The Pirates of Blood River / The Devil-Ship Pirates

THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER, 1962, Sony Repertory, 87 min. Dir. John Gilling. Hammer Studios exhibited their panache for Gothic period ambience in these breakneck-paced pirate adventure thrillers. A Huguenot community living on a Caribbean isle is menaced by pirates because the renegades’ eyepatch-wearing captain Christopher Lee believes the village has a secret treasure of gold. The community leader’s son (Kerwin Mathews), who has been sentenced to hard labor for adultery, may be their only hope for salvation.

THE DEVIL-SHIP PIRATES, 1964, Sony Repertory, 86 min. Dir. Don Sharp. A pirate ship allied to the Spanish Armada docks at a village on the British coast for repairs and convinces the inhabitants that Spain has won the war. Lording it over the villagers as their new ruler, evil Christopher Lee causes plenty of suffering, and rebellious young John Cairney foments revolt with rumors that their Spanish masters are bluffing.