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Whichever of its titles you choose to like (I first saw this film as 'Sailor Of The King'), this is a fine adventure story.

The theme is inborn filial devotion to king, country (or Commonwealth), democracy, duty, and decency: inborn since the main character (played stirringly by Jeffrey Hunter as the ordinary bloke, Brown, who rises to the challenge of extraordinary circumstances) doesn't know who his father is, and the plot development tantalizes us with the nearness of the dispelling of Brown's ignorance.

I have heard that C.S. Forester wrote the novel as an adventure story for boys. No matter, the film builds slowly to a taut, exciting climax that viewers of all ages can thrill to.

Jeffrey Hunter was wonderfully handsome, and he could act; it would be lovely if such talent could also be found in today's (2003's) non-nutritional, unsatisfying crop of young male leads. Wendy Hiller's acting is always superb, and though she has a small part in 'Sailor of the King' she plays it with all her crackling, yet understated verve; Hiller's expressive, soulful eyes should have inspired the composition of a long, gorgeous symphony. Michael Rennie, another handsome and talented - and underappreciated - actor, gives a good effort too.

Though the plot is fictional, it doesn't matter a whit. 'Sailor Of The King' is a splendid adventure film, the likes of which "they just don't make anymore." This is the sort of film you can watch every six months, just for the pure joy of its congealing plot and the anxiety in its inspiring denouement. Pity 'Sailor Of The King' has not made it onto DVD.

Jeffrey Hunter is very good in this splendid account of a British seaman who pits himself single-handedly in a desperate battle against a huge German warship.

Slow-moving at first, the action builds inexorably into a grand and (at least for me) very satisfactory climax. Who cares about realism when you can have this much fun?

Michael Rennie (one of my favorite actors) is well-cast in his role, and Bernard Lee (you might know him as James Bond's chief) is also very good.

If you see this movie and enjoy it, you might also be interested in Peter O'Toole's "Murphy's War", which is quite similar in many respects.

I rate this good old movie 7.5 out of 10.

I watched this film with no previous knowledge of its content or style and I was delighted to discover that it was a curiously interesting work. Very well acted by Jeffrey Hunter. A man who was often wasted in Hollywood. Surprised me the interplay Hunter has with Bernard Lee. It is quite mature and they play very well and with great sensitivity the part of father and son figures as the only survivors of a ship sinking. This was greatly helped by a very finely crafted dialogue. Instead, Michel Rennie and Wendy Hiller are quite stilted and their characters appear to be badly drawn and unidimensional. Today I saw this film with TWO endings. After the first ending a card appears on the screen telling the audience that this is an experiment. They'll show a second, different,ending and will distribute cards in he lobby of the cinema (I saw it on TV!) for a vote of which one was the favourite. Great!

During the Great War, young artillery officer Michael Rennie meets shy Wendy Hiller on a train bound for London. They fall into an affair and Rennie proposes marriage. She turns him down because a wife is an impediment to a navy man with no background. During the early days of World War II, Rennie has risen to admiral, in pursuit of a German battleship in the Pacific. The companion ship is destroyed, and young signalman Jeffrey Hunter, a fatherless man whose mother came from England to Montreal, and who has pushed him to the Navy since since he could walk, is pulled from the water and is a prisoner on the damaged German ship. When they pull into an inlet in the Galápagos, Hunter escapes, climbs into the cliffs, and besieges the ship to stop the repairs.

It's based on C.S. Forester's early best-seller, BROWN ON RESOLUTION, drawn from an incident from the First World War. An earlier version, BORN TO GLORY, had starred a young John Mills.

This version, produced by 20th Century-Fox, is a product of the company's British division. Director Roy Boulting does a wonderful job, with Malta standing in for the Galápagos, does a splendid job. Although there is a lot of talk for the first two-thirds of the movie, Hunter -- with his shirt off -- silently battles Germans and the sun in a wordless struggle. Bernard Lee and Peter van Eyck are in the cast, and the score is by an inevitable Muir Mathieson.

