Ahoy! As you can likely tell, we at NoRMMA decided that International Talk Like a Pirate Day – which has taken place on 19 September since 1995, apparently, which would make this year its 20th jubilee! – is indeed a holiday worthy of being observed. As such, for your enjoyment and education, we are proud to present some pirate-related fan magazine offerings… with a particular focus, of course, on female pirates!
The above image is an ad for Prudence the Pirate (Moving Picture World, 21 Oct 1916), a 1916 film starring Gladys Hulette as the eponymous Prudence, who according to the film’s IMDB page “rents an old ship complete with a motley crew of sailors, and makes plans to become a female Blackbeard”. Here’s the cover of this particular issue of Moving Picture World…
… and a review of the film published in that same issue, proving some more information about the plot of the film and its (seemingly positive) reception. Please click the pages for a hi-res image.
The Photo-Play Journal published a short novelisation of the film’s plot in November 1916…
The rest of the article can be found here.
Finally, here’s a rather picture-heavy feature on the film from the December 1916 issue of Film Fun.
Sadly, the film’s status appears to be unknown today, but do let us know if you have seen it or know where a copy might exist, because it sounds (and looks) delightful!
A second film we uncovered, although, perhaps, one with less of a piratey focus and more of a focus on bootleggers, those modern-day pirates, is Oh Kay, (1928), starring Colleen Moore as the central character. The following two pages are from Motion Picture Classic, April 1929.
Sadly, this film appears to be definitely lost. Film history clearly does not favour lady pirates!
We hope you have a great Talk Like a Pirate Day this year, and take our leave from you with the help of Joan Crawford, who no doubt sold plenty of silverware by dressing like a pirate…. Arrrrr!
