THE CRIMSON PIRATE

12:30   4:15   8:00  

(1952, Robert Siodmak) Burt Lancaster, head of a genial band of cutthroats, makes deals with both the King’s agent and a band of revolutionaries in their struggle over a Caribbean island shot in Ischia. Burt did his own stunts in what “may well be the best adventure spoof ever made” (David Shipman). 35mm. Approx. 105 min.

“Effortlessly merges thrills and spoofery to produce entertainment that is, for once, suitable for ‘kids of all ages’. But the film’s strongest point is the opportunity it offers to watch its star’s relaxed, energetic stunt-work: never has Burt looked so graceful.”
– Geoff Andrew, Time Out (London)

“One of the great genre classics of all time.”
– Leonard Maltin

THE FLAME AND THE ARROW

2:30   6:15  

(1950, Jacques Tourneur) It’s time for a revolt against an evil lord in medieval Italy, with outlaw Burt Lancaster smilingly vaulting to the tops of houses, leaping from balconies, gliding down tapestries, swinging from chandeliers, and battling hordes of spearmen with torches in his hands, with a grand finale free-for-all in the castle’s great hall as a troupe of travelling acrobats leap in to the fray. 35mm. Approx. 88 min.

“The first of Burt Lancaster's attempts to revive the swashbuckling spirit of Douglas Fairbanks Senior. Great fun, at any rate, beautifully paced by Tourneur, as Lancaster and Cravat romp through their incredible gymnastic stunts while rescuing medieval Lombardy from wicked oppressors.”
– Tom Milne, Time Out

“Jacques Tourneur provides some of his most beautifully lit and layered images, photographed in Technicolor by Ernest Haller. The film is hardly ever spoken of—even among Tourneur cultists—but by rights it should be an action classic.”
– Dave Kehr, The Chicago Reader