Plot: Baptiste (Philip Friend) is a high seas pirate, but he and his crew don’t pillage just any ships that cross their path. Instead, he prefers to target the rich and take a bite out of social injustice, so while he is indeed a pirate, he does command more respect than most because of his approach. Or at least he commands it from some, as the wealthy see him as the worst of the worst, for obvious reasons. His latest capture yields a most unusual treasure of sorts, a fiery woman named Deborah (Yvonne De Carlo). She quickly proves herself to be no delicate flower and rather than send her off with the others, Baptiste makes her an official member of the crew. Soon the crew sees that Deborah can more than hold her own, but the can the pirates handle having such a strong, tough woman in their ranks?

Entertainment Value: If you like women in fancy dresses slapping each other, you will likely have fun with Buccaneer’s Girl. The movie also boasts pirates, ship duels on the high seas, and even some musical numbers, so there’s also that. I also love that this movie has both Yvonne De Carlo and Elsa Lanchester, two horror icons that square off in this brisk, slap happy swashbuckling adventure. I will say, the focus is more on the ladies in this one, as opposed to swarthy pirates of yore, but to me, that helps Buccaneer’s Girl stand out in the genre. At the same time, if you’re after swords and swash, you might be a little let down here, but if you’re after a good time and some b movie charm, I think you’ll be satisfied. The pirate action we do have on hand is well done, with smaller scale brawls and some ship combat that looks good. I tend to embrace drama and the ladies of this movie deliver drama and then some, with cattiness, poison barbed banter, and as I mentioned, a high volume of slap sessions.Not to be forgotten are the solid production values, which includes some beautiful costumes and fun, well performed musical routines. The tone is light and offers a good deal of humor, so it is a brisk watch and a tight, under 80 minute run time bolsters that even further. I’d recommend this to anyone who appreciates pirate cinema, colorful female rivalries, or De Carlo and Lanchester, as Buccaneer’s Girl is a solid b movie romp.

A pirate movie that more or less centers on female characters is quite interesting, especially when it brings together talent like Yvonne De Carlo and Elsa Lanchester, no less. I think this is a tandem that adds immense appeal to those who might not often partake of the pirate cinema plunder, as both of these performers are legends in the cult & horror worlds. De Carlo has the lead role and she is a delight here, in a performance that explodes with charm and charisma, letting her flex her comedic talents, as well as her musical skills. She has several song and dance numbers in Buccaneer’s Girl and she is immense fun to watch, a natural in those moments, just as adept at the music as she is with the other elements. Her attitude is on point and her banter is fantastic, going toe to toe with anyone who crosses her path. Elsa Lanchester steals some scenes as well and her interactions with De Carlo are superb, just enough humor and melodrama, mixed in with the aware performances. The cast also includes Andrea King, Philip Friend, Robert Douglas, and Jay C. Flippen.

Use this Amazon link to purchase Buccaneer’s Girl (or anything else) and help support my site!