• 10: "The Pirate": Directed by Vincente Minnelli, this pirate themed musical stars Gene Kelly and Judy Garland. This film practically defines the "Pirate Musical" and blows away such efforts as "Pirates of Penzance." This technicolor film features lavish sets and the music of Cole Porter. Believable? Not hardly, but constantly entertaining and deserving of its "Top 10" status.
• 9: "Morgan the Pirate": This 1961 Italian film may very well feature the best performance by Steve Reeves. The film feels tremendously authentic, and Reeves is tremendously convincing throughout.
• 8: "Treasure Island": Perhaps one of the most oft-repeated of the pirate-themed film, landing at the #8 spot is the 1990 version. This made-for-TV film stars Charlton Heston, Christian Bale, Pete Postlethwaite and Oliver Reed. It features music by The Chieftains, and is noted for its more realistic portrayal of pirates. Adding to the authenticity is the fact that the ship used in the film is the same ship used in the 1962 film "Mutiny on the Bounty."
• 7: "Pirates of the Great Salt Lake": This 2006 film is, perhaps, the most unusual of the films I list here in its non-traditional presentation of pirates. This is, however, with the exception of the significantly higher budgeted Depp flicks, one of the most successful films in blending pirates and comedy. Currently on the film festival circuit, this Kirby Heyborne led film is sweet, offbeat and yet infinitely watchable.
• 6: "Old Ironsides": This 1926 silent film starred Wallace Beery and features a cameo by Boris Karloff. The film tells the story of an American fighting ship confronting Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean.
• 5: "The Black Pirate": Another silent film, this 1926 film stars Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. The swordplay in this film is phenomenal, and even the supporting characters are mesmerizing.
• 4: "The Sea Hawk": This is the first of the Errol Flynn films to show up on our list. This 1940 film features fantastic ship scenes and your usual heroic Flynn scenes. It's not his best film, but it's certainly one of the best pirate movies.
• 3: "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl": I suppose it was inevitable that this film would end up somewhere in the Top 10! Many, many of you will argue and, well, so be it. Oscar-nominated Depp is simply magnificent as Captain Jack, and this film is fun, captivating, well produced, exciting and, well, did I mention fun? Much like "Pirates of the Great Salt Lake," this film has its flaws and yet it captivates and magnificently captures the spirit that so many recent pirate films have failed to create.
• 2: "The Crimson Pirate": Burt Lancaster has a field day in this swashbuckling spoof of pirate films. While an obvious light-hearted film, Lancaster clearly embraces the role and his performance never becomes a caricature. The sets are marvelous, the color mixed perfectly and the film's direction stellar. Ever so slightly, "The Crimson Pirate" is #2 in my "Top 10 Pirate Movies of All-Time, Matey!"
• 1: "Captain Blood": From the direction by Michael Curtiz to Casey Robinson's script (based on a Rafael Sabitini novel) to Errol Flynn's career-making performance, "Captain Blood" has everything you could ever want in a pirate movie. It is exciting, awesome, fun, daring, action packed and so so so much more! This 1935 film has never been outdone in the field of pirate movies, and one has to wonder if it ever will.

So, there you have it! The "Top 10 Pirate Movies of All-Time, Matey." Agree? Disagree? Think I'm an idiot for including Depp here? Write me with your own lists and/or suggestions...who knows? I may even include them in a future column. Will "Dead Man's Chest" make the list? Write me next week and let me know what you think!