mark.waltz It takes very high winds in Jamaica to have English ranchers Nigel Hawthorne and Isabel Dean to decide to send their children back to England. This hurricane literally rips their ranch apart, and mother Dean is upset by the presence of voodoo in the native servants attempts to stop the storm from increasing. But what the parents don't know is that pirates, disguised as women from a supposedly capsized ship, have taken over, and this puts their children into an uncertain danger, but the pirates become their caretakers, showing that even members of the jolly Roger can have a soft spot. In fact, the pirates seem more civilized than the original crew of the ship who tried to get a monkey drunk so they could cut off his tail. With a cast lead by Anthony Quinn and James Coburn as the pirate leaders, this is an exciting adventure from start to finish, beginning with a really scary hurricane. Lila Kedrova is reunited with her "Zorba the Greek" co-star, but her role is really a cameo, playing a saloon keeper where the children witness a cock fight. This doesn't have the silliness of "The Pirates of Penzance" or exaggerated special effects like "The Pirates of the Caribbean" series. It's just a very direct adventure, filled with fun for the whole family, a great musical score, fantastic photography and very detailed attention on everything going on. The tale turns dark at the end when the older girl is attacked and ends up on trial. The opening segment of the hurricane is visually horrific as the father struggles to get one daughter (stupidly chasing a frightened cat) back in the house, then their descent into an underground shelter where the voodoo spells are already in progress. Quinn and Coburn make a fantastic team. It's a shame that they only worked in one other movie together, a forgotten 1981 film called "High Risk".

AaronCapenBanner Alexander Mackendrick directed this pirate film, based on a novel by Richard Hughes, that deals with the children of an English couple living in Jamaica, who fear that their children are growing up wild, and losing touch with their culture, so send them back to England on a ship that is ironically boarded by pirates(led by Anthony Quinn & James Coburn) with whom the children stow away with. Though annoyed by their passengers, an unusual bond is formed, which is later tested when the pirates are captured by authorities, and put on trial for their lives. Nicely produced, with good actors, but story feels contrived and predictable, with the two pirates gathering no sympathy for their eventual plight(making them "heroic" figures is most dubious!)

Edgar Soberon Torchia Not a swashbuckler at all as many think, ″A High Wind in Jamaica″ is a very good outdooors drama in wide-screen, based on a novel by Richard Hughes, that deals with children's behavior, their notions of truth, friendship, loyalty, reality and game; it is about treason, and education. It is also another good film by American filmmaker Alexander Mackendrick, the man who made in the UK the cult comedy "Whisky Galore!", the original "The Ladykillers", and the classic NY drama "Sweet Smell of Success". Anthony Quinn and child actress Deborah Baxter led a fine cast that also included James Coburn, Nigel Davenport, Lila Kedrova, Gert Fröbe, and Dennis Price.

vlevensonnd-1 I saw this movie as a child and it had made such an impact on me that I never forgot it, or the haunting theme song. I'd long since forgotten the title, so I was utterly thrilled when I happened to turn the AMC channel on and they were playing it - 30+ years after it was in theaters! It wasn't until after the two main actors passed away that this movie was FINALLY released to the public - around 40 years AFTER it was made. I do not know if it was due to some rights conflict, or that maybe they didn't want it released due to the original story that dealt with a very 'inappropriate relationship' between the child-character Emily, and the Captain. This relationship is displayed far more subtly in the movie, most likely to make it a bit more family-friendly, however, the book was far from being a family-friendly novel. The book and movie are thankfully and EXTREMELY different in demeanor and focus. The author's focus appeared to be more with a notion of an innate evil within children, where he presents them as being cunning, manipulative, knowledge-filled, demon-like creatures, rather then innocent-minded youths. A couple of examples of the differences in demeanor between the book and the movie; In the book, it is the Captains right-hand man, Zac, who takes the eldest dark-haired girl by brutal force and keeps her as his - uh - female. When she becomes a lifeless, emotionless shell, he simply throws her overboard into the sea. In the movie, it is the girl who takes notice to a crew member and no one is taken by force or repeatedly raped or thrown to the sharks. At the end of the movie, Emily is confused by what occurred on board with the battle they were involved with, where the other ships Captain was murdered in Captain Chavez's quarters, where Emily was. She very innocently, grievously, and mistakenly says something that sends her beloved Captain, and his crew, to the gallows. In the book, she did it on purpose with malicious intent. It's like two completely different stories.I would much rather watch this wonderful and exciting movie, then to ever again read the dark novel that this came from. The acting is completely superb, even among the children. I have watched it several times and I will again.