Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)

A seductive woman falls in love with a mysterious ship's captain.

Director:

Albert Lewin

Writer:

Albert Lewin (story and screenplay: suggested by the Legend of The Flying Dutchman)

Stars:

James Mason, Ava Gardner, Nigel Patrick

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 (as Guillermo Beltran)

Storyline

Albert Lewin's interpretation of the legend of the Flying Dutchman. In a little Spanish seaport named Esperanza, during the 30s, appears Hendrick van der Zee, the mysterious captain of a yacht (he is the only one aboard). Pandora is a beautiful woman (who men kill and die for). She's never really fallen in love with any man, but she feels very attracted to Hendrick... We are soon taught that Hendrick is the Flying Dutchman, this sailor of the 17th century that has been cursed by God to wander over the seas until the Doomsday... unless a woman is ready to die for him...

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Plot Keywords:

flying dutchman | ghost ship | bullfighter | return from dead | self sacrifice | 

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Taglines:

She was the living symbol of the sin that lurks in women!

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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Goofs

In the workroom where Stephen is repairing his race car, the words "NON FUMAR" are written on the wall, with the English words "NO SMOKING" beneath. The Spanish is incorrect: it should read "NO FUMAR".

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Quotes

Hendrik: This was not a dream. I was alone, unspeakably alone. Was I alone?

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: According to the legend, the Flying Dutchman was condemned to wander the seas eternally unless he could find a woman who loved him enough to die for him . . . .

THE SEAPORT OF ESPERANZA, ON THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST OF SPAIN, ABOUT TWENTY YEARS AGO . . . .

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Connections

References The Ancient Mariner (1925)

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Soundtracks

You're Driving Me Crazy
(uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Walter Donaldson
Sung by an uncredited male voice

User Reviews

Absorbing, intense, and beautiful

Albert Lewin's work as director had not impressed me prior to seeing "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" I found myself frankly quite bored by his version of Maugham's "The Moon and Sixpence" as well as "The Private Affairs of Bel Ami". "The Picture of Dorian Gray" has quite the reputation, but I unfortunately haven't seen it yet.

'Exceeded expectations' cannot begin to describe how surprised I was at how absorbing, intense, captivating, and utterly gorgeous "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" is. Sure, there are flaws, mostly in the script which occasionally seems to think it's smarter than it actually is and goes for the sort of intrusive voice-over narration that never fails to annoy, but also in scenes where Lewin's decisions as director become frustrating and in the score which is generally quite good but often overbearing.

Regardless of its flaws, "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" is a literate, creative, fairly original, and exceptionally well-acted film, with the exceptional feature of being photographed by Jack Cardiff OBE, who was on quite a run going into this film having photographed the three Powell/Pressburger classics from the 40's: "A Matter of Life and Death", "Black Narcissus", and "The Red Shoes" as well as the underrated if not exactly great 1949 Hitchcock offering "Under Capricorn". James Mason and Ava Gardner are really excellent here in the lead roles.

I was not looking forward to "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" but I found myself very pleasantly surprised by it. It's far from a perfect film but I did find it to be quite excellent; even the melodrama that tends to bother me in romances from this era of film worked in the context of this film. A surprisingly good film, overall.

8/10

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

15 October 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman

Filming Locations:

Pendine Sands, Carmarthen Bay, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,466, 9 February 2020

Gross USA:

$17,401

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$31,805

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dorkay Productions, Romulus Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1