Le monde lui appartient

Gregory Peck is a pirate that sails his ship all over the northern pacific. He picks up, or gets picked by the Russian countess to extricate her from her fiancé, and take her to Alaska. He winds up in heap of trouble as a result, but during their voyage both fall in love with each other that leads him into even more trouble.

Very good movie about a daring ship captain, and the romance that goes with it. There's something about a high seas adventure that's both romantic and exciting. Add a romance between a rough sea captain and a noble lady, you have one excellent romantic adventure that appeals to all audiences. I've seen this movie since I was a kid, and always enjoyed it every time I saw it.

This is one of the best pirate theme movie made in the golden age of Hollywood. It's still entertaining to watch after half a century of time.

In old San Francisco, Marina Selanova (Ann Blyth) - a dark-haired Russian countess on the run from imminent union to the ambitious prince Semyon (Carl Esmond) - implores Captain Jonathan Clark (Gregory Peck) to take her to Alaska after been rejected by his eternal rival Portugee (Anthony Quinn).

Jonathan, an American seal pirate, falls for the diminutive, fresh-faced brunette, while giving her a midnight tour of San Francisco—an impressive similar situation to Peck-Audrey Hepburn in William Wyler's "Roman Holiday."

On the eve of their wedding day, her odious Russian fiancé kidnaps her, and sails for Alaska taking her on his gunboat... He promises to kill her uncle unless she married him as it was originally planned...

The film's highlight is the outstanding windswept race between two boats led by Peck and Quinn from San Francisco harbor to the Fur Seal Islands off the coast of Alaska, with the winner acquiring the other's ship and crew to rescue the lovely heroine...

With her slightly oriental eyes and pleasant lyric soprano voice, Ann Blyth provides feminine decoration for this epic adventure...

Anthony Quinn gives a high-spirited performance as the cunning, sympathetic thief... Quinn is challenged in the film in a 'trial of strength,' an amusing drinking and wrestling bout..

Raoul Walsh's direction is simple, direct and muscular... As a popular entertainer he is confident with a sense of humor... His actions, fury, spirit, skill, ambition and unrestrained dreams remain his forte...

This insufficient movie was made in the fifties when a flamboyant pretty boy famous for tough, staunch, dramatic parts and deep performances decides to go the matinée idol/swashbuckler route. This movie followed Peck's earlier and similar Captain Horatio Hornblower and the Fox big budget muck, David and Bathsheba. Captain Horatio was a big hit in the United States but the fate of this movie domestically was not as good. But as many big budget productions that struggle at home, they make a killing or reduce the losses overseas as this movie was number six at the UK box office and top 10 in 1952 in many other countries. Peck is actually good in the role of the gregarious pirate - way better than in Captain Horatio where I felt he was miscast - he seems to sink his teeth into the role of a lovable scalawag with a gritty mien. He walks the part, lashes the part, and punches the part. One could only wonder why he did not bring this kind of intensity to his role of the "bad seed" in Duel in the sun. The movie sorely needed it. While this kind of movies are supposed to light and flimsy, I must say that I think this movie is way too light. Fights happen for no apparent reason than to fight. Portugee brilliantly played by the great actor Anthony Quinn is loud and lascivious and is a great counterpart to Peck's ravenous appetite for calamity. The plot so to speak involves a Russian girl who does not want to leave the haven of San Francisco to return to the obviously evil and vile fiancée. So she needs to get on a boat to get her out. Enter Peck, romance and love. But alas, Mr. Vile and Evil shows up, twirling mustache in hand and kidnaps her. The rest of this movie is as follows................... You get the point. Raoul Walsh who was one of Hollywood's most successful directors at the box office with very few flops throughout his career directs the action scenes with unusual zest even for him. The score is rousing and gives the sailing sequences a palpating calumny. Blyth is terrible in this role and I don't even think she is very pretty. She does not even try to do a Russian accent but speaks with a clear mid-western undertone. And last of all, the final line in this movie is surely a contender for one of the corniest lines ever delivered on screen. You have hear it and see the shot that follows and try not to laugh out loud.

