The Sea Hawk (1940)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

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 | Ship | Queen Elizabeth I | Pirate

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars.

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Geoffrey Thorpe
Brenda Marshall	...	Doña Maria
Claude Rains	...	Don José Alvarez de Cordoba
Donald Crisp	...	Sir John Burleson
Flora Robson	...	Queen Elizabeth
Alan Hale	...	Carl Pitt
Henry Daniell	...	Lord Wolfingham
Una O'Connor	...	Miss 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
Clifford Brooke	...	William Tuttle
Clyde Cook	...	Walter Boggs
Fritz Leiber	...	Inquisitor
Ellis Irving	...	Monty Preston
Francis McDonald	...	Kroner
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Captain Mendoza
Ian Keith	...	Peralta
Jack La Rue	...	Lieutenant Ortega (as Jack LaRue)
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Astronomer
Alec Craig	...	Chartmaker
Victor Varconi	...	General Aguirre
Robert Warwick	...	Frobisher
Harry Cording	...	Slavemaster
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Herbert Anderson	...	Eph Winters (uncredited)
Mary Anderson	...	Maid of Honor (uncredited)
Whit Bissell	...	Gate guard at Palace entrance (uncredited)
Edgar Buchanan	...	Ben Rollins (uncredited)
J.W. Cody	...	Whipper (uncredited)
Michael Harvey	...	Sea Hawk (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	Officer (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Arnold Cross (uncredited)
Dave Kashner	...	Whipper (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Officer (uncredited)
Crauford Kent	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)
Frank Lackteen	...	Captain Ortiz (uncredited)
Lester Matthews	...	Guard Officer (uncredited)
Art Miles	...	Drum beater (uncredited)
Gerald Mohr	...	Spanish Messenger (uncredited)
Leonard Mudie	...	Castle Sentry (uncredited)
Nestor Paiva	...	Slavemaster (uncredited)
Elizabeth Sifton	...	Maid of Honor (uncredited)
Jay Silverheels	...	Indian Scout (uncredited)
John Sutton	...	Captain of the Guard (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	Driver (uncredited)
Anthony Warde	...	Whipper (uncredited)
Frank Wilcox	...	Martin Barrett (uncredited)
Frederick Worlock	...	Darnell (uncredited)
Harry Worth	...	Spanish Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz

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

Produced by
Henry Blanke	....	associate producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Erich Wolfgang Korngold

Cinematography by
Sol Polito		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Amy

Art Direction by
Anton Grot

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jack L. Warner	....	in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Sullivan	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Francis J. Scheid	....	sound

Special Effects by
Byron Haskin	....	special effects
Hans F. Koenekamp	....	special effects (as H.F. Koenekamp)

Stunts
Ralph Faulkner	....	fencing double (uncredited)
Harry Froboess	....	stunts (uncredited)
Don Turner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buster Wiles	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestrator
Ray Heindorf	....	orchestrator
Milan Roder	....	orchestrator
Simon Bucharoff	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Erich Wolfgang Korngold	....	conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
Jo Graham	....	dialogue director
Ali Hubert	....	technical advisor
William Kiel	....	technical advisor
Thomas Manners	....	technical advisor
Fred Cavens	....	fencing master (uncredited)
Ralph Faulkner	....	fight choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release) (edited)
• Dominant Pictures Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (edited) (re-release)
• Union-Film (1962) (Austria) (theatrical) (re-release)
• ClassicLine (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Key Video (video)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (VHS)
• Sociedade Importadora de Filmes (SIF) (Portugal)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (video)

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:S | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Laguna Beach, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

This movie is a version of Seton I. Miller's story "Beggars of the Sea," and as such is radically different from the original "Sea Hawk" novel and movie.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When what's left of Captain Thorpe and his men are coming back to their ship after being ambushed by the Spanish, you can see the shadow of a boom mic on the upper right portion of the ship on the screen.

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 Coming Attractions: The History of the Movie Trailer (2006)

Soundtrack:

Strike for the Shores of Dover

Golden korn

It's Erich Wolfgang Korngold who carries "The Sea Hawk". He picks it up at the first frame with a rousing trumpet fanfare; he follows the story all the way from England to Panama, where a kind of syncopated not-jazz-exactly with saxophones makes its way into the score; he even bursts into song (well, not him personally) when Captain Thorpe's and his crew win through to freedom - and, after so much musical participation, that moment when the sailors become a chorus never strikes me as unnatural.

Korngold's brisk motion would count for nothing if the actors or the direction or the story were lethargic, of course - and they aren't. Errol Flynn plays an "I know I'm breaking international law, but hey, I'm charming and dashing and the Spaniards aren't" role - and hey, he IS charming and dashing, and the Spaniards aren't. A lot of films are described as roller-coaster rides. Many of them are just one thing after another, and don't feel at all like a single ride in a single vehicle. With "The Sea Hawk", I'm not sure about the vehicle, but we ARE taken on a single, swift ride. Few adventure films can beat it.