Lo sparviero del mare

What a year for swashbucklers 1940 was!

Fox made THE MARK OF ZORRO with Power, Rathbone, and Cavens, and

Warners made THE SEA HAWK with Flynn, Daniell and Ralph Faulkner.

The Sea Hawk offers much to delight the audience -- most of the team from the

Adventures of Robin Hood are here again in top form.

Most notable, of course, is Errol Flynn. Appearing here in a more mature

incarnation than Captain Blood or Robin Hood and before the dissipation

of his later years set in, this is THE Errol Flynn.

Based on the exploits of Sir Francis Drake, The Sea Hawk unfurls its flag

against the backdrop of England's struggle against the Spanish armada, (and

more pointedly, the Allies' struggle against the Axis, as evidenced by Elizabeth's

final speech). Superb BW cinematography, Korngold's magnificent score, lavish

sets and costumes, and the intrigue-laden script make this a perfect film for a

popcorn night on the sofa with your significant other, all punctuated by great

battle sequences and that blinding final rapier duel between Thorpe and

Wolfingham. If at all possible find the restored British print with 18 additional

minutes and the Panama sequence in sepia tone.

This textbook example of Hollywood derring-do from the Warner Bros. vaults features Errol Flynn at his most dashing and heroic, squaring off against the Spanish armada and winning the hand of beautiful noblewoman Brenda Marshall. It might appear stale by today's high-tech action/adventure standards, but with a generous stock of swordplay, sea battles, romance, and heroism it's a formula that never fails to please, and one which movie makers have been trying to duplicate (with only mixed success) ever since.

Familiar faces in the attractive cast include Claude Rains, Donald Crisp, the ubiquitous Alan Hale, Gilbert Roland, and Flora Robson, portraying Queen Elizabeth I only one year after the definitive Bette Davis performance in 'The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex'.

It's Erich Wolfgang Korngold who carries "The Sea Hawk". He picks it up at the first frame with a rousing trumpet fanfare; he follows the story all the way from England to Panama, where a kind of syncopated not-jazz-exactly with saxophones makes its way into the score; he even bursts into song (well, not him personally) when Captain Thorpe's and his crew win through to freedom - and, after so much musical participation, that moment when the sailors become a chorus never strikes me as unnatural.

Korngold's brisk motion would count for nothing if the actors or the direction or the story were lethargic, of course - and they aren't. Errol Flynn plays an "I know I'm breaking international law, but hey, I'm charming and dashing and the Spaniards aren't" role - and hey, he IS charming and dashing, and the Spaniards aren't. A lot of films are described as roller-coaster rides. Many of them are just one thing after another, and don't feel at all like a single ride in a single vehicle. With "The Sea Hawk", I'm not sure about the vehicle, but we ARE taken on a single, swift ride. Few adventure films can beat it.

The Sea Hawk is a very, very enjoyable film. Is it Errol Flynn's best film and role? No, The Adventures of Robin Hood gets that honour for both. Also, The Sea Hawk is slightly overlong, and the print for this film is quite washed out and grainy, a film as good as this needs a restoration. Minor complaints aside, the swashbuckling is energetic and beautifully choreographed, the production values are top notch, Korngold's score is superb, Curtiz's direction is great, the script is witty and the story is brisk and entertaining. The cast are also excellent, Flynn makes for a gallant, charismatic and dashing hero and while slightly underused fine actor Claude Rains is superb as he takes on villain duty. In conclusion, a fine film, flawed but endlessly entertaining with lots to like. 8/10 Bethany Cox

In "The Sea Hawk", hero Errol Flynn, director Michael Curtiz, and composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold provide great entertainment very similar to that in their earlier classic that starred Flynn as Robin Hood. Supporting actors Alan Hale, Claude Rains, and Una O'Connor also are back, joined by Brenda Marshall, Flora Robson, and Henry Daniell. The movie provides rousing action, a good story, and some memorable characters.

Flynn's character is Geoffrey Thorpe, who is a "sea hawk", a privateering ship captain in the late 1500's indulged by Queen Elizabeth (Robson) and allowed to raise havoc with Spanish shipping in a time when Spain's dominance was at its peak. The story in "The Sea Hawk", like the action in "The Adventures of Robin Hood", is loosely based on historical circumstances, although this time the tone is often more serious. This film is in black-and-white instead of Technicolor, giving it a different feel. (There is a very nice touch when the scenes in the New World are tinted in golden-brown, an effective way of emphasizing the different setting.) There are also extensive scenes of the suffering and humiliation experienced by the English galley slaves imprisoned by the Spanish fleet, instead of the very brief scenes of Saxon suffering in "Robin Hood". But the main emphasis is still on the swash-buckling action that made Flynn so popular.

There are ship-to-ship fights, chases, escapes, and of course sword fights. Flynn's charisma and infectious good nature are usually enough to carry even far-fetched action, and here the story itself is more than good enough to be worthwhile in its own right. "The Sea Hawk" is good, classic entertainment.