Horatio Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil (1999)

Lt. Hornblower and his crew are captured by the enemy while escorting a Duchess who has secrets of her own.

Director:

Andrew Grieve

Writers:

C.S. Forester (story "Hornblower, the Duchess and the Devil"), Patrick Harbinson (screenplay)

Stars:

Ioan Gruffudd, Robert Lindsay, Cherie Lunghi

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 8 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ioan Gruffudd	...	Acting Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower
Robert Lindsay	...	Captain Sir Edward Pellew
Cherie Lunghi	...	Duchess of Wharfedale
Christopher Fulford	...	M'Man Hunter
Ronald Pickup	...	Don Massaredo
Jamie Bamber	...	Kennedy
Jonathan Coy	...	Lieutenant Bracegirdle
John Woodvine	...	Sir Hew Dalrymple
Paul Copley	...	Matthews
Sean Gilder	...	Styles
Simon Sherlock	...	Oldroyd
Jean-Yves Berteloot	...	Etienne de Vergasse
Vincent S. Boluda	...	Spanish Lieutenant
Jolyon Baker	...	Captain Joubert
Colin MacLachlan	...	Master Bowles

Storyline

Hornblower captures the French vessel, Le Reve, and is asked by Pellew to sail her back to England so that she can be outfitted for the English navy, and also, as a favor, to convey the unusual Duchess of Wharfedale back home. Unfortunately, Le Reve, Hornblower, the duchess and the crew are captured by the Spanish and imprisoned. There, Horatio finds Kennedy, wasted and hopeless from months in solitary. Against the odds, Horatio must find a way to escape with Kennedy, against Hunter's protests, and with the growing suspicion that the duchess may not be who she appears.

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Plot Keywords:

deception | briton | soldier | sea rescue | shipwreck | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | War

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Details

Official Sites:

A&E's Behind the Scenes

Country:

UK

Language:

English Spanish French

Release Date:

18 April 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Horatio Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil

Filming Locations:

Peniche, Portugal

Company Credits

Production Co:

A+E Networks, Meridian Broadcasting, United Film and Television Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The lines that Kennedy quotes when he wakes up and sees Hornblower and the Duchess are taken from Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra (Act4; scene 15). They are spoken by Cleopatra when she realizes Antony has died.

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Goofs

Hornblower is released from his solitary confinement in the underground cage, where he has been (presumably) for several days, yet he is clean shaven when returned to his shipmates.

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Quotes

Spanish Lieutenant: You have my sword. I will not attempt to escape. I have already lost my ship. I will not compound my shame by breaking my word.
Hornblower: [Retutning the Captain's sword] Today the luck was with me, sir.

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Connections

Follows Horatio Hornblower: The Fire Ship (1998)

User Reviews

Cherie Lunghi is a delight to see in this movie!

Having a great start with the first movie, falling into a dump for a second movie, I was very curious about the outcome for this third movie in the made for tv-series! For the third time we have again brilliant production values, as we have come to expect, after the previous ones! Story-wise it is a much better story than the second and a little better than the first! What makes this movie exceptional is the presence of Cherie Lunghi! Cherie Lunghi is one of Britain's most underrated actresses! She gives a terrific performance. It is a delight to see her in this movie! BTW this movie has a continuation of the homo-erotic tension between Hornblower and Kennedy as hinted in the first movie!