Blackbeard’s Ghost ** (1968, Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, Suzanne Pleshette) – Classic Movie Review 10,170

Peter Ustinov’s engagingly vigorous portrayal as Captain Blackbeard is the main attraction of Walt Disney’s otherwise uninspired comedy fantasy, director Robert Stevenson’s 1968 Blackbeard’s Ghost.

Ben Stahl’s story about the bumbling ghost of Blackbeard the Pirate coming back to put a stop to gangsters turning the Carolina coast Blackbeard’s Inn hotel, owned by his descendants, the Daughters of the Buccaneers, into a casino is just not very amusing.

Dean Jones plays Godolphin College’s new track coach, who lodges at Blackbeard’s Inn, and, encouraged by college instructor Jo Anne Baker (Suzanne Pleshette), wants to help the old ladies who run it in trying to pay off their mortgage to prevent a takeover by gambling kingpin Silky Seymour (Joby Baker). Then Steve conjures up the pirate’s spirit and persuades him to help the Daughters.

If the story is less than haunting, the handling is pretty unspirited too. But then happily we have Ustinov, Elsa Lanchester and Richard Deacon to steer things along.

It is the final film of William Fawcett. Also in the cast are Joby Baker, Elliott Reid, Norman Grabowski, Kelly Thordsen, Michael Conrad, Herbie Faye, George Murdock, Hank Jones, Ned Glass and Gil Lamb.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,170

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com