The film begins with the looting of a ship, already captured and badly mauled, by the pirates. After relieving the ship and crew of valuables, the pirates fire the ship, blowing up the gunpowder on board, sinking her. While the pirates celebrate, two survivors wash up on an island, an old man and his son. Before dying, the older man gives his signet ring to his son. His son buries him, vowing vengeance.
Does this sound familiar to you. Surely it is an adaption from the 1936 Phantom newspaper story created by Lee Falk and Ray Moore? However it is not, this plot is actually the start of the 1926 silent film called "The Black Pirate".
I must admit I have not heard of the film before let alone the film being used as inspiration. I re looked through arguably the most definitive biography of Lee Falk, the "Lee Falk Storyteller" book and in the collective interviews ranging from 1946 to 1996, the silent film was never mentioned by Lee, the interviewers and or the others who wrote for the book.
Thankfully, we can watch this film on YouTube so I got out my popcorn and watched the first 30 minutes of the film and afterwards I think the writers from Comic Book Historians and Daniel Herman are likely correct in their observations.
The first time I can find anyone put these pieces together was Daniel Herman from Hermes Press. In his essay ‘Origins of the Ghost Who Walks’, in the The Phantom – the Complete Sundays: Volume 1 1939 – 1942, he mentions the film as a likely point of inspiration.
“…’The Black Pirate’, likely inspired the Phantom’s oath. In that film, which is set in the first Phantom’s era, a son’s father is killed before his eyes by pirates and the young English nobleman becomes the sole survivor. He swears an oath to avenge his father’s death, which he carves onto a rock. As in the Phantom’s case, a ring is a clue to his identity.”
The movie was a success so I think it is fair to say that Lee Falk and Ray Moore would have seen the movie and even if only subconsciously those elements could have been somewhat inspired by this unique storytelling.
We can only deal in theories and possibilities, in no known interview by anyone featuring Lee Falk has this been discussed or confirmed. Until someone discovers something new, this is just a theory and something for us to geek over. What do you think?
You can watch the documentary by "Comic Book Historians" below:
You can also watch the silent film "The Black Pirate" here. We have started the film at the 7 minute mark which shows the ship blowing up, the death of the father with the ceremonial handing over the ring and at the 18 minute mark you have the swearing of the vow to bring the murderers to justice.
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