The Sea Hawk (1940)

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Howard Koch (screenplay) and
Seton I. Miller (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 July 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance

Tagline:

Dashing . . . romantic . . . Errol Flynn at his thrilling best!

Plot:

Geoffrey Thorpe is an adventurous and dashing pirate, who feels that he should pirate the Spanish ships for the good of England...

Plot Keywords:

Spanish | Queen | Queen Elizabeth I | Ship | Pirate

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars.

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Captain Geoffrey Thorpe
Brenda Marshall	...	Doña Maria Alvarez de Cordoba
Claude Rains	...	Don José Alvarez de Cordoba
Donald Crisp	...	Admiral Sir John Burleson
Flora Robson	...	Queen Elizabeth
Alan Hale	...	Carl Pitt
Henry Daniell	...	Lord Wolfingham
Una O'Connor	...	Miss Marthe Latham
James Stephenson	...	Abbott
Gilbert Roland	...	Captain Lopez
William Lundigan	...	Danny Logan
Julien Mitchell	...	Oliver Scott
Montagu Love	...	King Phillip II
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Eli Matson
David Bruce	...	Martin Burke

Also Known As:

Beggars of the Sea (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

109 min (re-release) | 127 min (original version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Black and White (Sepiatone) (some sequences)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 | USA:Approved (certificate #6090) | UK:U | Australia:G | New Zealand:PG | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | France:U | Finland:S | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Laguna Beach, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. First National

Trivia:

Lord Wolfingham, the villain of this movie, is clearly based on Lord Francis Walsingham - an unhappy libel for a great patriot. Lord Walsingham was one of Queen Elizabeth's closest advisers, and would never have betrayed her.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The story takes place in 1588. The flint-lock muskets and pistols used in the film were not in use until two-hundred years later.

Quotes:

[first lines]
King Philip II: The riches of the New World are limitless, and the New World is ours - with our ships carrying the Spanish flag on seven seas, our armies sweeping over Africa, the Near East, and the Far West; invincible everywhere... but on our own doorstep. Only northern Europe holds out against us; why? Tell me, why?

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Adventures of Errol Flynn (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Old Spanish Song

One of The Greatest adventure movies ever!

I really love this movie, especially the beautiful color photo. Errol Flynn is the super hero (as usual!) and Brenda Marshall bless this movie with her beauty. I recall a scene when she's in the garden and cuts roses. There's an incredible beautiful shot of her standing with a bunch of pink roses in her arms, looking extremely pretty and glamorous... (just as Errol Flynn approaches...:)) But the person who practically steals the show in this movie, is actually Flora Robson in a supporting role as Queen Elizabeth I. Never ever have I seen such a great performance of Queen Elizabeth I (and I've seen both Dame Judi Dench and Kate Blanchet in Shakespeare In Love and Elizabeth). Flora Robson has everything when she plays her character! Her Queen Elizabeth has natural royal style, grace, respectful character, sensibility, humor and a queenly VOICE! Flora Robson elizabethan voice is truly one of the kind! Now, that is what I call A QUEEN!

Don't miss this classic movie. Don't miss THE heroic Errol Flynn. Don't miss beautiful Brenda Marshal. And I'll never forgive you if you miss Dame Flora Robson's performance...;)