Anne of the Indies

Moviecut—Anne of the Indies

source: Anne of the Indies

This story will likely keep you entertained throughout, with occasional action events, and complex interpersonal relationships, not to mention a bombastic Blackbeard. Like Maureen O'Hara, in 1952's "Against All Flags", 25yo Jean Peters was privileged to star as a woman pirate captain, thus achieving the fantasy of a woman ordering a sizable group of men about. Both developed credible skill with a rapier, which added credence to their position. In Jean's case, she duels with Blackbeard(Thomas Gomez)) in a semi-friendly bout, then engages in serious bouts. Clearly, Jean, as Captain Anne Providence, is enjoying her role, putting her all into it....As the story unfolds, Anne hates anything British, blaming them for killing her brother, who, like her, had been nurtured by a young Blackbeard. Now, she was feared nearly as much as Blackbeard. Soon, she sinks a British ship, making the crew walk the plank, all except a handsome Frenchman , whom she calls 'Frenchie'(Louis Jordan), to whom she gives the option of joining her crew or walking the plank. She treats him with some suspicion at first, but gradually warms up to him, and eventually they engage in a passionate kiss or two, something she's presumably never done before with a crew member. But, then she would have him flogged at one point. Later, she would discover that Frenchie had a beautiful wife(Debra Paget, as Molly) housed in Port Royal, and that he was actually a spy for the British, who had impounded his ship and wouldn't give it back until he captured either Anne or Blackbeard. Anne captured Molly , and threatened to throw her to her crew, or sell her into white slavery. But before all this happened, she had defended Frenchie(Captain La Rochelle) from attack by Blackbeard, who claimed he was an ex-captain, and a spy. She made Blackbeard and his small crew leave the island. Blackbeard would get his revenge in the end. So now, Anne has the British, Frenchie, and Blackbeard all out to get her. Eventually, she captures Frenchie, and maroons him with his wife on a very small island, hoping they will starve or die of thirst. Then, she has a change of heart, returns and gives them a small boat. This proves her downfall, as Blackbeard is closing in. After losing Frenchie and Blackbeard as friends or lovers, Anne seems to have no close friends, male or female. She despises the wenches who provide comfort to the pirates and others in the few towns. She also despises kept ladies, such as Molly. She apparently only respected women, like herself, who had earned the status of being a leader in the outside world , or had mastered a complex job normally done by men. She had earned her exalted status, despite being functionally illiterate, as most women of that time were. Check out YouTube to see it.

This film is far from the purely cutthroat pirate escapades one might expect from a film about pirates. There is much more to this film. Love, revenge, and sacrifice are at the heart of this engaging story. The incomparable Louis Jourdan portrays Captain Pierre François LaRochelle, who is forced into pretending to be a prisoner on a pirate ship whose purpose is to spy on Blackbeard (Thomas Gomez) and Captain Providence (Jean Peters. The discovery that Providence is a woman changes LaRochelle's game plan; he woos and romances her all the while holding tight to the fact that he is happily married to Molly (Debra Paget). When LaRochelle plots to have Providence captured, she realizes his truth and kidnaps Molly as revenge. Revenge because LaRochelle does not truly love her. He had lied to get what was needed in order to get his own ship back. Despite the tough exterior that Providence exhibits, she is still a woman--a reality that LaRochelle had shown her through his (albeit false) tenderness. She even reneges on her banishment to a deserted cay, where she had taken Pierre and Molly, and arranges their departure moments before she engages in battle with Blackbeard--her mentor--and is killed. Her last act is the kindest Providence has ever shown. It also cements her legend as one of the great pirates. This is a tale of love--true love and unrequited love. Pierre's true love lies with Molly. Providence's love for Pierre is unrequited. However, witnessing the true love shared between Pierre and Molly quenches Providence's thirst for revenge and opens her kindness and humanity. She sacrifices herself so that Pierre and Molly can live out their lives together. That is indeed a noble act.

Sometimes it's hard to be a pirate...............but by golly Miss Jean Peters has a lot of fun trying - and it shows,particularly during her first spot of friendly swordplay with Blackbeard (Mr Thomas Gomez - eminently hissable)when the sheer joy of performing is plain on her face. With fifty years of hindsight Feminists seem intent on grabbing this movie as some sort of an anthem for the empowerment of women in a male - dominated society but I have serious doubts that either M.Tourneur or Miss Peters had any such concept in their heads at the time. It was an exciting,entertaining family film with absolutely no pretensions,hidden meanings or alternative agenda.It was fun. M.Louis Jourdan is both winsome and treacherous as her love interest. Mr Herbert Chapman is wise and philosophical as the wise and philosophical doctor.Mr James Robertson Justice is just a tad unbelievable as the bosun. But it is Miss Peters who stays in the memory.Wilfully adolescent,illiterate,tough but vulnerable,wonderfully agile,and ultimately,courageous,she is everybody's idea of a lady pirate. There was a definite window of opportunity for her in feisty costume roles - that she did not choose to seize it is a matter of some regret.

The title is the only part resembling the author's original movie treatment, which was designed to hold at least a nugget of history about the very real Anne Bonny. However, the resulting movie is a fun perpetuation of pirate myth. Historically, very few (if any) pirates would do any of the things that happen in the opening sequence: attack & sink a superior ship, make the survivors (including captain) walk the plank, meet up with an elderly Blackbeard (who in reality never lived to see 30). It's still worthwhile, as there is anthropological value to watching anything made in the 50s, with a common knowledge approach to history. And it's fun to see a fresh-faced Louis Jourdan. Like most B movies of the era, the miscast acting is stiff & contrived, but dramatically engaging. I can name a dozen better pirate movies, but even the worst of pirate films is fun if approached with the right attitude. Good luck finding a watchable, legal copy, though.

I saw this movie when I was very young living in Houston, Texas. I really enjoyed this movie, and I wrote to Jean Peters in Hollywood, and I told her how much I enjoyed seeing her in this movie. She sent me an autographed photo. This movie was directed by Jacques Tourneur, and besides Jean Peters in the starring role. It also stars Louis Jourdan, Debra Paget, and Herbert Marshall. It was released in 1951 in color and is 81 minutes long. Jean Peters was married to Howard Hughes. She also starred in "Viva Zapata" with Marlon Brando, Anthony Quinn, who won an Oscar for playing the role Zapata's brother (Marlon Brando starred as Zapata) (1952). And she also starred in "Captain from Castile" (1947) with Tyron Power. Since then I've been trying to find a place where it is available, but so far I have not been successful. Does anybody have any suggestions about where I can find and purchase this movie? It this comment contains spoilers, I am unaware of it.

Less than two hundred and fifty years ago, the last of the great pirates wrote their names in blood and fire across the pages of maritime history. This is the story of a buccaneer Captain whose name for one short year struck terror in the hearts of seafarers and merchants from the ports of the Caribbean to the trading houses of London..... Hmm, that opening to the film sounds like we are in for one hell of a swashbuckling, pillaging, ripper of a movie doesn't it? Well it's not. Tho it's not totally without value as a curio piece. Out of 20th Century Fox, Anne Of The Indies is adapted by Philip Dunne & Arthur Caesar from a short story written by Herbert Ravenel Sass. Direction is by Jacques Tourneur, the score is by Franz Waxman and Harry Jackson is providing the Technicolor photography. Jean Peters is in the titular title role of Anne {AKA Captain Providence} and support comes from Louis Jourdan, Debra Paget, Herbert Marshall, Thomas Gomez & James Robertson Justice. Originally meant to be be based on true life pirate Anne Bonny, the film ultimately turns out to be a tale of a woman seeking identity, and finding herself, in the predominantly male led world of piracy and sea based shenanigans. Filled with clichés and over familiar set pieces, the film also suffers from a cast that is largely misfiring. Peters gives it a right good go, and Paget lights up the screen with effervescent beauty. While Robertson Justice, although underused, actually looks the part and doesn't overact like the rest of the male cast does. Some reviewers have desperately tried to dig deep into the film to find intelligence and hidden meanings, purely because it's Tourneur in the directing chair. But there is no depth here, this is merely a job for Tourneur, a professional one granted, but its thinly plotted and actually lacking swash to go with the buckle in the action stakes. Disposable at best. 4/10

Having tried his hand successfully at most other genres Jacques Tourneur, son of the great Maurice, moved to swashbucklers in 1950 via the Burt Lancaster vehicle The Flame And The Arrow. Having enjoyed a huge international success with Flame he followed it with a fictionalized account of Anne Boney, a lady pirate who became Anne Providence for the movie. Shot in the old (and best) three-stripe Technicolor Tourneur gets the movie off with a bang as Anne's ship captures another and quickly disposes of the crew via the traditional plank. Quickly establishing a major plot point Tourneur has her balk at dishing out the same treatment to Pierre La Rochelle (Louis Jourdan) and inviting him to join her crew. From there on it's pretty formulaic, we know Peters is going to fall for Jourdan and that he will either have a wife/fiancée or be a spy and as things turn out he is guilty on both counts. Herbert Marshall is the pick of the supporting cast as might be expected whilst James Robertson Justice is a joke as a pirate with a voice half a tone higher than Tiny Tim and a Scottish accent that would bring a blush to the cheek of Dick Van Dyke. With Tourneur at the helm it can't be ALL bad but a little more good would be nice.

WARNING : Please,DON'T READ this comment if you have never seen this movie,as it can reveal some crucial points of the plot,but I needed to speak about these points in order to express my idea. Anne of the Indies is one of my favourite movies.On my point of view,the central theme is the impossibility for a woman to live her own identity as a woman.She is trapped in a male identity,being grown up under Blackbeard's school: sword,ships and pirates. When she falls in love for the first time,she is unable to express female feelings she feels.She almost ridiculise herself for her love,a new experience,and her own humiliation is exceptionally well acted by Jean Peters.Her desperation became more evident as the film goes on,above all when she has to admit herself her own sorrow after having been betrayed(this betrayal is a terrible event which destroys her under-construction female identity) and she is forced to admit her own weakness she has always tried to hide with a splendid use of her sword. The final scene with Blackbeard planting his sword on the ship floor is fantastic,because he does just the same act that every person who understand the dramatic situation of Anne-Captain Providence would have done.I find this a marvellous movie,almost perfect:the only scene I don't like too much is the very last,when the name of her ship is cancelled from the register of outlaw ships:on my point of view,Tourneur made an error to show her again.It would have been more effective if the last time we look at her was just when she cries to Blackbeard "Come and take me,old pirate"(I base myself on the italian dubbing). A moving film,which reminds me of the powerful acting of equally desperate Ella Raines in "Tall in the Saddle".