Secrets of the Pirate's Inn ( 1969 )

"A fortune in treasure....waiting to be discovered!"

Walt Disney Studios made a number of television movies in the 1960s and 1970s to air on their television series The Wonderful World of Disney...most of which have been forgotten now except among Disney fans. Secrets of the Pirate's Inn is one such title. Most people never heard of this film, but those who saw it when it first aired remember it well. 

The story is set down south in Georgia in the present times. Three children - Scott, Tippy, and Catfish - like to play on the grounds of an old abandoned inn belonging to an Irish sea captain ( Ed Begley ). It is rumored in town that Jean Lafite, the pirate, had at one time buried treasure on the property but no one knows where. The children and the captain decide to piece together clues to find the whereabouts of the old pirate treasure....but they soon discover that someone else is searching for the loot and is desperate to get their hands on it!

Secrets of the Pirate's Inn was based on the book "The Secrets of the Pirate Inn" ( 1968 ) by Wylly Folk St. John, a popular author of children's mystery stories in the late 1960s and 1970s. It is a simple story and yet one that quickly captures your imagination. Who can resist that potent mixture of sea captains, hidden treasure, and pirates? Director Steven Spielberg enjoyed stories like these when he was a youngster and most likely had watched this on television as a boy because the similarity between it and The Goonies, made 16 years later, is obvious. 

Secrets of the Pirate's Inn was one of actor Ed Begley's last films and he does a good job of playing the old salt Mr. McCarthy. The children were relatively new to acting but give good performances all around. Jimmy Bracken ( Scott ) did some work on television, Annie McEveety who plays Scott's sister Tippy, is from the McEveety family ( she is the granddaughter of director Vincent McEveety ), all of whom had long careers at Disney Studios. After Secrets, she made The Wacky Zoo of Morgan City for Disney as well as The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove before she quit acting to become a camera operator. And lastly, Patrick Creamer ( Catfish ) did a bit of acting before trying his hand at producing.

Secrets of the Pirate's Inn was popular enough when it first aired that all three children revised their roles in the sequel The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove ( 1971 ) which featured Burgess Meredith as a teacher who believes he saw a lake monster. It was a good idea, but that film lacked the secret staircases and cobweb caves that made Secrets of the Pirate's Inn so engaging.

Also in the cast is Charles Aidmen, Paul Fix and Disney regular Bill Zuckert. Secrets of the Pirate's Inn has not yet been released on DVD but can be viewed on Youtube here.