Against All Flags (1952)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

George Sherman

Writers:

Æneas MacKenzie (story)
Æneas MacKenzie (writer) ...

Release Date:

6 February 1953 (Belgium)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

He Ravished The Pirate Port Of Madagascar To Steal The Love Of Its Corsair Queen!

Plot:

Brian Hawke of the Royal Navy versus the pirates of Madagascar.

Plot Keywords:

Pirate | Captain | 1700s | Prisoner | Navy

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Brian Hawke
Maureen O'Hara	...	Prudence 'Spitfire' Stevens
Anthony Quinn	...	Capt. Roc Brasiliano
Alice Kelley	...	Princess Patma
Mildred Natwick	...	Molvina MacGregor
Robert Warwick	...	Capt. Kidd
Harry Cording	...	Gow
John Alderson	...	Jonathan Harris
Phil Tully	...	Jones
Lester Matthews	...	Sir Cloudsley
Tudor Owen	...	Williams
Maurice Marsac	...	Capt. Moisson
James Craven	...	Capt. Hornsby
James Fairfax	...	Cruikshank - Barber

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:PG (re-rating) (2006) | UK:U (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

In her autobiography “'Tis Herself”, 'Maureen O'Hara' says that Errol Flynn was always prepared, always knew his lines, and was a pleasure to work with in the mornings. But he drank and by 4pm was in no shape to continue. She did all the romantic closeups at the end of the day with a black flag marked "X" to represent Flynn.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the last battle aboard the ship Hawke climbs one of the masts. The crow's nest at the top has a modern looking wire mesh guard around it, instead of the rope netting one would expect in an 18th century vessel.

Quotes:

Captain Moisson: I deeply regret the necessity for this flogging.
Brian Hawke: Thank you, sir. I don't think the flogger needed to have carried it out with such gusto.
Captain Moisson: You requested the customary lashing.
Brian Hawke: I know, sir. Of course, you could have done me the favor of denying it. I swear he took a particular pleasure in having an officer under his cat.
Captain Moisson: Should you fail, you'll look back on flogger Flower's lashing as a pleasant afternoon's pastime.

Movie Connections:

Remade as The King's Pirate (1967)

Yet Another Errol Flynn Triumph!

"Against All Flags" is every bit the classic swashbuckler. It has all the elements the adventure fan could hope for and more for in this one, the damsel in distress is, well, not really in distress. As Spitfire Stevens, Maureen O'Hara is at her athletic best, running her foes through in defiance of the social norms of the period. Anthony Quinn rounds out the top three billed actors as the ruthless Captain Roc Brasiliano and proves to be a wily and capable nemesis for Brian Hawke (Flynn). For the classic adventure fan, "Against All Flags" is a must-see. While it may not be in quite the same league as some of Errol Flynn's earlier work (Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk, for instance), it is still a greatly entertaining romp.