Swashbuckler (1976) | LBX (Laserdisc) | USED

Title: Swashbuckler (1976)

Alternate Title: The Blarney Cock

Genre: Adventure / Action

Plot Synopsis
In Jamaica, 1718, pirate captain “Red” Ned Lynch leads his crew in defiance of the ruthless acting governor, Lord Durant, who has imprisoned the island’s Lord High Justice and seized the people’s wealth. When Judge Barnet’s daughter, Jane, enlists Lynch’s help to free her father and topple Durant’s tyrannical rule, the plan falters and many are captured. Lynch returns, rallies the island’s residents and fellow sea-rovers, stages daring rescues, clashes swords and cannons, and ultimately confronts Durant in a final showdown that restores justice and earns unlikely love.

Cast and Crew

• Director: James Goldstone

• Writers: Paul Wheeler, Jeffrey Bloom

• Cast:

  • Robert Shaw as Ned Lynch

  • James Earl Jones as Nick Debrett

  • Peter Boyle as Lord Durant

  • Geneviève Bujold as Jane Barnet

  • Beau Bridges as Major Folly

IMDb Link: Swashbuckler (1976) 

Reviews from Letterboxd

1. Brian Saur – ★★★☆☆
   “Universal Pictures in 1976: What you really want post-JAWS is to see Robert Shaw as an Errol Flynn-type pirate in an anachronistic movie like Captain Blood, right? The Moviegoing Public: Nah, we’re good.”

2. Superargo – ★★★☆☆
   “Well, uh…hey there, Geneviève Bujold as Jane Barnet. How’re you doing? There is some prize-winning ham to be admired in this picture. Who gets the blue ribbon? Shaw, probably, right? He’s having a helluva time for sure and delivers a physical, exuberant, mightily unhinged performance.”

3. Penny the Hat – ★★★☆☆
   “Sometimes I forget that James Earl Jones was ever young and robust. He and Robert Shaw trade dirty limericks and buckle many a swash together, and yet I wasn’t as charmed as I felt I should be. Jones even slaps a bad guy with a giant fish – you’d think I’d be into that.”

4. Keith G – ★★☆☆☆
   “AKA Scarlet Buccaneer … It’s a very basic story, not much to…”

5. Jim Y – ★★★☆☆
   “Don’t go into this one with high expectations and you may just find you enjoy seeing Robert Shaw having a good time.”

Meta Description:
A 1976 high-seas adventure featuring Robert Shaw and James Earl Jones as roguish pirates leading a daring rebellion against tyranny in colonial Jamaica.