I remember this film as being one of my Dad's favorite films as my brother's and I were growing up in the 1950s. I had described this movie to many people since then and no one else seemed to know what I was talking about. Then, in about 1990, the cable network, American Movie Classics (AMC) ran the film a couple of times and the film disappeared once more.

Everything about this film is just right. The storyline, music, acting and suspense are what makes a film a memorable experience. When I think of all the junk films that get picked up by AMC, Fox Movie Classics (FMC) and Turner Classic Movies (TCM), I have to wonder who is selecting the films these channels broadcast. They must have someone there who doesn't like Black & White Films. There were a handful of films made in the 10 years that followed WWII that are simply "Must Have" movies that people would like to add to their collections that the studios are either clueless about or they know nothing about the "Gold in their Vaults".

Consider how long it took to get Battleground released on DVD. Then think about Sailor of The King (Jeffrey Hunter), The Gallant Hours (James Cagney), Decision Before Dawn (Oskar Werner), 36 Hours (James Garner), and ask yourself if Hollywood is capable of making anything like these films again. You won't like the answer.

Come on Fox, get these films out.

Excellent British naval war movie with Jeffrey Hunter. There are few movies of this type --as this is centered on sea action. I think of the movie "Pursuit of the Graf Spree" when watching this movie. This movie takes awhile to get going but is worth the wait.

Jeffrey Hunter sparkles in this film. I only wish it were on DVD! From the moment he appears on the screen he has the audience in his pocket. Strangely, the film has two endings - one happy, the other sad. Audiences were asked to vote for which one they liked best. I am astonished that this fine actor has fallen out of public favour and so little of his work is available on video. He had real charisma and charm. And he could act. It's about time someone presented a Jeffrey Hunter season on TV.

...between Hiller and Rennie.

"Sailor of the king" seems to be a lot of fiction. But it is a gripping story of two lovers in WW1 and the adventures of their son in WW2.

I love the beginning of the movie with shy Michael Rennie and the charming Wendy Hiller. Then Jeff comes and takes the command. It is very thrilling to watch him shooting Peter van Eyck who is a famous german actor and plays very well too.

I do not like the ending. It is too unrealistic. >

I had never seen the title of the movie as "Single-Handed." Nonetheless, this movie is near perfection. Without question, however, the ending is the crown jewel of the picture. Some have commented that the movie is "unrealistic." Perhaps if more movies fit that criteria movie going would be a much more enjoyable experience. Patrons don't need to be preached to about a particular high-profile director's, star's, or producer's politics or social commentary. A simple ride with an imaginative story and great, optimistic ending are all that's needed to get me to part with my money. Yes, this movie should be on DVD ASAP!!

A fine film, with good acting and excellent pacing-it never drags. This film will appeal to a wide audience, as the romantic and heart-breaking portions will appeal to one group, while the great action shots will appeal to a different audience.

One thing that is almost unique is that this is one of the few films that shows the crews donning flash suits. Flash suits are made of white fire-resistant material to prevent burns from firing the large guns in such close proximity, and fires caused by enemy action. In most naval movies the crews don't the flash suits. For the main actors, there is an obvious reason- you can't see their faces, but in this film all the British crews don the suits (though they don't wear the hoods that cover the face and neck). This makes this film more accurate than almost all WWI and WWII naval films.

Da Worfster, a previous reviewer, made the following comment: "Of course the ships are way to modern to be WWII vintage craft "-This is incorrect. The ships used in the film are HMS Glasgow, HMS Cleopatra, and HMS Manxman, and all three served during WWII, the Glasgow for the entire war, while the other two joined the war in 1941.

One last historical note: British and German ships used different optical rangefinder systems. The German system was more accurate, but lost accuracy from the concussion of the gun firing during battle. The British system was not as accurate, but more rugged and better in dim light. The result of this is actually shown during this film, with the German shells straddling the British with the first shots, but then losing accuracy as the battle progressed, while the British shooting got better as they 'got the range'.

All-in-all, a fine film, well made, and with better accuracy than most. Recommended.

