Buccaneer's Girl

Buccaneer's Girl is a 1950 American Technicolor romantic adventure film directed by Frederick de Cordova starring Yvonne De Carlo and Philip Friend.[2][3]

Buccaneer's Girl
Theatrical poster
Directed byFrederick de Cordova
Produced byRobert Arthur
John W. Rogers
Written byJoseph Hoffman
Harold Shumate
Based onstory by Joe May and Samuel R. Golding
StarringYvonne De Carlo
Philip Friend
Music byWalter Scharf
CinematographyRussell Metty
Edited byOtto Ludwig
Production
company
Universal Pictures
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • March 1, 1950 (1950-03-01) (United States)
Running time
77 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office2,007,030 admissions (France)[1]

Plot

Deborah McCoy, a New Orleans singer, is on a ship that is captured by the forces of the pirate captain Fredric Baptiste. Baptiste keeps McCoy captive but she escapes in New Orleans and is hired as a singer by Mme. Brizar, the proprietor of a school for young ladies.

Deborah is sent to a party held by Captain Robert Kingston, the head of the Seaman's Fund. Robert is also Baptiste. She discovers that Baptiste uses his piracy activities to subsidise the Fund, which supports local seamen. Robert is engaged to Arlene Villon.

The businessman Narbonne discovers Baptiste's ruse and sets a trap for him. Deborah overhears this and joins Baptiste on the open seas. They attack Narbonne's ships.

Baptiste is captured by Narbonne but Deborah helps him escape.

Cast

Production

The film was originally known as Mademoiselle McCoy and the Pirates. In May 1949 Joseph Hoffman was hired to work on the script.[4]

It appears to have always been considered a vehicle for Yvonne De Carlo. Paul Christian was originally announced as her co star.[5] Christian ended up being replaced by Philip Friend, who was cast on the basis of his performance in Sword in the Desert (1949).

Robert Douglas was cast as the lead villain, the first of a three-picture contract he made with Universal.[6]

Filming began July 1949.

The support cast included Ethel Ince, widow of John Ince, playing her first role in thirty years.[7]

When asked about the film, de Carlo said "What a dilly! I had six knock down, drag out fights in that one. And I was just recuperating from an operation."[8]

Reception

Yvonne de Carlo later wrote in her memoirs that while touring Argentina, Eva Peron called her to say how much she enjoyed de Carlo's movies, particularly Buccaneer Girl. De Carlo wrote "it later dawned on me that she could identify with the character of Deborah McCoy, who capitalised on her position as a prostitute to move up into high society."[9]

References
  1. "1950 Box Office in France". Box Office Story.
  2. Buccaneer's Girl, British Film Institute
  3. "Yvonne De Carlo Wields Mean Cutlass as Pirate" Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times, 16 March 1950: A9
  4. Brady, Thomas F. (11 June 1949). "COLUMBIA NAMES LEADS FOR MOVIE: Broderick Crawford and John Ireland in 'Tougher They Come,' Story About Sea". New York Times. p. 11.
  5. "Looking at Hollywood" Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune, 21 June 1949: 19.
  6. "FELDMAN WORKING ON FOUR PICTURES: 'Silver Whistle,' 'Wayward Bus,' 'Finian's Rainbow' and 'Tender Mercy' Are Projects" by THOMAS F. BRADY Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times 30 June 1949: 19.
  7. "Garfield to Do Story of Toscanini Protege; Wyler Gets Gotham Hit" SCALLERT, EDWIN. Los Angeles Times, 22 July 1949: 13
  8. Hopper, Hedda (29 January 1950). "Yvonne, the Wanderer". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. C22.
  9. De Carlo, Yvonne; Warren, Doug (1987). Yvonne : an autobiography. St Martins Press. p. 159.
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