Lusty, gutsy yarn of a disreputable group of pirates, led by Anthony Quinn and James Coburn, who become the very unwilling custodians of several spirited children . The flap of sail, the creak of boards and Douglas Slocombe's magnificent colour camerawork make the voyage so believable that one can almost taste the salt. And Deborah Baxter's portrayal is the finest piece of child acting since Hayley Mills in Tiger Bay. Its a film one doesn't want to end. Alexander Mackendrick had the knack of getting fine work from children, as he showed in The Maggie and Sammy Going South. Together, he and his technicians weld an almost classic sea story.

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