As far as telling a reasonably accurate account of Blackbeard's career as a pirate, forget it! It reminds me more of certain westerns that have Billy the Kid, Wild Bill Hickok, and Jesse James, for example, interacting. The two main pirates in this yarn are Blackbeard and Henry Morgan. Well, Morgan was active as a pirate toward the beginning of 'The Golden Age of Piracy', whereas Blackbeard was a pirate near the end of this period, in the next century! Nonetheless, why not have probably the 2 most famous pirates who operated in the Caribbean tangle with each other in a classic tale, irrespective of the historical impossibility......RKO was taking advantage of the success of the mesmerizing characterization by Robert Newton of Long John Silver" in the 1950 hit "Treasure Island" to hopefully produce another pirate tale hit. Throw in a ravishing Linda Darnell as a major player, to spice things up even more....Keith Andes is criticized by most reviewers for being too bland in his role as the romantic lead Robert Maynard. I found him OK. If you need an Errol Flynn or Burt Lancaster, check out "Against All Flags" and "The Crimson Pirate", which were also released that year('52). Torin Thatcher makes an excellent Henry Morgan, while William Bendex is OK as Blackbeard's first mate. Irene Ryan(of "The Beverly Hillbillies")makes an occasional impression as a tipsy Maid in Waiting for Linda. While drunk, Blackbeard got her to reveal the location of Morgan's treasure: right on his ship!........The final scene , in which Keith and Linda are sharing a romantic interlude in their flight from a dying Blackbeard and his crew ignores the reality that the crew is probably hot on their tail in the other landing craft. Good luck!......Blackbeard found the presence of Linda on his deck a great aid in discouraging bombardment or boarding by Morgan or others. Linda claims to be the daughter of one time pirate captain Edwin Mansfield. This name is a slight alteration of Edwin Mansvelt: an actual pirate captain of these times........Blackbeard finally gets his due from his crew for being excessively greedy with the treasure. The ultimate fate of the treasure is ironic......Robert Newton would get yet another opportunity to display his unique charisma as a classic pirate 2 years later in "Long John Silver"

It's 17th century. Edward Teach is the feared pirate Blackbeard. The English Crown has sent reformed pirate Sir Henry Morgan against him and the other pirates. Not everyone is convinced of Morgan's conversion. Pirate Charles Bellamy arrives in Port Royal and Robert Maynard hopes to catch him with Morgan. He pretends to be the new shipboard surgeon only to find Blackbeard as the captain. Blackbeard takes Edwina Mansfield prisoner who is hiding a secret treasure.I don't have the best print of this and the Technicolor makes this feel even older. It's all very old fashion. The sets and the directing are all static. Robert Newton is playing Blackbeard for all he's worth. Keith Andes is a stiff pretty boy leading man. Linda Darnell has ample bosoms. The action has limited visceral tension. It's an old pirate movie from the backlots of Hollywood.

Raoul Walsh's 1952 film "Blackbeard the Pirate" doesn't strive for any historical accuracy, but it's high in the entertainment category and one of the best of its kind. Robert Newton has literally a "field day" as Blackbeard and he set the standard for all future screen pirates. His famous "AAARRGGGG" is a crucial part of the dialog and Newton uses the expression for all its worth. Along for the ride are lovers Keith Andes and Linda Darnell; she's a captive and he's her rescuer. The rest of the plot revolves around Blackbeard and his men wreaking havoc in the Caribbean while kicking butt and taking names. But it's tough work with a woman like Ms. Darnell aboard ship. Lovely Linda displays plenty of cleavage and is so "top heavy" that it's a wonder she doesn't sink several frigates. Also in the cast is William Bendix ("The Life of Riley") as a pirate with a Brooklyn accent, but he fits right in with Blackbeard's motley crew. It's all done with flair and style under the guidance of Walsh who was one of Hollywood's best action directors. The final end to Blackbeard's reign of terror is befitting for the man and the movie. It's an image that will stay with viewers (particularly young ones) for a long time. Suffice to say that Blackbeard receives something a lot worse than "water-boarding."

Between the opening credits and the first scene of "Blackbeard, the Pirate" viewers encounter the following verse:The meeker the man, the more pirate he Snug in his armchair, far from the sea, And reason commends his position: He has all of the fun and none of the woes, Masters the ladies and scuttles his foes, And cheats both the noose and perdition!It's called "The Armchair Pirate" and it serves as notice that what you're about to see isn't the true story of Blackbeard, but rather an everyman's fantasy of life on 18th Century seas. Real pirate life must have been nasty, brutish, and short, but here it's spirited, colorful, and often uproarious. Most of the credit for this goes to Robert Newton who delivers a wonderfully unrestrained performance as Blackbeard. Critics routinely dismiss Newton's work as hamming, but it's the choicest, most savory ham acting you'll ever see.Newton is ably supported by Keith Andes, Linda Darnell, William Bendix, and especially Skelton Knaggs as Blackbeard's henchman, Gilly. Well paced, cleverly plotted, and brimming with action, "Blackbeard" is the most entertaining pirate film of all. Just settle back in your armchair and enjoy the fun.