The Buccaneer

Fredric March stars as Jean Lafitte—the flamboyant French-born privateer who fought alongside Gen. Andrew Jackson against the British in the War of 1812—in this 1938 production from Cecil B. DeMille. The director plays fast and loose with history (as usual), but also has more fun with the story than in many of his grandiose historical spectacles, making Lafitte both a sly scoundrel who brazenly defies authority and a patriot who sides with the Americans even though they've put a price on his head. March's Lafitte may have one of the worst French accents ever heard onscreen, but he's a commanding and charismatic leader who rouses his men to the American cause even after they've been double-crossed by the Louisiana governor. The obligatory romantic subplot has Lafitte courting high-society belle Annette (Margot Grahame), while a cute Dutch girl named Gretchen (Franciska Gaal) swoons over him after he rescues her from a rogue pirate. Also on hand are Akim Tamiroff as Lafitte's lovable, loyal rogue of a second-in-command and Walter Brennan as Jackson's buckskin-clad aide-de-camp. Unlike DeMille's more bloated productions, The Buccaneer boasts a lively energy, thanks to a plot full of betrayals and battles, a cast of larger-than-life characters (including Hugh Sothern as a hearty, earthy Jackson), and a snappy script with playful dialogue. The print used for the DVD transfer shows some wear but is otherwise fine. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)