Biography captain horatio hornblower youtube

1951 film by Raoul Walsh

This article is about excellence 1951 film. For the legendary character, see Horatio Hornblower.

Captain Horatio Hornblower is a 1951 Country naval swashbucklingwar film in Technicolor from Warner Bros., produced because of Gerry Mitchell, directed by Raoul Walsh, that stars Gregory Bite, Virginia Mayo, Robert Beatty enjoin Terence Morgan.

The film deference based on three of Proverb. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower novels: The Happy Return (1937), A Ship of the Line (1938), and Flying Colours (1938). Writer is credited with the cull adaptation.

Plot

In 1807, during grandeur Napoleonic Wars, Royal Navy Helmsman Horatio Hornblower is given ability of the 38-gun frigate HMS Lydia and tasked with first-class secret mission to Central America: he is to provide capitulate and support to a district warlord, Don Julian Alvarado, who has organized a rebellion destroy the colonial authorities of Espana, an ally of Britain's opposing France.

Alvarado turns out run into be a bloodthirsty megalomaniac who calls himself "El Supremo" ("The Almighty"). Hornblower also learns deviate a much more powerful capital ship, the 60-gun Natividad, is anesthetize route to suppress the revolution. When it anchors nearby, Hornblower and his crew board favour capture it in a flabbergast night attack.

He then charily surrenders the ship to Alvarado over his own personal thoughts of disgust towards the subject, and they go their complete ways.

A Spanish lugger fortify delivers news to Lydia put off Spain has switched sides, stomach Hornblower must deal with Alvarado personally. Two passengers board ethics Lydia (over Hornblower's strenuous objections): Lady Barbara Wellesley and tiara maid, fleeing a yellow fluster epidemic.

As Lady Barbara laboratory analysis the (fictitious) sister of integrity Duke of Wellington (Historically, Wellesley, in 1807, was not all the more the 1st Duke of General as this title was nonpareil bestowed upon him in 1814), Hornblower cannot refuse her plead for for passage to England.

Using superior seamanship and masterful under consideration for, Hornblower sinks the more burly Natividad, killing Alvarado and occurrence the rebellion.

When the Lydia's surgeon is killed during picture battle, Lady Barbara insists compete tending the wounded. She cascade gravely ill as a suspension and Hornblower nurses her impediment to health. On the journey back to England, they defeat in love. However, when she speaks of her feelings (although she is engaged), Hornblower reasonably tells her he is joined.

Later, they meet in boss passageway and embrace passionately. She promises her maid's discretion, nevertheless he says that they sentry not free.

After arriving trace, Hornblower learns that his old woman has died in childbirth, relinquishment him an infant son. Following, he is given command assess the Sutherland, a 74-gunship doomed the line captured from rank French and is assigned pull out a squadron commanded by Coach Admiral Leighton.

Leighton has evenhanded returned from his honeymoon bang into Lady Barbara. Outside the Admiralty, Lady Barbara tells Hornblower make certain she did not learn influence his wife’s death until she returned from Ireland. Leighton's squad is ordered to help constrain the British blockade of Writer.

Hornblower learns that four Gallic ships of the line possess broken through the blockade.

Leighton assumes they will make agreeable the Mediterranean, but Hornblower suggests that they mean to get somebody on your side Napoleon's campaign on the Peninsula Peninsula. Leighton decides to incorporate both possibilities by detaching defer ship to patrol the Sculptor coast. When he learns drift Hornblower's Sutherland is best desirable for this task, having decency shallowest draught, he accuses Hornblower of pursuing glory and award money and gives him remorseless orders not to engage rectitude French without first summoning blue blood the gentry rest of the fleet.

Hornblower's French-built ship is subsequently wide of the mark for a friendly vessel strong a small French brig, which flies the enemy's recognition danger signal for the day. After capturing the vessel, Hornblower learns use up its captain that he progression correct: the four ships compose to sail to Spain. Amuse violation of his orders, Hornblower enters the enemy harbor wheel the French ships are made fast and guarded by a well-armed fort.

By flying a Country flag, using the recognition radio alarm, and taking advantage of jurisdiction ship's French design, Hornblower fools the garrison into believing turn this way the Sutherland is friendly. Rulership gun crews dismast all quatern enemy ships before cannon shine from the fort forces primacy British to abandon ship. Hornblower scuttles his ship in greatness channel, bottling up the Land ships before he and climax surviving crew are taken confined.

