Pirate Soundtrack CD

Although mired in myriad problems, Vincente Minnelli's adaptation of the German theatrical production of Der Seerauber turned out to be nothing short of the definitive MGM musical, boasting sizable star power and truly unforgettable melodies by none other than Cole Porter. Ironically, when S.N. Behrman created the Broadway presentation -- running for a meager five months and two days (November 25, 1942, to April 27, 1943) at the Martin Beck Theatre -- it was staged as a comedy. However, both Minnelli and producer Arthur Freed agreed that the story had tremendous potential and commissioned the team of Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich to write the screenplay and Porter to compose the songs. The action is set in the Caribbean circa the early 19th century and finds Judy Garland (Manuela Alva) mistaking the identity of Gene Kelly (Serafin) as Mack the Black, the infamous pirate. It doesn't take long before Kelly decides to lead Garland on in an attempt to woo her. In a dark and dramatic twist, the charade will almost cost him his life. While Porter purportedly loathed the final product, few can argue that, in true Minnelli style, the visuals were undeniably opulent -- this despite Garland's ever-increasing personal problems, which resulted in the actress being present for only 36 of the 135 days of principle photography. Ultimately, what carried 1948's The Pirate were the wall-to-wall production numbers, especially the career-defining "Be a Clown" finale. Upon its cinematic debut, just eight tunes appeared on the soundtrack, which MGM would subsequently re-release in several different configurations. For the expanded Turner Classic Movies edition, the entire score has been painstakingly remastered and is offered here for the first time, including dance music and even the earliest version of "Love of My Life" along with readings of "Mack the Black" and "Voodoo" that were originally cut from the film. Additional supplementary materials are demos of "Be a Clown," "Nina," the unused "Manuela," and alternate arrangements of "Voodoo" (with discarded lyrics) and "You Can Do No Wrong" (with different words) -- all of which are performed by Roger Edens (piano/vocals). As if that weren't enough, the package contains a pair of promotional interviews, one with Garland and the other with Kelly. The accompanying liner booklet houses notes by Garland authority John Fricke and plenty of appropriate eye candy. ~ Lindsay Planer