Crimson Pirate Flag History

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The Crimson Pirate is a 1952 film directed by Robert Siodmak. The color film
stars Burt Lancaster as "The Crimson Pirate" Capt. Vallo. The film centers on
Vallo and his equally acrobatic side kick Ojo (Nick Cravat). Ojo is mute in the
film because Cravat had a thick East Coast accent. This mean pirate skull is
so tough he has a knife in his mouth.

Captain Vallo (Burt Lancaster), a pirate known as 'The Crimson Pirate', and
his crew capture a ship of the King's navy. The ship is carrying Baron Gruda
(Leslie Bradley), the special envoy to the King, who is on his way to the Island
of Cobra to help crush a rebellion by rebels opposed to the King's rule. Vallo
proposes to make money by selling the weapons on the ship to El Libre, the
leader of the rebels. Baron Gruda then proposes to pay Vallo money if he can
capture El Libre and bring him to him. Vallo accepts and Baron Gruda and his
crew are released, Vallo keeping their ship and releasing Gruda and his men
onto his own. While some of the pirates complain that this is not pirate
business, they soon come around when they find out the amount of money to
be made.
Vallo and his crew sail to Cobra, where Vallo and his lieutenant Ojo (Nick
Cravat) go ashore to meet the rebels. They eventually meet the rebels who
are led by Pablo Murphy (Noel Purcell) and Consuelo (Eva Bartok), where
they learn that El Libre has been captured and is in a military prison on the
island of San Pero. The meeting is interrupted when they are discovered by
the King's guards. Consuelo leads Vallo and Ojo to safety, then they all go to
the ship. Vallo tells the crew he will rescue El Libre, though Consuelo only
believes Vallo is interested in selling weapons to him. She promises him he
will get the money. Consuelo also tells Vallo El Libre is her father.

They sail to San Pero. Vallo, dressing in the clothes left on board the ship,
pretends to be Baron Gruda and goes to a dinner held in honour of Gruda by
the Colonel of the garrison (Frank Pettingell). The Colonel shows Vallo El
Libre (Frederick Leister) and another captured rebel, Professor Elihu
Prudence (James Hayter). Vallo orders the prisoners to be released into his
custody and leaves with them. They all go to the ship which then leaves for
Cobra.

Consuelo is grateful to Vallo for rescueing her father but is distraught to find
out that Vallo intens to sell her, El Libre and the Professor to Baron Gruda.
Ojo suggests to Vallo that he is in love with Consuelo. Vallo denies this but
decides to release them instead of selling them to Gruda. Consuelo begs
Vallo to come with them but he refuses. Unknown to Vallo, his first mate,
Humble Bellows (Torin Thatcher), overhears them. Bellows plots against Vallo,
sending one of the pirates ashore with a message for Gruda.

Vallo lets El Libre and Consuelo go first, but the King's guards are waiting. El
Libre is killed and Consuelo is captured. The pirates mutiny and Humble
Bellows is elected Captain. Baron Gruda promises Bellows money for dealing
with Vallo. Vallo, Ojo and the Professor are cast adrift in a boat to die. Gruda
proposes a toast, giving the pirates a barrel of rum. Unknown to the pirates,
the rum is drugged and when they fall asleep, they are captured, transferred
back to Vallo's ship and held prisoners for Gruda to sell them to the King.

Baron Gruda tells Consuelo that she will marry Herman (Eliot Makeham), the
Governor of Cobra or he will kill the people of Cobra. Consuelo agrees, Gruda
then announcing the date of the wedding and forcing the people to attend.
Meanwhile, Vallo, Ojo and the Professor manage to escape back to Cobra
where they find out about the wedding. Vallo intends to rescue Consuelo but
the Professor tells him he needs the help of the people. Vallo agrees, and
along with the Professor builds weapons and trains the people how to use
them. They make nitroglycerin bombs, tanks, flamethrowers and a hot air
balloon.

On the day of the wedding, the people revolt before the ceremony and
overthrow the guards. Baron Gruda manages to escape to his ship, taking
Consuelo with him. Vallo and Ojo go after them, taking the hot air balloon.
They spot their ship, climb down to it and release the pirates. They then go
after Gruda's ship. When they get close to the ship, Vallo orders the pirates
below deck, making Gruda think they are about to launch a broadside. They
sneak out the back of the ship, and swim underwater to Gruda's ship. Gruda
launches a broadside against Vallo's ship, destroying it. Vallo and the pirates
then board Gruda's ship and fight with Gruda and his guards. The guards are
defeated and Gruda is killed. Vallo and Consuelo embrace.

Red as blood, the crimson pirate flag wards off any attacker.
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