During the Napoleonic wars, a British Navy Captain has adventures in Central American waters.
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Title: Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951)
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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 | ... | Capt. Entenza |
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Storyline
In 1807, Captain Horatio Hornblower leads his ship the HMS Lydia on a perilous voyage around Cape Horn and into the Pacific. The men, even his officers, don't know exactly where he is leading them. England is at war with Napoleon and everyone wonders why they have been sent so far from the action. They eventually arrive on the Pacific coast of Central America where the HMS Lydia has been sent to arm Don Julian Alvarado, who is planning an attack against France's Spanish allies on the North American continent. The hope is that Alvarado's forces will require the French to divert some of their military resources to North American defense in the aid of their Spanish allies. He arrives to learn that a Spanish Galleon is en route and he no sooner captures it and hands it over to Alvarado that he learns the Spanish are now England's allies and he must take it from Alvarado. He also gets a very comely passenger in the form of Lady Barbara Wellesley, sister of the Duke of Wellington. The ... Written by garykmcd
Plot Keywords:
napoleonic wars | naval battle | navy | soldier | horatio hornblower character |Taglines:
Wherever adventure beckons, you'll find Captain Horatio Hornblower! See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Release Date:
10 April 1951 (UK) See more »Also Known As:
Captain Horatio Hornblower See more »Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Sailships used to be launched by first letting the current (usually the ebbstream, though sometimes a strong river might provide enough current to do it independent of the tides) take her out into the open, then the sails would be set and trimmed to turn her around windvane like until the sails can provide propulsion. See more »
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... headed north again into the Pacific. For seven months, she ...
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The rights to the novel were originally acquired by Warner Brothers with Errol Flynn in mind, but after the financial failure of Adventures of Don Juan (1948), and growing difficulties with the actor, he was not cast. Warner Brothers was already building up Burt Lancaster as its new swashbuckler, but the role of a British sea Captain seemed out of his range, so Gregory Peck was ultimately cast. See more »Goofs
At the very end as the ship leaves the harbour for England Hornblower orders the sails up (unfurled). A ship would be pulled out by rowing boats until away from the harbour else it would be thrashed in to the side of the dock by any wind strong enough to move it.Sailships used to be launched by first letting the current (usually the ebbstream, though sometimes a strong river might provide enough current to do it independent of the tides) take her out into the open, then the sails would be set and trimmed to turn her around windvane like until the sails can provide propulsion. See 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... headed north again into the Pacific. For seven months, she ...
See more »
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Adapted from C.S. Forester's saga, this movie condenses three of his novels from the Napoleonic era into a fine movie well worth watching. From the first few minutes of music and opening narrative where we first meet Hornblower (a captain of steel who uses his brains to defeat his enemies), the audience is hooked. Peck, in one of his best performances, plays the lead role to perfection in every way, right down to Hornblower's trademark "Ha - h'm." Mayo is well cast as Lady Barbara (the Duke of Wellington's sister) who manages to get under Hornblower's skin with the help of Cupid's arrows. This film deftly blends an array of fine performances, excellent camerawork, beautiful scenery, Robert Farnon's spirited musical score, and well- choreographed ship battle sequences into a brilliant work of art that will leave audiences - and fans of Forester's series - wanting to see it again. An excellent choice!