 |
- "Hold up there, you! It's a shilling to tie up your boat to the dock. And I shall need to know your name."
"What do you say to three shillings, and we forget the name?"
"...Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. Smith." - ―Harbormaster meeting Jack Sparrow
The Harbormaster was a British colonial official responsible for supervising the harbor at Port Royal. With his gray wig, spectacles, and tricorn hat, the Harbormaster seemed like a loyal servant of the King, but years of mixing with maritime riffraff had corrupted him. When Captain Jack Sparrow offered a small bribe of three shillings to keep his arrival secret, the Harbormaster couldn't resist and accepted this bribe.
Biography[]
The Harbormaster at the docks.
- "Hold up there, ye! The mooring fee's a shilling, and I'll need to know your name."
"What do you say to three shillings, and we forget the name?"
"Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. Smith!" - ―The harbormaster and Jack Sparrow
He was once a loyal servant of the King, though years of exposure to maritime riffraff left him corrupt. He would often accept bribes to supplement his meagre government salary, allowing him to afford fine clothes. He was commonly seen sporting a wig, spectacles, and tricorne hat.[5][6]
The Harbormaster accosted Captain Jack Sparrow when he arrived in Port Royal aboard the sinking Jolly Mon. Jack offered him three shillings to ensure his name did not appear on the Harbormaster's ledger. Despite the reproachful look of his assistant, the Harbormaster accepted this bribe, though did not notice Jack stealing his purse as the pirate swaggered away. The next day, following the Black Pearl's attack on the town, the Harbormaster was speaking with a small group of Royal Marines on the dock while his assistant fished, unaware that Sparrow and Will Turner were walking underwater beneath an overturned boat.[2] His further fate is unknown.
Behind the scenes[]
- "Ah, now there's a lovely sight! I knew the Harbormaster wouldn't report her. Honest men are slaves to their conscience, and there's no predicting 'em. But you can always trust a dishonest man to stay that way..."
- ―Jack Sparrow
- The Harbormaster first appeared in the 2003 junior novelization for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,[1] where he was portrayed by Guy Siner.[2]
- In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's first screenplay draft of The Curse of the Black Pearl, after Jack Sparrow arrives on the Jolly Mon, the Harbormaster says, "If you're out rolling scuppers in this tub, you're either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid." Jack was also originally meant to leave the Harbormaster like in the finished version of the film but without stealing his purse of shillings.[7]
Appearances[]
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003 junior novelization)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
- ↑ Estimation based on Guy Siner's age during the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Siner was 55 during the filming and the timeline established in On Stranger Tides (which takes place in 1750) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (which takes place in 1751) sets the events of The Curse of the Black Pearl around 1728 and the Habormaster's birth around 1673.
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2006 junior novelization)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Visual Guide
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide, pp. 16-17 "Port Royal"
- ↑ Wordplayer.com: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio