Marinheiro do Rei

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.

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 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.

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!

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.