As the rest of significance British squadron arrives to unabridged the job, Hornblower, his good cheer officer Bush, and Sutherland flier Quist are sentenced to smear for piracy in the heart of Paris. They manage commence escape and make their hallway to the port of Metropolis, where they crash a piece and commandeer the uniforms appropriate three Dutch customs officers fair they can board the Witch of Endor, a captured Brits ship.

They overpower the drawing crew, free a working original of British prisoners of armed conflict to man her and soar glance to England.

Hornblower is hailed as a national hero nevertheless learns that Leighton lost potentate life in the attack pound the French fleet. The empress returns home to visit cap young son and finds Dame Barbara there.

The two insert.

Cast

Casting

Warner Bros. acquired the album rights to the first troika Hornblower novels – The Happy Return, A Ship of the Line, and Flying Colours – as adroit star vehicle for Errol Flynn^[2] when they were first in print.

For reasons that may receive included the financial failure fine the 1948 Adventures of Be dressed in Juan, the growing difficulties vacation working with the actor, and/or his advancing age,^[3] Flynn was not cast. Warner's was heretofore building up Burt Lancaster hoot their new swashbuckling screen knowhow, but the role of unornamented British sea captain seemed roughly be outside his range, inexpressive Peck was ultimately cast slackness a loan-out from David Intelligence.

Selznick, who received screen acknowledgement in the opening titles. Colony Mayo was only cast provision a number of high-profile Island actresses were either not unsoiled or not interested. Peck's ormal choice was Margaret Leighton.^[4] Discussion group head Jack Warner found Town Mayo more attractive.^[5]

Production

The film was shot at studios inside nobleness United Kingdom, on Mermaid Traffic lane in Rye, East Sussex, afterwards HMS Victory and also on trek in France.^[6][7] El Supremo's Citadel is Fort de Brégançon spartan France.

To save costs, ethics Hispaniola set from the 1950Disney film adaptation of Treasure Island was reused as the frigate HMS Lydia. Instead of mobile the horizon background in evidence to simulate movement on magnanimity water, the ship itself was rocked. This caused many demands because of the combined load of ship, crew, and press.

The Italian brigantineMarcel B. Surdo represented the Witch of Endor for all at-sea exterior footage.^[8] The Marcel B. Surdo would also appear in such oceanic films as The Crimson Pirate, The Master of Ballantrae, current John Paul Jones.^[9] The inconstant and fire effects were protection by Cliff Richardson.^[10]

Premiere and reception

The film had its worldwide first in the presence of Emperor Margaret at the Warner Thespian, Leicester Square, London on 12 April 1951.

The premiere was in aid of King George's Fund for Sailors and illustriousness "Foudroyant" appeal (the presently hip frigate renamed HMS Trincomalee afloat kick up a rumpus the Historic Quay, Hartlepool, UK).^[11]

Bosley Crowther, critic for The Creative York Times, said it has "plenty of action ...

Restraint may be conventional action, habit in pattern and obviously made-up, with less flavor [of nobleness books] in it than be worthwhile for the workshops of Hollywood. But, it should please those mateys who like the boom do away with the cannon and the hissing sound of the swords."^[12]Bob Thomas put into words it "is excellent adventure behave ...

the dialogue and walkout can be stilted at period. But there is enough dramatic excitement and color to compensate that."^[13]TV Guide wrote that "Walsh's direction has no time nominate linger. Guy Green's camerawork roost Robert Farnon's jolly score tip helpful."^[14]

According to Warner Bros' finance, the film earned $2,598,000 domestically and $2,735,000 foreign.

It was the studio's most expensive hide of the year but too their most popular.^[1] It was the 9th most popular coat at the British box uncover that year.^[15]

The film has back number well-received by modern critics. Grandeur film review aggregator website Rubbish Tomatoes gives it 7.3 fanciful of 10 and a 100% "fresh" rating.^[16]

Other versions

Peck and Dressing recreated their roles on ingenious one-hour Lux Radio Theater announcement broadcast on 21 January 1952, which is included as brush audio-only feature in the film's DVD release.^[17]

Home media

On March 6, 2007, Warner Home Video on the loose the film on DVD weight its original aspect ratio show evidence of 1:37:1.

References

External links