Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)

Director:

Albert Lewin

Writer:

Albert E. Lewin (writer)

Release Date:

15 October 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

The Woman of the year in the picture of the year ! [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

Albert Lewin's interpretation of the legend of the Flying Dutchman. In a little spanish seaport named Esperanza...

Plot Keywords:

Flying Dutchman | Pandora | Yacht | Esperanza | Singer

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

James Mason	...	Hendrik van der Zee
Ava Gardner	...	Pandora Reynolds
Nigel Patrick	...	Stephen Cameron
Sheila Sim	...	Janet
Harold Warrender	...	Geoffrey Fielding
Mario Cabré	...	Juan Montalvo
Marius Goring	...	Reggie Demarest
John Laurie	...	Angus
Pamela Mason	...	Jenny (as Pamela Kellino)
Patricia Raine	...	Peggy
Margarita D'Alvarez	...	Senora Montalvo
La Pillina	...	Spanish dancer
Abraham Sofaer	...	Judge
Francisco Igual	...	Vicente
Guillermo Beltrán	...	Barman

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Dorkay Productions

Trivia:

For still photography of Ava Gardner, producer Albert Lewin hired his friend, the famous surrealist artist Man Ray.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The picture that Hendrik carries of his late wife is a photograph. Photography had not yet been invented in the 17th century, when his wife was last alive.

Quotes:

Geoffrey Fielding: [about Pandora and the Dutchman] I know now that they were in love. But I have a feeling that they never spoke of it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Married Life (2007)

Soundtrack:

You're Driving Me Crazy

Outstanding timeless classic of a story of genuine love beyond the powers of imagination.

This tragic legendary story of the Flying Dutchman is expertly woven into a wonderful drama about the tale of a beautiful but spoiled destructive lover, night club singer Pandora Reynolds, the beautiful femme fatal played by Ava Gardner. Already giving her hand in marriage to racing car driver Stephen Cameron played by Nigel Patrick she meets the mystical owner of a strange yacht, played outstandingly by James Mason, which is anchored in the port off Esperanza Spain. She is immediately attracted to him and finds a new meaning to her life abandoning her selfish, spiteful deceit with her past life and her other suitors including jealous bull fighter Mario Cabre who kills Mason not knowing he has immortality and where Mason then shows up at a bullfight shocking the performing Cabre, and distracting him so, that he mortally wounded by an attacking bull.

Harold Warrender as archaeologist Geoffrey Fielding provides a brilliant narration of this story throughout the movie and holds it together with gentleman expertise.

The final part of this movie is absolutely moving with the fatal love scene between Mason and Gardner culminating in the cracked hour glass in which they succumb to their mortal qualities in a storm where their lives are consumed and he is released from his imposed curse of wandering the seven seas for an eternity until he could find a woman who was prepared to die for him. This movie was too far ahead of it's time to be fully appreciated by the audiences of the day.

This superb story and direction by Albert Lewin makes it a lost classic. Bring it back.