IMDb RATING
6.3/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
The unhistorical adventures of pirate Captain Kidd revolve around treasure and treachery.The unhistorical adventures of pirate Captain Kidd revolve around treasure and treachery.The unhistorical adventures of pirate Captain Kidd revolve around treasure and treachery.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 nomination total
Abner Biberman
- Theodore Blades
- (uncredited)
Harry Cording
- Newgate Prison Warder
- (uncredited)
Jimmy Dime
- Pirate
- (uncredited)
Lumsden Hare
- Lord Fallsworth
- (uncredited)
Al Hill
- Peter Sharfstone
- (uncredited)
George Huggins
- Pirate
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaCharles Laughton reprised his role as Captain Kidd in Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952).
- GoofsSailors (who were unlikely to wear shoes on ships anyway) would never wear shoes into a powder magazine. The chances of a spark from boot/ shoe nails amid all that powder was too great.
- Quotes
Orange Povey: You cold-gutted shark.
Capt. William Kidd: Ahh!... You're a flatterer. You've no idea how gratifying it is to have a congenial soul to confide in.
- Alternate versionsThe Roan Group DVD version, which comes from an excellent print, is sadly missing one of the best scenes in the film. In the scene Charles Laughton has trouble dressing for dinner on the ship, he is chastised for his hair-do by his valet, and then gets confused with his manners during dinner. We also learn a little more about Randolph Scott's character in this delightful scene. It can be found on the Australian VHS release from Force Video.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Sprockets: Masters of Menace (1995)
- SoundtracksRule Britannia
(uncredited)
Lyrics by James Thomson
Music by Thomas Augustine Arne
Heard when toasting the merchant ship and when the ships meet on the sea
Featured review
Good Action & Intrigue
There's plenty of good action and intrigue in this fictionalized account of the infamous "Captain Kidd". Charles Laughton is in his element as the treacherous, clever pirate captain, and he is given good support from the rest of the cast and from the overall production.
The story starts with Kidd having just successfully completed one of his attacks, and using it as a springboard for a more ambitious and daring plan to make himself an English lord. Despite the rather far-fetched nature both of his scheme and of much of the plot as a whole, Laughton's rousing performance and the movie's other strengths carry everything off nicely.
The story setup is nicely conceived, pitting Kidd and his deceitful scheming against some fully worthy adversaries with plots and secrets of their own, with John Carradine enjoyably spiteful as Kidd's long-time untrustworthy partner, and Randolph Scott as a mysterious convict who gets recruited to be Kidd's master gunner. The three of them join in an entertaining battle of nerves and wits, with most of the other characters serving as useful pawns in their game. Reginald Owen also pitches in as something of a wild card character whose loyalties are, for a time, uncertain.
The action sequences are good, and they are also interspersed at well-chosen intervals in the main plot. It has plenty of interesting detail that sets off the action nicely. This is the kind of action-packed movie that, as long as you don't pause to analyze it too closely, provides very good entertainment with a lot of interesting story developments.
The story starts with Kidd having just successfully completed one of his attacks, and using it as a springboard for a more ambitious and daring plan to make himself an English lord. Despite the rather far-fetched nature both of his scheme and of much of the plot as a whole, Laughton's rousing performance and the movie's other strengths carry everything off nicely.
The story setup is nicely conceived, pitting Kidd and his deceitful scheming against some fully worthy adversaries with plots and secrets of their own, with John Carradine enjoyably spiteful as Kidd's long-time untrustworthy partner, and Randolph Scott as a mysterious convict who gets recruited to be Kidd's master gunner. The three of them join in an entertaining battle of nerves and wits, with most of the other characters serving as useful pawns in their game. Reginald Owen also pitches in as something of a wild card character whose loyalties are, for a time, uncertain.
The action sequences are good, and they are also interspersed at well-chosen intervals in the main plot. It has plenty of interesting detail that sets off the action nicely. This is the kind of action-packed movie that, as long as you don't pause to analyze it too closely, provides very good entertainment with a lot of interesting story developments.
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- Snow Leopard
- Jan 8, 2006
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Kapten Kidd
- Filming locations
- General Service Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(miniature 1695 London dock)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,500,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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![Randolph Scott, Charles Laughton, and Barbara Britton in Captain Kidd (1945)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMGM5YzUwZmItMDYwOC00ZTY0LTk5ZTMtNzRiNzVlNGFkYTg4L2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjQzNDI3NzY@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg)