The Sea Hawk
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Movie Reviews of The Sea Hawk
Movie Review: ANOTHER GREAT FLYNN SWASHBUCKLER
Summary: 5 Stars
Along with Captain Blood and The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Sea Hawk completes a grand trilogy of Flynn Swashbucklers and forever cemented his role as the king of that genre. Rousing action and grand battle scenes highlight this film as Flynn plays Captain Thorpe, an English privateer who is secretly given permission by Queen Elizabeth to attack Spanish ships in anticipation of war between the two countries. To the rest of the world, Thorpe is still a pirate, however.
The specatacular opening sequence has Thorpe and his crew capturing a Spanish Galleon and taking the booty back to England. Thorpe soon finds himself attracted to the daughter of Spain's new ambassador Dona Maria Alvarez de Cordoba played by Brenda Marshall, making for some fun scenes. But England's devious Lord Wolfingham is in league with the Spanish and helps set a trap for Thorpe and his crew, ultimately capturing them and chaining them aboard a Spanish ship. Thorpe and his crew must now free themselves and hope to get back to England to help rescue them from the Spanish attack.
Flora Robson is absolutely brilliant as Queen Elizabeth, capturing the look that we've always seen in paintings of that famous ruler. Flynn's good friend and drinking buddy Alan Hale again is along for the ride as first mate Carl Pitt. The chemistry between these two was always magnificent. The only real cast weak link was Henry Daniell as Lord Wolfingham. He simply could not compete with Basil Rathbone as Flynn's villianous foe.
The film was directed by Michael Curtiz, one of the finest directors of the 30's and 40's and who had already directed Flynn in Captain Blood, Charge of the Light Brigade, and The Adventures of Robin Hood. He and Flynn often clashed but there's no denying that Curtiz always got the best out of Flynn.
A marvelous and fun movie from the golden age of Hollywood!
Movie Review: "By now you know the purpose of the Sea Hawks... in our own way to serve England and the Queen"
Summary: 5 Stars
Warner Bros. Pictures presents "THE SEA HAWK" (1940) (127 min/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- Starring Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains, Donald Crisp & Alan Hale
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Geoffrey Thorpe is an adventurous and dashing pirate, who feels that he should pirate the Spanish ships for the good of England. In one such battle, he overtakes a Spanish ship and when he comes aboard he finds Dona Maria, a beautiful Spanish royal. He is overwhelmed by her beauty, but she will have nothing to do with him because of his pirating ways. When the ship reaches England, Queen Elizabeth sends Thorpe on a mission and in the process, he becomes a prisoner of the Spaniards. Thorpe escapes and returns to England to uncover some deadly secrets. Exciting duels follow as Thorpe must expose the evil and win Dona Maria's heart.
A very entertaining swashbuckler with a wonderful score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Oscar Nominated for Best Art Direction, Black-and-White, Best Effects, Special Effects, Best Sound, Recording & Best Music, Score
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
BIOS:
1. Michael Curtiz [aka: Manó Kertész Kaminer] [Director]
Date of Birth: 24 December 1886 - Budapest, Austria-Hungary (now Hungary)
Date of Death: 10 April 1962 - Hollywood, California
2. Errol Flynn [aka: Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn]
Date of Birth: 20 June 1909, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Date of Death: 14 October 1959, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars
Performance: 5 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]
Total Time: 127 min on DVD ~ Warner Bros. Pictures ~ (04/19/2005)
Movie Review: Strike for the shores!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Sea Hawk is the only picture to give The Adventures of Robin Hood a run for its money in the greatest adventure film of all time stakes. Sharing only the title with Warners enjoyable silent film and reusing the sets and costumes from The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, it's a great example of the genius of the studio system in the days before packaging became a dirty word. Errol Flynn is at his very best here, whether he's capturing Spanish galleons in the English Channel, wooing Brenda Marshall or fighting off a quartet of palace guards to warn Queen Elizabeth of the impending Armada - he's the kind of guy every man wants to be and every woman just wants. And he's backed up by a strong array of talent - villainous Claude Rains and eternally snide and condescending Henry Daniell, sidekick Alan Hale, Flora Robson's haughty but playful Elizabeth, reliably decent Donald Crisp and a slew of other familiar faces all the way down to J.M. Kerrigan's shifty spy. Even the eternally irritating Una O'Connor is on her best behavior here.
