Bill Slocum Any Charles Laughton vehicle involving the actor playing an outrageous villain holds definite promise. More the shame that any treasure here is consigned so quickly to Davy Jones' locker.History suggests the historical William Kidd was either an ethically challenged but decent-for-his-day privateer or a traduced innocent. Laughton dispenses with subtleties and portrays him as a fiendish scoundrel, bent on gold and glory any way he can get it. To that end, he enlists inmates of Newgate Prison, including chained-up Adam Mercy (Randolph Scott), as his crew, wanting a company of cutthroats while telling the king they will be motivated by the promise of a pardon."Between their conduct and mine, your majesty, there will be little to choose," he assures King William III (Henry Daniell).Such a mordant sensibility speaks well for the approach taken by director Rowland V. Lee and writer Norman Reilly Raine, accomplished studio veterans both. With Laughton chewing the scenery in his enjoyably hammy way, you might reasonably expect a decent comic adventure to unfold. But things fall apart once Kidd sets sail with his new crew.A big problem for the film is the suffocating performance of Scott, a fine actor when the part suited him, which it doesn't at all here. The Virginia accent is only the surface issue. Deeper still is the fact his character is supposedly a crafty one playing a part, which is more than can be said for Scott himself, hitting his marks and saying his lines with dull efficiency. There's no energy, no reactive spark, rendering his performance deadweight in any film but more so with Laughton playing his part with eye-blinking, lip- smacking glee. They don't belong in the same film.The film makes matters worse by keeping nearly all the action inside Kidd's vessel, as he does away with dim lackies and crosses them off a list he keeps in a secret desk compartment, so even the slowest viewers can keep track. "People have such an awkward habit of getting in my way," he sneers. As other reviewers here note, there's little in the way of swordfights or sea battle to distract you from the rote story.Kidd's big play involves sailing up to a Royal vessel transporting valuable cargo, stealing said cargo, and blowing up the ship, something he seems to think he can get away with even with the captain's daughter, beautiful love interest Lady Anne (Barbara Britton) along for the ride as an honored passenger. A better film would show some real plotting. Lee just gives us close-up after close-up of the ruthless captain curling his lips. We get it already; he's a bad, bad guy.At least in the first half his comic possibilities are decently teased out. Kidd tries his hand at gentlemanly behavior with the huffy tutoring of a valet (Reginald Owen) and exchanges veiled threats with John Carradine as the one subordinate not so foolish as to trust him. Laughton even endures a few fat jokes. A royal aide scoffs at Kidd's play for nobility: "The fellow treats of a title so lightly he must be bursting with noble blood…though I confess he keeps it well-hid."But the more the film goes on, the lazier it gets. Kidd kills with ridiculous ease. Mercy's heroism is presented so squarely Scott with his unpiratey mien and silly wig begins to look like George Washington come off Mount Rushmore. Occasionally he exchanges stage whispers with a valet (John Qualen), detailing a ludicrous backstory about seeking to redeem and avenge his father.The ways Mercy keeps ahead of Kidd's wrath likewise cry plot convenience, except in this case the plot is so thin already it can't bear any strain. The finale is so rushed and nonsensical that it seems clear that everyone associated with "Captain Kidd" was ready to call it a day.That is, except Laughton, who gets to deliver one final soliloquy. Like the character he plays, his tragedy in this film is failing to notice his ship has long since sailed.

oscar-35 *Spoiler/plot- Captain Kidd, 1945. The famous pirate devises a plan to gain respectability and a noble peerage from the Royal Crown, only to get caught in his dishonor in the end.*Special Stars- Charles Laughton, Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, John Caradine, Gilbert Roland, Sheldon Leonard, Henry Daniel, Henry Cording.*Theme- Outlaw pirates cannot buy respectability.*Trivia/location/goofs- Watch for a very early background performer role for a very young Charlton Heston. His role one of the recent pirate jailbirds waiting in line for a hot bath and a shave, standing in line naked with only a towel to cover himself. He did modeling before going to Hollywood.*Emotion- A somewhat fun pirate film with a strange casting choice as Randolph Scott to play an English seaman pirate/nobleman. He's not very convincing with his obviously American accent and demeanor. Laughton re-plays his Captain Bligh role from his 'Bounty' role 10 years before. Interesting to see some other odd casting choices like Sheldon Leonard, Gilbert Roland, and John Caradine for English pirate types. This film is good to see by a mediocre film at best served up during the WW2 years.

ma-cortes This low-budget swashbuckler starts on Magadascar where Captain Kidd (Charles Laughton)attacks the vessel called ¨twelve apostles¨. London, 1699, Captain Kidd receives a card from the King William III(Henry Daniell): ¨Upon the solicitation of my Lord Bellomont, his Majesty is graciously pleased to order to attend up him at Hampton court , upon the morning of November 13, at nine of the clock , captain William Kidd, ship master, of New York, with intent to discuss a voyage of portent to the waters of India and Magadascar¨.Then Kidd is assigned by King William III to escort on the high seas a ship plenty of treasures from Calcuta until England. As he enlists a misfit crew(Scott, Roland,Qualen, among others) formed by thieves and killers, including to Orange Poverty(John Carradine) who had previously abandoned on an island of Magadascar.Charles Laughton made an excellent acting as Kidd, a roguish, sly, ironic and traitor pirate, lookalike his character of ¨Jamaica Inn¨ by Hitchcock. Later he retook this role in farce style with ¨Abbot and Costello meet captain Kidd¨ by Charles Barton. However the starring Randolph Scott is miscast because is usually in Western and here he's out. Good secondary cast formed by prestigious secondaries as John Carradine,Henry Daniell,John Carradine, John Qualen, Reginald Owen and Gilbert Roland. the motion picture is professionally directed by Rowland V Lee.The story is partially based on real events , the actual deeds happened of the following manner : Kidd was born 1865, Scotland. The military staff hires him to command the ship called ¨Blessed William¨ during the war of nine years(1688-1697) between England and France. Then Kidd sacks the vessel Marie Galante and numerous French warships.After gets license from British admiralty for exercise as buccaneer, commanding the ¨Adventure Galley¨ with 34 cannons and 80 men. He decides to plunder the ¨Quedagh Merchant¨a galley full of treasures and another ships of various countries. Then the captain found himself held capture and transported to England where he was condemned to death penalty in 1701. He was hung but the rope broke itself two times. His corpse was charged in chains throughout of river Thames as warning and punishment.Another films about this historical character are : ¨Double crossbones¨(1950) by Charles Barton with Alan Napier as Kidd; ¨Against all flaggs¨(1952) with Robert Warwick as Kidd; ¨Great adventures of Captain Kidd¨ with John Crawford; and ¨Kidd and the slave girl¨(1954) by Lew Landers and Anthony Dexter as the famous pirate.

Cristi_Ciopron The adventure movies' is a high art, this is obvious. Look at the annoyingly many failed attempts. KIDD is not a good movie,it fails to deliver what it promises; and in fact not only it is not a good movie—this is euphemistically stating it; it's rubbish. It begins as an adventure movie—pirates, a treasure, but it changes into something considerably less appealing and also less interesting. What we are nonetheless left with is Laughton's verve, his considerable instinct for the picturesque. In a quite large role, R. Scott is insipid.What the movie lacks are style, pace, gusto. It can only offer a few melodramatic leftovers. It looks cheap, ugly, tern, stupid. Laughton was good beyond belief, in any role, I suppose. Such a staunchly reliable actor.