Disney veteran Dean Jones plays Steve Walker, the new track coach at Godolphin College, who comes to stay at an inn owned by sweet old ladies who claim to be descended from Blackbeard the pirate. Well, later that night, Steve manages to conjure into being the title character (Peter Ustinov), who's been "living" under a curse. Blackbeard becomes determined to do one "good" thing after all of the cutthroat mayhem he instigated while alive, while driving Steve (the only person who can see and hear the pirate) right up the wall.
"Blackbeard's Ghost" is fairly amusing, if somewhat overlong, Disney fare that's pretty good family / comedy / fantasy entertainment. It's full of the expected slapstick, as Blackbeard interferes in a pivotal track meet and makes fools out of the minions of mobster Silky Seymour (Joby Baker). But the real driving force of the movie is the chemistry between Jones and Ustinov. The latter is a hoot, taking an off the wall approach to playing this legendary scoundrel: sometimes he can be annoying, even whiny. Jones also has very fine chemistry with his leading lady, Suzanne Pleshette (who plays Jo Anne Baker, a professor at the college). The special effects are generally decent, and an undeniable highlight is when Steve and Blackbeard have a reckless automobile ride through the local environs. And the supporting cast features a number of familiar faces who all get their chance to make an impact: Elsa Lanchester as the dotty Emily Stowecroft, the perfectly slimy Baker as the villain, Elliott Reid as an excitable announcer, Richard Deacon as the college dean, Kelly Thordsen as a cop, Michael Conrad as the football coach, George Murdock as an official, Hank Jones as the bright-eyed Gudger Larkin, and Ned Glass as a teller.
Overall, the movie is pleasant to watch, generating decent laughs as the harried Steve is unable to deal with this persistent new nuisance in his life, and is afraid of how crazy he looks in the eyes of others. He must learn how to make his peace with Blackbeard, and realizes that he does, in fact, need him. And the irrepressible Blackbeard does acclimatize himself enough to this strange new world.
Six out of 10.