History records the Unites States purchase of Alaska on March 30, 1867 . This was the realization of a dream that began many years before , when captain Jonathan Clark anchored his schooner , The Pilgrim of Salem , among a thousand abandoned ships that lay rotting in the harbor of San Francisco , 1850 . There captain Clark (Gregory Peck) romancing women and smuggling pelts from Islas Aleutinas and Alaska , Russia . Along the way he meets and woos a gorgeous Russian countess called Marina (Ann Blyth) in 1850 San Francisco . As it deals with a salty sea captain, a beautiful Russian countess, and the love that would span an ocean . Events separate them, but after a breathtaking sea race to the Pribilof Islands against Portugee (Anthony Quinn) they meet again ; now , both are in risk from the plans of villainous Prince Semyon (Carl Esmond) and General Ivan Vorashilov (Sig Ruman) .

This exciting as well as entertaining tale packs thrills , noisy action , spectacular struggles and lots of gutsy adventure . The flick relies heavily on a prologue in a San Francisco hotel , its results to be overlong and tiring . Brawling , sprawling , almost primitive action, teeming across the screen and being based on Rex Beach novel . Impressive images when the ships sail across thunderous seas and thrilling final when protagonists and enemies square off in a breathtaking climax . Raoul Walsh demonstrates a special talent for making the densest action sequences seem uncomplicated and uncluttered and his characters , like the scenes distinguished , often have an unfettered , raw power . Nice acting by Greagory Peck as roistering sea captain Jonathan Clark, who poaches seal pelts . Sympathetic interpretation from Anthony Quinn as rude as well as illiterate skipper . and a beautiful Anne Blyth as a countess who hides her noble origin , she does an enjoyable acting though didn't have a notorious career . Good secondary cast with familiar hearted features as John McIntire , Andrea King , Hans Conried , Rhys Williams , Brian Forbes and Sig Ruman . Thrilling as well as emotive musical score by the classic composer Frank Skinner . Colorful cinematography by Russell Metty , a nice cameraman expert on superproductions such as Spartacus , Sign of the Pagan , The War Lord , Counterpoint and Omega man . The movie was splendidly photographed on natural outdoors , Islands Aleutianas and Alaska through the courtesy of the United States Department of Interior National Park Service.

The motion picture lavishly produced by Aaron Resemberg was well directed by Raoul Walsh . From his starts in the silent cinema he achieved successful films until the 50s and forward , early 60s , when he was less dominant , but is still stayed lots of lusty adventure , stories of comradeship and friendship , and Raoul makes the most of plentiful action scenes . Walsh was an expert director of all kind genres but with penchant in Western as ¨Colorado territory¨ , ¨They died with their boots on¨, ¨Along the great divide¨, ¨Saskatchewan¨, ¨King and four queens¨ , ¨The sheriff of fractured jaw¨, ¨A distant trumpet¨ ; Adventure as ¨Thief of Bagdad¨, ¨Captain Horatio Hornblower¨, ¨World in his hands¨, ¨Blackbeard the pirate¨ , ¨Sea devils¨ ; Warlike as ¨Objetive Burma¨ , ¨Northern pursuit¨, ¨Marines let's go¨ ; and Noir film as ¨White heat¨, ¨High Sierra¨, ¨They drive by night¨, ¨The roaring twenties¨. Rating : Fairly straightforward movie and above average . This interesting adventure and action film makes it of the finest of Raoul Walsh genre entries.

Sometimes you just want to watch real adventure and romance and escape. TWWIHA is that and more, shot in Technicolor and full of character and characters this is escapist melodrama at its best.

Gregory Peck plays the Boston Man, a sailor and a sealer, who lands in port and finds love unexpectedly with a Russian countess. Set against the politics of the purchase of Alaska the film spends the first hour in port and then follows 20 minutes of the best sailing sequences caught on film: two tall masters sailing fullspeed and captured to great effect on film, with gaff sails, bumkins, and bowsprits furling this is one of my favorite sailing scenes from any film.

All in all, this is a wonderful romantic adventure film and a terrific way to spend a rainy afternoon.