Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951)

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Ivan Goff (screenplay) &
Ben Roberts (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 April 1951 (UK)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

Tagline:

Wherever adventure beckons, you'll find Captain Horatio Hornblower!

Plot:

During the Napoleonic wars, a British naval captain has adventures in Central American waters.

Plot Keywords:

British | Captain | Napoleonic Wars | Frigate | Horatio Hornblower

Cast

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	...	Capt. Entenza
Michael Goodliffe	...	Col. Caillard - POW Escort
Eugene Deckers	...	French Commandant
Ingeborg von Kusserow	...	Hebe (Lady Barbara's Maid) (as Ingeborg Wells)
Amy Veness	...	Mrs. McPhee (Hornblower's Housekeeper)
Kynaston Reeves	...	Adm. Lord Hood
Ronald Adam	...	Adm. McCartney
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Basil Bartlett	...	Capt. Elliott (uncredited)
André Belhomme	...	French Guard (uncredited)
Robert Cawdron	...	French Mate on 'Witch of Endor' (uncredited)
Diane Cilento	...	Maria Hornblower (voice) (uncredited)
Howard Connell	...	Seaman on 'Lydia' (uncredited)
Alexander Davion	...	Spanish Officer (uncredited)
Patric Doonan	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Anthony Forwood	...	Lt. Woodford (uncredited)
Arthur Gomez	...	French Corvette Captain (uncredited)
Richard Johnson	...	Macrae (uncredited)
Sam Kydd	...	Seaman Garvin (uncredited)
Howard Lang	...	Officer Aboard Cassandra (uncredited)
Anthony Marlowe	...	Capt. Bolton (uncredited)
Michael Mellinger	...	Spanish Officer (uncredited)
Julio Monterde	...	Spanish Officer (uncredited)
Peter Morton	...	Hommel (uncredited)
Stuart Pearless	...	Seaman on 'Lydia' (uncredited)
Raymond Sherry	...	Seaman on 'Lydia' (uncredited)
Jack Stewart	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Derek Sydney	...	Capt. Elliott (uncredited)
John A. Tinn	...	Juan (uncredited)
Russell Waters	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Jack Watson	...	Capt. Sylvester (uncredited)
Byron Webster	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Patrick Young	...	Lt. Radot (uncredited)

Directed by
Raoul Walsh

Writing credits
Ivan Goff		(screenplay) &
Ben Roberts		(screenplay) and
Æneas MacKenzie		(screenplay) (as AeneAs MacKenzie)
C.S. Forester		(novel)
C.S. Forester		(adapted for the screen by)

Produced by
Gerry Mitchell	....	producer (uncredited)
Raoul Walsh	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Robert Farnon

Cinematography by
Guy Green		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jack Harris

Casting by
Robert Lennard		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Thomas N. Morahan		(as Tom Morahan)

Costume Design by
Sheila Graham		(costumes designed by)
Thomas N. Morahan		(costumes designed by) (as Tom Morahan)

Makeup Department
Tony Sforzini	....	makeup artist

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

Art Department
Ken Adam	....	associate art director (uncredited)
Bill Beavis	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Harold V. King	....	sound (as Harold King)

Special Effects by
Harry Barndollar	....	special effects
George Blackwell	....	special effects
Arthur Rhoades	....	special effects (as Arthur S. Rhoades)
Cliff Richardson	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Peter Ellenshaw	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Jack Cooper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jock Easton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Maurice Gillett	....	electrician (uncredited)
George Higgins	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis Levy	....	musical director

Other crew
Joan Bridge	....	Technicolor color consultant
I.T. Clark	....	technical adviser (as Cmdr. I.T. Clark O.B.E. R.N. Retd)
David O. Selznick	....	Gregory Peck by arrangement with
Joan Davis	....	continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (presents) (A Warner Bros. First National Picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1951) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1951) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1951) (France) (theatrical)
• Hafbo (1951) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Motion Picture Export Association (MPEA) (1952) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Captain Horatio Hornblower" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | UK:U (passed with cuts) | Australia:G | West Germany:12 (f) | UK:U (tv rating) | Netherlands:14 (original rating) (1951)

Filming Locations:

Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

Gregory Peck and Virginia Mayo recreated their roles for a 1/21/52 broadcast of radio's "Lux Theater".

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the conference on Rear Admiral Leighton's flagship, there are four officers who are supposedly the captains of the admiral's four ships of the line. However; two wear the single epaulette of a commander or (non-post) captain. No officer with a rank of less than post captain would normally be assigned as the commanding officer of a ship of the line.

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...

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Man Behind the Gun (1953)

Only in technicolor can you get a sky like that!

This film has a great story (C.S.Forester wrote the script from his novels), solid lead acting from Gregory Peck, Virginia Mayo as the romantic interest, super supporting cast, and that beautiful '50s technicolor! Push the pause button on this film anywhere; the cinematography is lush, gaudy and gorgeous! I don't know how historically accurate the battle scenes are, but they kept me glued. (Questions I had during the battle scene: doesn't it hurt when a mast falls on you? How do they clean up after the battle?) I don't know a yardarm from a topsail, but Gregory Peck convinced me he knew every time he'd squint up at the top of the mast, or yell out "clear for action!" I was a sucker for Midshipman Langley and Lady Wellsely's exchange after the battle but El Supremo's makeup man should have been whipped with the cat'o'nine tails! The ending was "way too" convenient: Let's hope A & E's rendition is a winner!