The Sea Hawk (1940 film)
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| The Sea Hawk | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Poster |
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| Directed by | Michael Curtiz |
| Produced by | Henry Blanke Hal B. Wallis |
| Written by | Howard Koch Seton I. Miller |
| Starring | Errol Flynn Brenda Marshall Claude Rains |
| Music by | Erich Wolfgang Korngold |
| Cinematography | Sol Polito |
| Editing by | George Amy |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | July 1, 1940 |
| Running time | 127 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Sea Hawk is an American film adventure film released in 1940 and directed by Michael Curtiz.[1]
The movie is about an English privateer set in the Elizabethan era, loosely based on the historical figure Sir Francis Drake.
While the film bears the same name as the novel The Sea Hawk by Rafael Sabatini, its plot has nothing to do with the novel, and is instead based on a story by Seton I. Miller.
The film stars Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, and Claude Rains.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The film begins with King Philip II of Spain declaring his intention to destroy England and after this "puny rockbound island as barren and treacherous as her Queen" is out of the way, he believes that world conquest will follow: "it (a map) will cease to be a map of the world; it will be Spain." He sends one of his courtiers, Don Alvarez (Rains), as his ambassador to allay the suspicions of Queen Elizabeth I (Flora Robson) about the great armada he is building to invade England.
In England, some of the Queen's ministers plead with her to build a fleet, which she hesitates to do in order to spare the purses of her subjects.
The ambassador's ship is captured en route to England by the Albatross and her captain, Geoffery Thorpe (Flynn). Don Alvarez and his niece, Dona Maria (Brenda Marshall), are taken aboard and transported to England. Thorpe is immediately enchanted by Dona Maria and gallantly returns her plundered jewels. Her detestation towards him softens as she too begins to fall in love.
Don Alvarez is granted an audience with the Queen and complains about his treatment; Dona Maria is accepted as one of her maids of honour. The Sea Hawks, a group of English privateers who loot Spanish ships for "reparations" appear before the Queen, who scolds them (at least publicly) for their piratical attacks and for endangering the peace with Spain. Captain Thorpe finally appears and proposes a plan to seize a large caravan of Spanish gold in the New World and bring it back to England. The Queen is wary of Spain's reaction, but allows Thorpe to proceed.
Suspicious of Thorpe's expedition, Lord Wolfingham, one of the Queen's ministers (and a secret Spanish collaborator) sends a spy to try to discover where the Albatross is really heading, but to no avail; the courtiers are told that Thorpe is heading out on a trading expedition up the Nile River in Egypt.
Upon visiting the chartmaker responsible for the chart for the Albatross' next voyage, Don Alvarez and Lord Wolfingham determine that the ship is really sailing to the Isthmus of Panama and order Don Alvarez's Spanish captain to sail ahead, in order to capture Thorpe and his ship. The Albatross reaches its destination, and part of her crew seizes the caravan, but they fall into a well-laid trap and are driven into the swamps. Thorpe and a few others survive and return to their ship, only to find that it in Spanish hands. Thorpe and his crew are returned to Spain, tried by the Inquisition, and sentenced to row a galley for the rest of their lives.
Don Alvarez informs the Queen of Thorpe's fate, causing his niece to faint. The Queen and Don Alvarez exchange heated words, and she expels him from her court.
On the Spanish galley, Thorpe meets an Englishman named Abbott who was captured trying to uncover evidence of the Armada's true purpose. Through cunning, the English take over the ship during the night. They board another ship in the same harbor, where an emissary has stored secret incriminating plans. Thorpe and his men capture that ship as well and sail back to England with the plans in hand.
Upon reaching port, Thorpe tries to warn the Queen. A carriage bringing Don Alvarez to the ship which, unbeknownest to him Thorpe had captured, also brings his niece. Don Alvarez boards the ship and is held prisoner as Captain Thorpe, dressed in the uniform of a Spanish courtier, sneaks into the carriage carrying Dona Maria, who had decided to stay in England and wait for Thorpe's return. The two declare their love for each other.
Lord Wolfingham's spy, who had escorted the ambassador and his niece, spots Thorpe and alerts the castle guards to stop the carriage and take Thorpe prisoner. Thorpe escapes and enters the Queen's residence, fending off guards all the while. He runs into Lord Wolfingham, whom he kills in a sword fight. With Dona Maria's assistance, Thorpe reaches the Queen and provides proof of Phillip's intentions.
The Queen knights Captain Thorpe for his gallantry, with Dona Maria present, and declares her intention to build a great fleet to oppose the Spanish threat. The movie closes with cheers and great pomp, and a declaration of "Hail to the Queen and to England."
[edit] Background
The speech the Queen gives at the close of the film was, sub silentio, meant to inspire the viewing British audience, which was already mired in the grip of the Second World War. Suggestions that it was the duty of all free men to defend liberty, and that the world did not belong to any one man (an obvious insinuation of Hitler's wish to conquer Europe) were rousing.
A clip of this film is featured in the movie The Goonies.
[edit] Cast
- Errol Flynn as Geoffrey Thorpe
- Brenda Marshall as Doña Maria
- Claude Rains as Don José Alvarez de Cordoba
- Donald Crisp as Sir John Burleson
- Flora Robson as Queen Elizabeth
- Alan Hale as Carl Pitt
- Henry Daniell as Lord Wolfingham
- Una O'Connor as Miss Latham
- James Stephenson as Abbott
- Gilbert Roland as Captain Lopez
- William Lundigan as Danny Logan
- Julien Mitchell as Oliver Scott
- Montagu Love as King Phillip II
- J.M. Kerrigan as Eli Matson
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ The Sea Hawk at the Internet Movie Database>
