Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman

  • 19511951
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 2h 4m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
4.1K
YOUR RATING
James Mason and Ava Gardner in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
In 1930, singer Pandora Reynolds, gorgeous, enigmatic, and fascinated by danger and destruction, has the men of a small Spanish town in despair. Just when race driver Stephen Cameron thinks he's won her, a mysterious yacht appears in the bay whose eerie captain may be the legendary Flying Dutchman. Stephen has an apparently more dangerous rival in the form of an arrogant bullfighter; but Pandora's friendship with the Dutchman may lead them both to a rendezvous with Fate...
Play trailer1:29
2 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Fantasy
  • Mystery
A seductive woman falls in love with a mysterious ship's captain.A seductive woman falls in love with a mysterious ship's captain.A seductive woman falls in love with a mysterious ship's captain.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
4.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Albert Lewin
  • Writers
    • Albert Lewin(story and screenplay: suggested by the Legend of The Flying Dutchman)
    • George Barrington(based on the writings of)
    • Omar Khayyam(quotation)
  • Stars
    • James Mason
    • Ava Gardner
    • Nigel Patrick
Top credits
  • Director
    • Albert Lewin
  • Writers
    • Albert Lewin(story and screenplay: suggested by the Legend of The Flying Dutchman)
    • George Barrington(based on the writings of)
    • Omar Khayyam(quotation)
  • Stars
    • James Mason
    • Ava Gardner
    • Nigel Patrick
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 58User reviews
    • 48Critic reviews
    • 81Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations

    Videos2

    Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
    Trailer 1:29
    Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
    Pandora and the Flying Dutchman | 4K Restoration | Official US Trailer
    Trailer 0:55
    Pandora and the Flying Dutchman | 4K Restoration | Official US Trailer

    Photos111

    Ava Gardner, Nigel Patrick, and Harold Warrender in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
    James Mason and Ava Gardner in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
    Ava Gardner in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
    James Mason and Ava Gardner in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
    James Mason in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
    Ava Gardner in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
    Ava Gardner in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
    James Mason and Ava Gardner in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
    James Mason and Ava Gardner in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
    Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
    Ava Gardner in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
    Ava Gardner in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)

    Top cast

    Edit
    James Mason
    James Mason
    • Hendrik van der Zeeas Hendrik van der Zee
    Ava Gardner
    Ava Gardner
    • Pandora Reynoldsas Pandora Reynolds
    Nigel Patrick
    Nigel Patrick
    • Stephen Cameronas Stephen Cameron
    Sheila Sim
    Sheila Sim
    • Janetas Janet
    Harold Warrender
    Harold Warrender
    • Geoffrey Fieldingas Geoffrey Fielding
    Mario Cabré
    Mario Cabré
    • Juan Montalvoas Juan Montalvo
    Marius Goring
    Marius Goring
    • Reggie Demarestas Reggie Demarest
    John Laurie
    John Laurie
    • Angusas Angus
    Pamela Mason
    Pamela Mason
    • Jennyas Jenny
    • (as Pamela Kellino)
    Patricia Raine
    • Peggyas Peggy
    Margarita D'Alvarez
    • Senora Montalvoas Senora Montalvo
    La Pillina
    • Spanish Danceras Spanish Dancer
    Abraham Sofaer
    Abraham Sofaer
    • Judgeas Judge
    Francisco Igual
    • Vicenteas Vicente
    Guillermo Beltrán
    • Barmanas Barman
    • (as Guillermo Beltran)
    Lilli Molnar
    • Geoffrey's Housekeeperas Geoffrey's Housekeeper
    • (as Lila Molnar)
    Phoebe Hodgson
    • Dressmakeras Dressmaker
    Gabriel Carmona
    • Member of Montalvo's Cuadrillaas Member of Montalvo's Cuadrilla
    • Director
      • Albert Lewin
    • Writers
      • Albert Lewin(story and screenplay: suggested by the Legend of The Flying Dutchman)
      • George Barrington(based on the writings of) (uncredited)
      • Omar Khayyam(quotation) (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Barefoot Contessa
    6.9
    The Barefoot Contessa
    The Bigamist
    6.8
    The Bigamist
    The Bad and the Beautiful
    7.8
    The Bad and the Beautiful
    Mogambo
    6.6
    Mogambo
    Clash by Night
    7.0
    Clash by Night
    The Night of the Iguana
    7.6
    The Night of the Iguana
    Europe '51
    7.4
    Europe '51
    Macao
    6.6
    Macao
    His Kind of Woman
    7.0
    His Kind of Woman
    The Living Idol
    5.2
    The Living Idol
    Some Came Running
    7.3
    Some Came Running
    Force of Evil
    7.2
    Force of Evil

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas showed up for the location shoot of the race car speed test on the beach at Pendine Sands, which was near his home in Wales. He can be spotted briefly at the start of the scene, around 1:11:03-04, as the hatless man in the brown jacket and beige trousers at the extreme left of the crowd in the background (ignoring the family of three on the left) about one-third of the picture's width in from the left. This is the first known surviving motion picture footage of Thomas.
    • 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".
    • Quotes

      Geoffrey Fielding: To understand one human soul is like trying to empty the sea with a cup.

    • 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 . . . .
    • Connections
      Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une histoire seule (1989)
    • Soundtracks
      You're Driving Me Crazy
      (uncredited)

      Music and Lyrics by Walter Donaldson

      Sung by an uncredited male voice

    User reviews58

    Review
    Top review
    See it for its visual qualities and forgive the melodrama and pretentiousness
    Albert Lewin's 1951 movie injects the Flying Dutchman legend into an upper-class English-speaking community in a small port in 1930s Spain. Ava Gardner, never more beautiful and just about to emerge as a star, is the Pandora of the title, a night-club singer and femme fatale, engaged to be married to a gentlemanly racing car driver (Nigel Patrick), but with a hotheaded bullfighter (Mario Cabré) eager to win her.

    Enter the Flying Dutchman, Hendrick van der Zee, trying to find a woman willing to give up her life for him so he can gain release from his eternal roving of the seas. James Mason's performance as Hendrick is one of the main salvations of the movie. With his grace, good looks and wonderfully expressive voice, he is able to give credibility to situations and lines that would be fatal for other actors.

    But the film's prime asset is its visual richness. At a straightforward level there is lovely Mediterranean scenery, and some great action sequences, notably the flamenco dancing, land-speed record, and bullfight scenes. Then there are quite a few references to surreal art, matching the surreal nature of the film, such as Hendrick's Chirico-like painting of Pandora, and a remarkable shot of her, lying on her back with the profile of her face in close-up, like a Dali painting. (The film is set on the Costa Brava, near Dali's home town of Cadaques.) And throughout, there is Jack Cardiff's creative camerawork in beautiful technicolor. These visual qualities outweigh such flaws as an intrusive voice-over, and the stress laid on the - for me - irrelevant "Moving Finger" quatrain from the Rubaiyat.
    helpful•43
    9
    • Geofbob
    • Aug 13, 2001

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 15, 1951 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
      • Catalan
    • Also known as
      • Pandora und der fliegende Holländer
    • Filming locations
      • Tossa de Mar, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
    • Production companies
      • Dorkay Productions
      • Romulus Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $17,401
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,466
      • Feb 9, 2020
    • Gross worldwide
      • $31,805
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 4 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    James Mason and Ava Gardner in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies Coming This Summer
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in June
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.