And there's real talent behind the cameras too - Howard Koch and Seton I. Miller's unashamedly stirring screenplay, Sol Polito's great black and white photography, where every swordfight casts giant shadows, Anton Grot's far from grotty art direction, Michael Curtiz's vivid direction and, of course, Erich Wolfgang Korngold's greatest score (not to mention that song!). Warner's recent DVD release is a fine package, boasting the fully restored version (the obvious anti-Nazi parallels were removed for post-war reissues, reducing Donald Crisp's role to a mere extra) and the sepia tint to the Panama sequences.
Extras are good, although it is a shame that the terrific - and very different - silent version was not included as well.
Movie Review: Perfect film of adventure on the high seas
Summary: 5 Stars
Released in 1940 when Errol Flynn was at the peak of his box office appeal, "The Sea Hawk" is a masterful Warner Brothers production, a perfect example when all the elements of a great Hollywood studio come together to produce cinematic magic. The studio cleverly combined story elements of "Captain Blood"(1935) with the school boy heroics of "Robin Hood"(1938) while using the sets and period of "Elizabeth and Essex"(1939). Flynn's bravado here is very convincing. He is much more confident than he was as Peter Blood and not intimidated as he clearly was as Robert Essex against Bette Davis's Queen Elizabeth. Michael Curtiz masterfully directs all the necessary elements of action and dialogue and the story rollicks along with panache. The lighting, art direction, sets and costumes are all outstanding. Flora Robson is a more animated and relaxed Queen than Davis was and Brenda Marshall as the heroine is a worthy substitute for Olivia de Havilland and physically much more convincing as a Spaniard than de Havilland would have been. There are two particularly outstanding sequences: one filmed almost entirely without dialogue tracks the freeing of the galley slaves and the other, with great camera angles and use of shadows, follows the climactic sword fight. The film ends with a speech from Robson which is clearly an understandable concession to the world crisis at the time.
The DVD has an outstanding print, preserving the sepia scenes in Panama. A good short documentary about the film is included as well as a short film starring the insipid Joan Leslie as a small town girl trying to break into Hollywood. The DVD is good value but better if purchased as part of the Errol Flynn Signature Collection.
Movie Review: One of the best adventure films ever made!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Sea Hawk(1940) is simply put, the way to make a Hollywood adventure film.
Set during the time of Queen Elizabeth the First and the forming of the Spanish armada, the story focuses on a Captain Geoffery Thorpe(Erroyl Flynn) who leads a group of sailors to do battle against Spain who has sights on the destruction of England.
Flynn is in top form and at his charismatic height, backed by his usual team of eccentrics and adventurers(including of course, Alan Hale). He romances the beautiful Brenda Marshall, standing in for Olivia DeHaviland, but being charming and pretty nonetheless.
Claude Rains portrays a dubious Spanish ambassador and performs with great zeal and Henry Daniel is a great villian, even being able to duel with Flynn in one of the best directed sword fights ever filmed.
Flor Robson is a very likeable Queen, with a crush on Flynn and there scenes together are some of the film's highlights.
Director Michael Curtiz makes the epic move at a lightning pace and handles the action effortlessly. His direction being greatly enhanced by the legendary score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, who adds a certain adventurous flair that will be mucgh imitated in future films.
This print is a lovely remaster and even sports the original Sepia tone tint for the Spanish scene which adds immeasurably to the action and the feel of heat and desperation.
The DVD is blessed with a load of bonus features including Theatrical Trailer and even a Documentary on the making of this classic.
Highly reccomended Adventure film for all ages and a great piece of Cinema for Adventure seekers everywhere.