret) worked on that show, as well as working with Alex Stitt on Abra Cadabra and Grendel Grendel Grendel.
  33. ^ "Interview with Ted Hamilton OAM - July 2013". YouTube. THE HEHR ARCHIVE. 16 November 2018. They edited it to the point where a lot of the jokes didn't make sense. They took 20 minutes out of the film, which I think emasculated it. I had a big argument with Twentieth [Century Fox] about it, but I was powerless, I was a first time Australian producer.
  34. ^ "Interview with Ted Hamilton OAM - July 2013". YouTube. THE HEHR ARCHIVE. 16 November 2018. They were too sensitive. One of the girls said, "And don't say knickers!" And they said, "Oh, it sounds like niggers, so we have to take that out." They took my joke, which was my best joke in the movie, when I say, "Tell me men, after all these years at sea, what have you missed most?" And they all yell out, "Sex!" There was one black guy on the crew who said, "Watermelon." That was the joke. Sex was easy, anybody would have said that, but watermelon was the joke.
  35. ^ "Interview with Ted Hamilton OAM - July 2013". YouTube. THE HEHR ARCHIVE. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2023. And another was when Garry McDonald did his show about, "The firt and the firt, and the horse was firting," and all this sort of stuff. They took all that out and it was very funny.
  36. ^ Beck, Marilyn (3 April 1982). "Star Tracks". The News Messenger. Musical insiders report Polygram Records has shelled out a whopping $800,000 for the rights to the score of 20th Century Fox' "The Pirate Movie."
  37. ^ a b "The Top 200 Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  38. ^ "Christopher Atkins – How Can I Live Without Her - Soundtrack from the Motion Picture "The Pirate Movie"". discogs. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  39. ^ "Kristy McNichol And Christopher Atkins – First Love". discogs. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  40. ^ "The Peter Cupples Band – Happy Ending / Victory". discogs. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  41. ^ "Christopher Atkins". Billboard. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  42. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 283. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  43. ^ "Australian Top 100 Singles - 20 December 1982". rateyourmusic. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  44. ^ "Various – Raiders Of The Pop Charts". discogs. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  45. ^ "Peter Cupples - Happy Ending (Good Morning Australia)". YouTube. 2004. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  46. ^ "Various – The Pirate Movie - The Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture". discogs. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  47. ^ "Various – The Pirate Movie - The Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture (German Version)". discogs. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  48. ^ "1982 was a Big Year" (PDF). Billboard. 25 December 1982. p. 103. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  49. ^ Reed, Christopher (12 December 1981). "The Aussies Are Coming". The Age. Retrieved 6 September 2023. It will be preceded by a $3 million publicity campaign, giving its investors a better than even chance of recouping their stake.
  50. ^ Marich, Bob (8 July 1982). "'Pirate Movie' tie-in promotions setting sail in shopping centers". Advertising Age; Electronic Media Edition. p.18. Retrieved 12 September 2023. Fox, in a new twist, began placing videotapes in press kits that previously contained just still photos.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  51. ^ "Baskin-Robbins July 1982 Flavors". The Tribune. 3 July 1982. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  52. ^ Baskin-Robbins, Pirates' Gold logo
  53. ^ Marich, Bob (8 July 1982). "'Pirate Movie' tie-in promotions setting sail in shopping centers". Advertising Age; Electronic Media Edition. p.18. Retrieved 12 September 2023. CTS Promotions, North Hollywood, Cal., figures characters and theme material from the upcoming summer motion picture 'The Pirate Movie' will be a big draw. Already, 179 shopping malls have signed up for the promotion, which is tied to the Aug. 6 release of the 20th Century-Fox picture.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  54. ^ "Greenwood Park Mall's Coloring and Costume Contest". The Daily Journal. 12 August 1982. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  55. ^ "The Maine Mall Pirate Costume Contest ad". Evening Express. 26 July 1982. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  56. ^ "Sherman Oaks Galleria "Pirate Movie" costume contest". The Los Angeles Times. 6 August 1982. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  57. ^ "Holyoke Mall Treasure Hunt Ad". Transcript Telegram. 17 August 1982. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  58. ^ "Greenwood Park Mall Pirate Movie Fashion Show ad". The Indianapolis Star. 1 August 1982. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  59. ^ "Heritage Park's Fall Fashion Treasures Show ad". The Daily Oklahoman. 13 August 1982. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  60. ^ ""The Pirate Movie" Treasure Chest of Prizes contest ad". The Los Angeles Times. 8 August 1982. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  61. ^ a b Marich, Bob (8 July 1982). "'Pirate Movie' tie-in promotions setting sail in shopping centers". Advertising Age; Electronic Media Edition. p.18. Retrieved 12 September 2023.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  62. ^ "The Swashbucklers (1982) (TV)". IMDb. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  63. ^ "TV Listings: Ten". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 August 1982. A behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Pirate Movie, which stars Chris Atkins.
  64. ^ "Sunday Cable, August 8 (Continued)". Courier Express. 8 August 1982. Christopher Atkins narrates a look a look at classic pirate movies of the past with guest Kristy McNichol.
  65. ^ "Dick Clark Interviews Christopher Atkins - American Bandstand 1982". YouTube. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  66. ^ "Christopher Atkins ("The Blue Lagoon") SOLID GOLD - "How Can I Live Without Her")". YouTube. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  67. ^ "Christopher Atkins - 'How Can I Live Without Her' (Countdown 29/8/82)". YouTube. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  68. ^ "Pirate at Goody's". Cash Box. p.17. 14 August 1982. Retrieved 12 September 2023. On a recent promotional swing through New York, Christopher Atkins, star of The Pirate Movie, made an in-store appearance at the Sam Goody Rockefeller Center outlet to promote the soundtrack LP on Polydor/Polygram.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  69. ^ "Dancin' On Air - Thanksgiving Special - full episode from 11-25-1982". Internet Archive. WPHL Productions. 25 November 1982.
  70. ^ "The Peter Cupples Band - Happy Ending (1982)". YouTube. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  71. ^ "Peter Cupples Band - Happy Ending (live on Countdown)". YouTube. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  72. ^ Playgirl Magazine cover, September 1982
  73. ^ Leogrande, Ernest (1 August 1982). "Christopher Atkins Gets a Few Things Off His Chest". New York Daily News. Leisure, p.7. Inside, there is a photo spread showing a lot of skin, but no frontal nudity. "They just couldn't fit it all in the frame," Atkins explains with a self-mocking grin.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  74. ^ Mills, Nancy (15 August 1982). "Chris Atkins enjoying his fling as teen idol". The Kansas City Star. I'm the only actor besides Burt Reynolds to [pose nude]. Maybe it'll cause a little stir.
  75. ^ "Domestic 1982 Weekend 33". boxofficemojo. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  76. ^ The Pirate Movie at Box Office Mojo Retrieved 9 April 2014
  77. ^ "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office", Film Victoria accessed 24 October 2012
  78. ^ "Top Australian films". Australian Film Commission. Archived from the original on 26 January 2001. - please not figures are not adjusted for inflation
  79. ^ Keneas, Alex (6 August 1982). "Bypassing the Critics". Newsday, Nassau Edition. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  80. ^ Maslin, Janet (12 September 1982). "'Pirate' movie just that". Montgomery Journal. p.10.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  81. ^ Stark, John (9 August 1982). "Hollywood's Pirated Movie". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  82. ^ Haeseker, Fred (7 August 1982). "Pirate Movie shipwrecked by bad gags". The Calgary Herald. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  83. ^ Bouwman, George (10 August 1982). "'Pirate Movie' walks uneven plank in its plot". Fort Meyers News Press. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  84. ^ Wilson, Peter (23 August 1982). "Make 'em walk the plank!". The Vancouver Sun. B6. Retrieved 7 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  85. ^ Zink, Jack (8 August 1982). "Pirate Movie producer should walk the plank". Fort Lauderdale News and Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  86. ^ Marlowe, Jon (7 August 1982). "'Pirate' has viewers walk plank". The Miami News. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  87. ^ Blank, Ed (6 August 1982). "Clumsy 'Pirate Movie' Deserves to Walk the Plank". Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
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  89. ^ Stewart, Allison (15 August 1982). "A Dreamer Who Can't Believe His Luck". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 September 2023. Farrant felt "everybody" was responsible for the film's failure to hit the original target: "I saw the jokes mangled, good lines thrown away, I saw spontanous moments missed, I saw the first rushes and I've shot better film with my Super Eight camera.
  90. ^ Dale, David (19 August 1982). "Stay in Touch". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  91. ^ Murphy, Damien (18 August 1982). "Daggers out for 'Pirate' crew". The Age. Retrieved 7 September 2023. The final film is a travesty of my script: there are phallic jokes, a scene in front of a McDonald's hamburger shop and promotion of ice-cream. This is not a film, this is prositution.
  92. ^ Murphy, Damien (18 August 1982). "Daggers out for 'Pirate' crew". The Age. Retrieved 7 September 2023. Mr. Farrant does not realise a draft is just that. It can be changed. All I can think it that he is acting irrationally. I don't know why, I've been kind to him.
  93. ^ Keating, Michelene (12 August 1982). "Hey Popcorn lady: This one's all yours". The Tucson Citizen. p.6. Retrieved 7 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  94. ^ Kelsey, Mary Lou (15 August 1982). "'Pirate Movie Runs Aground: Chris & Kristi Shanghaied for Disaster". The Sunday Pennsylvanian. 6C.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  95. ^ Steimel, Martha (12 August 1982). "'The Pirate Movie' wonderfully funny". Witchita Falls Record News. 3C.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  96. ^ Rand, Sumner (9 August 1982). "'The Pirate Movie' simple but entertaining". The Orlando Sentinel. B1, B4.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  97. ^ Pelletier, Bill (7 August 1982). "Yo-ho-ho and a barrel of fun with 'Pirate'". Evansville Press. p. 8.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  98. ^ Hardy, Owen (7 August 1982). "Pirate Movie has its problems but ends up mildly entertaining". The Courier-Journal. B4.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  99. ^ Ray Comiskey, "Some Christmas Drear", The Irish Times, 20 December 1982, (p. 10)
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  103. ^ Fine, Marshall (21 September 1982). "'The Challenge,' a pleasure, but 'The Pirate Movie' is unmitigated junk". Argus Leader. 7A. Retrieved 6 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  104. ^ Michael Adams, Showgirls, Teen Wolves, and Astro Zombies : a film critic's year-long quest to find the worst movie ever made.New York : Itbooks, 2010. ISBN 978-0-06-180629-2 (p.144)
  105. ^ "1982 5th Hastings Bad Cinema Society Stinkers Awards". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 17 October 2006. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
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