Seven Seas to Calais (1962)

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 ... See full summary »

Directors:

Rudolph Maté, Primo Zeglio

Writer:

Filippo Sanjust

Stars:

Rod Taylor, Keith Michell, Edy Vessel

Cast

Credited cast:
Rod Taylor	...	Sir Francis Drake
Keith Michell	...	Malcolm Marsh
Edy Vessel	...	Arabella Ducleau
Terence Hill	...	Babington (as Mario Girotti)
Basil Dignam	...	Sir Francis Walsingham
Anthony Dawson	...	Lord Burleigh
Gianni Cajafa	...	Tom Moon
Irene Worth	...	Queen Elizabeth I
Arturo Dominici	...	Don Bernardino de Mendoza, the Spanish Ambassador
Marco Guglielmi	...	Fletcher
Esmeralda Ruspoli	...	Mary of Scotland
Rossella D'Aquino	...	Potato
Umberto Raho	...	King Philip of Spain
Aldo Bufi Landi	...	Vigeois
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Wensley Pithey

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

queen | queen elizabeth i | allegiance | explorer | gold theft | 

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Taglines:

Hell and Heroism On The High Seas!

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Genres:

Adventure

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

March 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Seven Seas to Calais

Filming Locations:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Adelphia Compagnia Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final film of director Rudolph Maté.

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Connections

References The Sea Hawk (1940)

User Reviews

SEVEN SEAS TO CALAIS (Rudolph Mate' and, uncredited, Primo Zeglio, 1962) **1/2

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.