▁Trib une ▁wrote , ▁" At ▁the ▁Music ▁Hall ▁there ▁is ▁more ▁dan cing ▁than ▁script ; ▁more ▁production ▁pom p ▁than ▁sensible ▁st aging . ▁ ▁But ▁with ▁Gene ▁Kelly ▁hoof ing ▁like ▁a ▁der v ish , ▁Jud y ▁Gar land ▁changing ▁character ▁at ▁the ▁drop ▁of ▁a ▁hat , ▁and ▁res pl endent ▁tra ppings , ▁the ▁show ▁is ▁b oun cing ▁and ▁beautiful ." ▁ ▁The ▁Chicago ▁Trib une ▁thought , ▁" C ertain ly ▁no ▁effort ▁was ▁sp ared ; ▁the ▁cast ▁is ▁star - stud ded , ▁and ▁the ▁settings ▁and ▁cost umes ▁are ▁strik ingly ▁hand some . ▁ ▁Yet ▁The ▁Pir ate ▁is ▁disappoint ing , ▁especially ▁in ▁regards ▁to ▁its ▁music . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁has ▁its ▁moments , ▁especially ▁those ▁in ▁which ▁Kelly ▁domin ates ▁the ▁screen . ▁ ▁Jud y ▁Gar land ▁handles ▁a ▁song ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁ever ▁and ▁has ▁several ▁excellent ▁comedy ▁scenes ." ▁ ▁Time ▁ad vised , ▁" As ▁an ▁all - out ▁try ▁at ▁art ful ▁movie ▁making , ▁this ▁is ▁among ▁the ▁most ▁interesting ▁pictures ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁ ▁Un l uck ily , ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁considerable ▁art istry ▁that ▁has ▁gone ▁into ▁this ▁production ▁coll ides ▁head - on ▁with ▁art iness ▁or ▁is ▁spo iled ▁by ▁simpler ▁kinds ▁of ▁mis calcul ations . ▁ ▁Miss ▁Gar land ' s ▁t ense , ▁ar dent ▁straightforward ness ▁is ▁sometimes ▁very ▁striking . ▁ ▁The ▁total ▁effect ▁of ▁the ▁picture ▁is ▁entertain ment ▁trouble