THE Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca) in collaboration with the Bahrain Cinema Club will be screening Walt Disney-produced film, Hamad and the Pirates, tomorrow at 6pm in Muharraq.
The two-part episode of The Wonderful World of Disney television series, which was filmed in Bahrain, will be shown in the outer courtyard of the Pearling Path Visitors and Interpretation Centre, at the entrance of Al Qaysariya Suq.
The 1971 movie, which was written and directed by Richard Lyford, revolves around the story of Hamad, a young Muslim orphan who goes pearl diving and falls overboard during a storm.
He is rescued by a pirate dhow roaming the waters with treasures stolen from the island.
Soon, Hamad escapes the ship and travels across Dubai and Saudi Arabia to reach Manama and get the authorities to capture the pirates and recover the treasure.
The cast includes Michael Ansara as the voice of the narrator, Khalid Abdullah Marshad Al Kubaisi as Hamad and Hilal bin Rashed Al Thawadi as the captain of the boat.
Other actors in the film include Abdullah Masoud and Khalifa Shaheen, who played the part of a swarthy, swashbuckling pirate captain.
In fact, Mr Shaheen was picked as the pirate captain over Hollywood heavyweights Omar Sharif and Charles Bronson.
“I was the production manager and assistant director and the role of the pirate captain came out of the blue,” Mr Shaheen, who was aged 30 at the time of filming Hamad and the Pirates, told GulfWeekly in a previous interview.
“Walt Disney wanted an older and famous Hollywood actor to star as the pirate captain but Lyford suggested that because I knew the language, local culture and nuances, I would be perfect for the role.
“Roy Disney, nephew of Walt Disney, approved the screen test and I was cast as the pirate captain. They also saved thousands of dollars by casting me as I did not demand a high fee for my acting role!”
Fact File
Disney spent $250,000 (BD94,250) to make Hamad and the Pirates.
The lead role of the boy Hamad was played by 14-year-old Khalid who was selected from a group of 500 local schoolboys.
Khalid was paid a little more than BD4,000 (approximately $10,609).
The film took 18 months to complete. It began filming in May 1969 and finished in October 1970.
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