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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Did You Know?

Trivia

As Hornblower's second ruse is in play, just after Matthews warns him the Spanish suspect something, one line of dialogue makes clear, as the captain of the Spanish ship orders one of his officers: "Señala al almirante. Avisa que vamos a abrir fuego sobre piratas ingleses." Translated: "Signal the admiral. Say we are about to open fire on English pirates".

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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

Don Massaredo: So long as you do not try to murder me in my bed, sir, I wish you every luck in your attempt.

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Connections

Followed by Horatio Hornblower 3 (2003)

User Reviews

terrific swashbuckler, a whole lot of fun

The Horatio Hornblower series of TV movies is not the usual A & E culture vulture stuff. It's actually fun! Based on the novel about a dashing and ambitious young sailor in the Royal Navy in the 18th century, it's not exactly subtle, but it's great action-adventure genre stuff. Handsome Iaon Gruffud (Kate Winslet's rescuer in Titanic) stars as the too-gallant-to-be-true hero, continually getting into sticky situations. The script is witty, the characters real, and the period is shown convincingly. I guess it's kind of corny, but it's so much fun to watch you really won't care. I'm not really a costume drama person, but this one changed my mind. Catch it on A & E.

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

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1