SpuffyWeb
Sadly Over-hyped
Actuakers
One of my all time favorites.
Afouotos
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
gavin6942
On the Carolina coast, Godolphin College's new track coach lodges at Blackbeard's Inn, run by the Daughters of the Buccaneers who claim to be descendants of the notorious pirate and who risk losing their hotel to the local mobster.While I ultimately enjoyed the film and found it to be pretty funny, it does take a while to get going. For the first 20 to 30 minutes, I was rather bored. And that is a shame, because if I am not alone it would turn other people off to it.Also, the version I watched was on an official Disney DVD. But it was fullscreen and clearly not cleaned up, at least not much. I do not know the original aspect ratio, but it seemed to fit the screen strangely as fullscreen.
kariokebob-159-343200
I watched this movie last Saturday morning with my 11 year old daughter. This was the first time she saw this movie and about the fifth time for me.It is a movie full of humor and great acting. I really enjoy the Disney movies from the 60's and 70'sIf you have not seen this movie you must rent it. It is a movie the whole family can enjoy. No dirty words, no political agenda, just good old fashion fun.If Walt Disney were alive when this movie came out he would have put his stamp of improvement to it. Kariokebob
Irie212
The chronology of Disney movies that I saw growing up are almost a record of the stages of girlhood: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Lady and the Tramp," "Greyfriars Bobby," "The Moon-Spinners" and lastly, at 14, "The Fighting Prince of Donegal"—a satisfying transition out of puberty, with Peter McEnery swashbuckling his way into my adolescent heart. Three years later, I was buying tickets to "Bonnie and Clyde," "The Graduate," and "In the Heat of the Night," as well as imports from "Bedazzled" to "Closely Watched Trains." By 1968, I didn't even notice the release of "Blackbeard's Ghost." Today I appreciate vintage Disney movies not only for the purity of the nostalgia, but for the durability of the formula, and the skillful choice (if not use) of talent. I recently re-watched several, just because of the casts: "Moon-Spinners" for Eli Wallach, Joan Greenwood, Irene Papas, and (yes) Pola Negri. "Pollyanna" for Donald Crisp, Adolph Menjou, Agnes Moorehead. "Kidnapped" for Finlay Currie and the Peters O'Toole and Finch. "Swiss Family Robinson" for John Mills and Sessue Hayakawa.Family pictures, all, as is Blackbeard's Ghost. But while the others have logical plots, Blackbeard pushes the bounds of absurdity and actually becomes boring.And "Blackbeard's Ghost" for Peter Ustinov and Elsa Lanchester. There's barely a glimpse of her after the first half hour or so, but he is in almost every scene, buttressing a silly plot with his inventive light physical comedy, and managing to sell a truly ridiculous role. Beyond, ridiculous, really: as the plot hurtles forward, he develops preternatural powers more associated with superheroes than with fat drunken ghosts.Ustinov, unfortunately, is the only reason to dedicate 106 minutes to this movie. Its few other qualities lag far behind: the wildly creative sets for Blackbeard's Inn do look like they were assembled of jetsam (as the dialog says), and though Dean Jones is no Laurence Olivier (he's not even Fred Macmurray), he does a fine job as the dauntless straight man to Ustinov's spectral pirate.
bkoganbing
Watching Blackbeard's Ghost yesterday put me in mind of the late Robert Newton and his portrayal of Blackbeard in a classic film from the Fifties. Had Mr. Newton not died of chronic alcoholism in 1957, I'm sure he would have been the Disney studio's choice to play Blackbeard.With Robert Newton not being available, the studio got another actor famous for a bravura performance, that of Nero and Quo Vadis. Who'd have thought that Peter Ustinov would have gotten another role that called for flamboyant overacting. Ustinov's Blackbeard is a combination of Newton's Blackbeard and his own Nero. And he dominates the film completely.Dean Jones who was Disney's major leading man at the time who played the roles Kurt Russell was too young for, borrows a great deal from that other actor, who's career Disney rejuvenated, Fred MacMurray. In fact the similarities between this and Absent Minded Professor and Son of Flubber are too obvious to be missed.Still those were two pretty funny films and Blackbeard's Ghost is in a great tradition. Dean Jones is the new track coach at Godolphin College and he stays at the inn that's run by the descendents of the crew of none other than Edward Teach better known as Blackbeard. But they are a harmless bunch of senior citizens led by Elsa Lanchester. Yet that inn is coveted by gangster Joby Baker who's bought the mortgage. Jones finds a faded piece of paper in an old bedwarmer and it's a spell that makes the ghost of old Blackbeard visible to him only. After that Jones plays straight man to a hilarious Ustinov. Blackbeard and is doings cause some romantic problems for Jones with Suzanne Pleshette, but in Disney tradition in the end the old buccaneer sets everything to right and escapes the limbo he's consigned to.For Peter Ustinov fans, this is a must. You can see it in his face and his performance how much of a good time Ustinov was having with this part. It will translate into your enjoyment as well.