I have always admired the work of C.S. Forester. Some of his most enduring books are about English Captain Horatio Hornblower who served during the French Napoleonic and revolutionary War. In this movie called "Sailor of the King" my favorite actor Jeffrey Hunter plays Signalman Andrew Brown who is aboard H.M.Ship Ansley when it is sunk by a German Crusier. Another favorite actor Michael Rennie who is well remembered as Klatuu from 'The Day the Earth stood still' plays Capt. Richard Saville who longs to do battle with the German navy. In Forester's original work, he had Brown as Saville's son even though neither know of the other. In the movie it is only hinted that both men are related even when both are brought before the King to be decorated and knighted. The movie itself is well directed by Roy Boulting and if you look closely, you'll see Bernard Lee who later became James Bonds' boss at MI6. This is a fine movie and one which is listed as a early Classic in the annals of Military movies. Easily recommended for all. ****

I agree with all other reviewers here, and found this film terrific when I saw it back in the 1950s - but then I am British! However, you may not know that this one was an almost see exact copy of a previous film made in the 1930s. That one, called for some strange reason 'Forever England', starred a very young John Mills as the sniper. The naval battle scenes were really good for that time, but the sniper died and was given great praise for his bravery by the German captain! You could enjoy both versions, if you can find a copy.

Wendy Hiller is a name that always warrants an excellent film, and this was even made by Roy Boulting who along with his brother also always warranted excellent films. On top of that, this is a true story. Wendy Hiller only appears in the beginning, but her impact remains throughout the film, and you feel her presence more than ever in the end. Of course, this is Jeffrey Hunter's film in his first great part, but he would make some more rather unforgettable parts dominating entire films, like Nicholas Ray's "King of Kings" where he plays Jesus, and one of the best, and in "No Man is an Island" as the last American soldier of Guam, but he lived only to 46. Michael Rennie is the other great male part here, as gentlemanly and sympathetic as ever, while Bernard Lee loses his leg and ends up a casualty - nevertheless he would always return. The film is excellent and more realistic than most naval war films, while Peter van Eyck makes the German captain - all the Germans speak perfect German. It's a great story and a great film, and no wonder it became the favourite of many.

WWI prologue with romance.

Jumps to 1940...now he's captain Saville unnecessary but well made prologue wouldn't the Germans have kept them under lock and key? KJ

"Sailor of the King" is a remake of the 1935 film "Born for Glory" though the setting of the story has been changed from WWI to WWII in this remake. It surprised me because, oddly, the remake is about as good as the original.

The story begins during WWI...but this is just a prologue. It's well made...but also unnecessry for the rest of the story.

The story then picks up during WWII. The young officer in the first portion (Michael Rennie) is now the Captain of his own destroyer. However, like the prologue the story really is NOT about him. Instead, one destroyer pursuing the German ship Essen, is detroyed while the Captain's isn't. On the sunken ship was a young sailor (Jeffery Hunter), a Canadian who is responsible for communications between ships. The young sailor is rescued by the Germans and eventually he manages to escape AND is partially responsible for the sinking of the Essen. How? See the film.

The film is inspiring...a word I rarely use about any film, let alone a war film. But it has a great impact on the viewer, is very well made and manages to be very good despite being a reworking of the 1935 film.

I gave this movie a 6 after watching the standard ending but the alternative ending is so much more powerful and emotional that I gave the movie a 9. Be sure to watch the alternate ending to get the proper experience.

when the young Canadian sailor was rescued and captured on the German warship, his p.o.w. status was the first time that i've seen in a war movie that a prisoner of war could be so easily walked around on board of the German warship and not be confined in the holding cabin under 24/7 watch. he seemed to be the only British sailor who's not wounded but still stayed with all the other wounded ones. he was escorted only by a German sailor to walk around having fresh air regularly in the day time. the way that a pow had been treated like a first class cruise ship was a shocking contrast to what we had seen in any WWII movie. then when the young sailor escaped, he chose to sneak off the ship without a shirt, and the shoes he wore were also quite convenient like a ballet dancer's, that's quite weird too. but the flaws i mentioned here are nothing if you've seen the whole movie, a great one!