![]() Whittier Perkins copied a tune entitled “Captain Kid” in his collection begun in 1790 in Massachusetts. In both of these texts, the repetitions of phrases throughout the text are the distinguishing marks, and these repetitions are reflected in the music. A new opening verse calls all ship captains to heed his story, the final verse reminding them to take his warning “lest you come to hell with me.” It is this “good night” version from “Robert” Kidd that has persisted in tradition. In early nineteenth-century New England, Robert Kidd explains that his doom came because he buried the Bible and ignored God. One hundred years later, the atmosphere and Kidd’s first name had changed. The early song displays a swashbuckling captain accomplishing even more than he is historically credited with and dying because he disobeyed the law, a legitimate way for London printers to portray a condemned man. It is instructive to compare the text on Coverly’s broadsides with the original song that was probably written in 1701. Two hundred years later it was found from papers discovered in the public records office that records that would have saved Kidd’s life had been deliberately suppressed (Lambert 351-60). The sentence was carried out on May 23, 1701. Eventually he was brought to trial at Old Bailey, charged with piracy and the death of a mutinous gunner, and sentenced to be hanged. A hardened seaman but a man of considerable moral fiber, Kidd was unwilling to testify against the lords who had originally contributed to his voyage and commission, even though he was told that this cooperation would set him free. Kidd’s capture presented an excellent opportunity for the opposition to discredit Bellomont, the Whig governor of New York and New England, and they lost no time developing ways to take advantage of it. Kidd found himself a prisoner and was sent to England for trial. He was given a safe-conduct to Boston in June 1699 but his original supporter, Richard Coote, earl of Bellomont, broke his word. He sailed to New York to talk with an admiralty lawyer. A warrant was issued for his arrest and when he became aware of the action, Kidd paid off his crew and left the ship and the treasure in Hispaniola. Unfortunately for Kidd, the ship was actually under the employ of the East India Company and was flying a false flag. In time, they captured six ships, the richest being Quedagh Merchant, an Armenian vessel flying the French flag, a legitimate prize for an English privateer. As pay, he and his crew would share the value of the prizes taken. He became captain of a new ship, Adventure Galley. ![]() He was recommend to the British government as the best man to take on the charge of ridding the seas of piracy, and bringing in enemy ships as prizes. Kidd was born in Scotland about 1645 and by the 1680s, he had established himself in New York, operating a packet line between London and the colonies. Overall, it's something of a disappointment.The story of William Kidd is complex, filled with adventure, intrigue, vast riches, and double-dealing politics. Compared to Laughton's earlier "Bounty" this seemed much older in terms of production values and quality, in spite of it being made 10 years later. The performances here were all right - headed of course by Laughton - but the story honestly didn't really capture me. Laughton's Kidd is not an historical treatment of the legendary pirate, but rather a mythical yarn about Kidd's attempt to reclaim a treasure stashed away near Madagascar, and his attempts to gain even more treasure by selling himself to King William III as a protector and escort of one of His Majesty's ships en route from India to England laden with riches. Even when the movie is set on the high seas, we rarely see the sea, the story being confined to the inner parts of the ship. ![]() There's not really much "nautical" adventure in this. Unfortunately, aside from another good performance from Laughton, this bears little resemblance to that earlier masterpiece. Seeing Charles Laughton in a nautical-themed movie, I was hoping for something akin to his brilliant turn in "Mutiny On The Bounty" made 10 years earlier. ![]()
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