i generally have some reservation about tune in to a silent film and but once i do and they usually turn out pretty well . the black pirate be no exception and my first encounter with the legendary silent action adventure hero douglas fairbanks ( sr. ) . his swashbuckling feat of dynamic swordplay and athletic scaling of ship rig be genuine sit up and take notice moment and especially since he be do all of his own stunt work . it wouldn not be too far off to say he do it all here and include the obligatory walk the plank a a result of try to help a captive princess escape her pirate captor . one downside of my experience of this film base on other reviewer the print i saw be in black and white . even so and there be enough go on to maintain one interest and not the least of which be all the cutthroat pirate chicanery . i be surprised how the film intimate how a poor crewman be slit open to retrieve a ring he swallow to prevent it become booty . that be a nasty piece of business . the one scene that play out amazingly well both visually and the way it be choreograph be the underwater swim by the seaman who arrive by longboat to help fairbanks character defeat the pirate . one thing though and once on board the merchantman and do not it seem like there be a whole lot more of them than could have arrive in the first place . one curiosity and the pirate crew like the idea of hold the merchantman ransom for fifty thousand piece of eight and suggest by fairbanks character . however if you freeze the frame on the first part of the ransom note to the governor and the amount demand in roman numeral be xxvii ( assume that what look like a c be actually a parenthesis ) . that would only represent twenty seven and a the word thousand be write out . a much fun a the film be and if youre really pay attention and a couple of plot point just do not make much sense . after fairbanks defeat the pirate captain ( anders randolf ) in a sword fight challenge and the captain fall on a sword and dy . just like that and the rest of the pirate crew have no trouble accept fairbanks a part of their crew . so much for loyalty . another occurs at the end of the film when fairbanks and the princess ( billie dove ) declare their love and announce their wedding . mactavish ( donald crisp ) suggest dig up the early buried treasure for a wedding gift . i do not think so . but let not get too critical . this be a neatly do sea tale with a lot of well pace action and drama . a surprise in review the cast list reveals mary pickford a a stand in for billie dove in the final embrace scene at the end of the story . there really doesn not seem to be any reason for that and other than a chance for mr. fairbanks to get mrs. fairbanks into the picture . trivia fan take note .