Hamad and the Pirates (March 7, 1971) Hamad and the Pirates is the American-Bahrani movie produced in 1971 for the The Wonderful World of Disney. Plot Summary: An orphaned Bahrani pearl diver helps a British gunboat catch pirates in the Persian Gulf. Released in 1971, as a film in the series, The Wonderful World of Disney, Hamad and the Pirates is a tale of a young orphan Bahrani boy, Hamad who goes to sea with a group of pearl divers and falls overboard during a storm. He is rescued by none other than a pirate dhow roaming the waters of Bahrain with priceless treasures and antiquities stolen from the island. The adventure begins as Hamad escapes the pirate dhow and travels across Dubai and the Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia to reach Manama where he helps the authorities to catch the pirates and recover the stolen treasure. Khalifa Shaheen plays the part of a swarthy, swashbuckling pirate captain and is the perfect combination of a devious rouge and an exotic Arabian bandit in the film. In fact, Khalifa 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. Walt Disney wanted an older and famous Hollywood actor to star as the pirate captain but the director, Richard 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!" chuckles Khalifa Shaheen, who was aged 30 at the time of filming Hamad and the Pirates. Since childhood, stories of Peter Pan and Captain Hook, Captain Pugwash and his adventures, Blackbeard and Treasure Island have captured the imagination of young minds. Audiences have always been fascinated by a storyline involving pirates, treasures, damsels in distress and mysterious faraway lands and are fed with a steady stream of pirate movies involving romance, action and adventure.

• published: 08 Jun 2014
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