Seven Seas to Calais
(1962)
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Seven Seas to Calais
(1962)
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| Cast overview: | |||
| Rod Taylor | ... | ||
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Keith Michell | ... |
Malcolm Marsh
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Edy Vessel | ... |
Arabella Ducleau
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| Terence Hill | ... |
Babington
(as Mario Girotti)
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Basil Dignam | ... | |
| Anthony Dawson | ... | ||
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Gianni Cajafa | ... |
Tom Moon
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Irene Worth | ... | |
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Arturo Dominici | ... |
Don Bernardino de Mendoza, the Spanish Ambassador
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Marco Guglielmi | ... |
Fletcher
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Esmeralda Ruspoli | ... |
Mary of Scotland
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Rossella D'Aquino | ... |
Potato
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Umberto Raho | ... | |
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Aldo Bufi Landi | ... |
Vigeois
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Sir Francis Drake goes on an expedition to the New World and steals gold from the Spaniards. After making a daring getaway, he returns to England where he protects Queen Elizabeth I from a network of spies who are plotting to overthrow her. Written by Jonathon Dabell <barnabyrudge@hotmail.com>
Just as THE VIRGIN QUEEN (1955) dealt with Queen Elizabeth I's 'relationship' with Sir Walter Raleigh, this one involves her similar association with another well-known historical figure i.e. Sir Francis Drake. Unlike that film, however, which was done in lavish Hollywood terms, the title under review was a low-grade European venture, freely mixing the expected court intrigue and sea-faring stretches with elements of the swashbuckler genre, irrelevant romantic interludes and even instances of broad comedy (the discovery of potatoes, for instance, is attributed to a squaw's infatuation with Drake's right-hand man!). The brew proves uninspiring (despite interesting credentials, the best of which emerges to be Franco Mannino's rousing score) but undeniably entertaining in an unassuming way. Casting, too, is slightly above-average for this type of outing with Rod Taylor (who had had an uncredited bit in the afore-mentioned THE VIRGIN QUEEN) a reasonably effective Drake, Keith Michell as his virile sidekick, Irene Worth as Elizabeth, Arturo (BLACK Sunday [1960]) Dominici as a Spanish ambassador, and there's even Terence Hill (still billed under his real name of Mario Girotti) as a conspirator and Michell's rival for the hands of one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting.