The adventures of Pirate Morgan were already being told long before this small three-chapter serial. Yes, there really was a British privateer, Henry Morgan, who became famous for terrorizing the Caribbean waters between 1663 and 1671. He was not limited to attacks by sea, making his men walk for miles to invade and loot cities.

It is not clear if the direct inspiration for the series was this privateer, but everything suggests it was, given the success of publications regarding his adventures at the time the small series was produced. 

The serial was one of the first works of actor Jean-Marie de l'Isle (1871-1948), who would continue his career until 1937, having participated in more than 40 film productions (some uncredited), including the 1934 version of Les Misérables. His co-star, Jeanne Grumbach (1871-1947), who also starred with him in Hérodiade (1910) playing the lead role, would continue in cinema until 1933, with a total of 44 appearances in short and feature films.

As with the series we saw in the previous chapter, there is not much information or imagery available for this production.

Who was Henry Morgan?

Sir Henry Morgan (c. 1635 – August 25, 1688) was a Welsh privateer active in the Caribbean in the 17th century. He began his career in the world of maritime raids possibly as part of expeditions attacking the Spanish in the region, and soon became one of the most successful and respected privateers to operate on behalf of England against Spanish interests in the West Indies.

Morgan organized and commanded daring attacks on Spanish settlements and ships. Among his most notorious actions are: the capture of Puerto del Príncipe (current Camagüey, Cuba); the sack of Porto Bello (Panama) in 1668, one of the most famous episodes of his career; raids around the Maracaibo lagoon and Gibraltar; the invasion of Panama City in 1671, crossing the isthmus and taking the city—a bold feat that became widely known at the time.

Although these attacks occurred after a peace treaty between England and Spain, Morgan was initially arrested and taken to London in 1672. Even so, his political career did not end there: he was later knighted by King Charles II of England and appointed lieutenant governor of Jamaica, a position he held until shortly before his death. 

Morgan also became a sugar plantation owner and lived his last years as a wealthy and influential man in the British colony.

TECHNICAL SPECS
In Brazil: Aventuras do Pirata Morgan
Genre: Adventure
No. of episodes: 3
Production Co.: Société Française des Films Éclair
First Release: March 25, 1909 (France); February 25, 1910 (Brazil)
Color and Sound: Black and white; silent (French intertitles)
Cast: Jean-Marie de l'Isle (Morgan), Henri Gouget, Jeanne Grumbach
Click here to view the entry on iMDB

EPISODES
No.	Original Title	Date	Direction
01	Pirates et boucaniers	03/25/1909	Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset
02	La prophétie	04/01/1909	Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset
03	L'épave	08/08/1910	Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset