IMDb > Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951)
Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.
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Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951) More at IMDbPro »

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Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951) -- Trailer for this tale from the salty seas

Overview

User Rating:
7.5/10   2,046 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 27% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Ivan Goff (screenplay) &
Ben Roberts (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Captain Horatio Hornblower on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 April 1951 (UK) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Wherever adventure beckons, you'll find Captain Horatio Hornblower! more
Plot:
During the Napoleonic wars, a British naval captain has adventures in Central American waters. full summary | add synopsis
NewsDesk:
Actress Virginia Mayo Dies at 84
 (From WENN. 18 January 2005)

User Comments:
A Serene Noble Epic, Masterfully Told more (45 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Gregory Peck ... Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N

Virginia Mayo ... Lady Barbara Wellesley
Robert Beatty ... Lt. William Bush
Moultrie Kelsall ... Lt. Crystal (as M. Kelsall)
Terence Morgan ... 2nd Lt. Gerard (as T. Morgan)
James Kenney ... Midshipman Longley
James Robertson Justice ... Seaman Quist (as James R. Justice)
Denis O'Dea ... RAdm. Sir Rodney Leighton
Richard Hearne ... Polwheal (Hornblower's batman)
Michael Dolan ... Surgeon Gundarson
Stanley Baker ... Mr. Harrison (bosun)
Alan Tilvern ... Hernandez
Alec Mango ... El Supremo (Don Julian Alvarado)

Christopher Lee ... Spanish captain
John Witty ... Entenza
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Captain Horatio Hornblower (USA)
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Runtime:
117 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The rights to Hornblower were originally acquired by Warners with Errol Flynn in mind but after the financial failure of "The Adventures of Don Juan" in 1948 and growing difficulties with the actor, he was not cast. Warners was already building up Burt Lancaster as their new swashbuckler, but the role of a British sea captain seemed out of his range, so Peck was ultimately cast. more
Goofs:
Continuity: In the Lydia's battle with the Natividad, the main topgallant staysail (top sail, middle mast) on the Lydia vanishes early in the battle. We can tell because the sail in front of it on the foremast is shot down. Later in the battle, the Natividad fires at the rigging, and then the main topgallant staysail is shot down. Also in the later shot the top sail on the foremast briefly reappears. Then still later, both sails reappear for a shot of the Lydia sailing, and then they disappear again as the Lydia closes in to destroy the Natividad. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Narrator: In the year Eighteen Hundred and Seven, a small ship of the Royal Navy set sail from England for a secret destination. With five million French and Spanish soldiers poised on the Continent under Napolean, nothing could save England from invasion except her 300 ships. HMS Lydia was soon far beyond battle-charged Europe. Under the most secret of sealed orders, she sailed for southern waters, fought her way around the Horn...
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FAQ

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15 out of 16 people found the following comment useful.
A Serene Noble Epic, Masterfully Told, 21 October 2003
Author: Kalaman from Ottawa

I don't know that much about the story of Captain Horatio Hornblower, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of this version. I saw it because I was interested in its director Raoul Walsh, who creates another of his roaring and high-spirited masterworks with this serene, honest, swiftly-paced adventure of the 19th-century British Fleet Captain, from the celebrated three novels by C. F. Forester. Walsh depicts Hornblower, fantastically incarnated by Gregory Peck, as a modest man characterized by a sense of duty and honor. Peck is perfect for the role. Aided by stunning Technicolor scenery and marvellous score, this simple epic on the high seas navigates through several battles in Spain, France, and South America. Walsh's staging of the battle scenes is flawless. But I was really impressed by the romantic moments by Hornblower and Virginia Mayo's Lady Barbara Wellesley. Their love scenes are wonderfully gentle and moving without being forcefully sentimental.

"Captain Horatio Hornblower" is a great timeless classic from a master director.

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