Le pacte

Hollywood takes many liberties when combining History and the real life of great Englishmen. In this sea epic, based on an original story by Curtis Kenyon, the movie is called " Lloyd of London. " Combining the navel exploits of Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) with that of the Insurance Market, Lloyds of London (1688-1900). This is a fictional account of two boys Jonathan Blake (Freddie Bartholomew and Tyrone Power) and Horatio Nelson (Douglas Scott and John Burton) growing up through the ages culminating during the Napoleonic Wars. Realizing that wealth and snobbery go hand in hand, Blake is determined to become an integral part of English aristocracy and influence, while Nelson raises through the naval ranks to achieve notoriety against the French. The movie makes much between men at sea and the financial power in England, so too between lovers both unrequited and not. George Saunders plays Lord Everett Stacy the principal foil which Powers had to contend with. An interesting contest between loyalty and love and which becomes more adroit when it comes to dealing with life. Tyrone is superb and the cast makes this movie a good candidate to become a Classic among Black and White films. ****

In retelling this piece of history, the writers left out one item. Between 1688 and 1807 one of the prime sources of Lloyd's of London's revenue was by insuring ships engaging in slave trading.* This enabled Britian to establish itself very rapidly as the chief slave trading center in the Atlantic.

British ships carried more than three and a quarter million humans into slavery. This shocking statistic casts a deep pall on Lloyd's of London. It may be have been an embarrassment to the writers to include this in their screenplay; still a fact of this magnitude can be considered a sad omission.

The rest of the film is well presented with beautiful acting and production values. Both Bartholomew and Power are excellent, as are Carroll and Sanders. _______________ *According to Wikipedia Enclycopedia "Lloyds in London...was a popular place for ship owners...especially those involved in the slave trade....Historian Eric Williams notes 'Lloyds insured slaves and slave ships...and quickly obtained a monopoly on maritime insurance related to the slave trade and maintained it up through the early 19th century.' "

A bright young lad goes to work at LLOYD'S OF London, the famous insurance house. He grows up to become a power in the institution, with much adventure & financial intrigue along the way, but love continues to elude him...

This lavish film is great fun to watch for two primary reasons: some very good acting & the history of Lloyd's, preeminent in its field, which it details. 20th Century Fox obviously spent a pretty penny on the production values, and it shows.

Freddie Bartholomew has top billing and effortlessly steals the first half hour of the film. When his character grows up, Master Bartholomew is sorely missed. He turns into Tyrone Power, who is billed fourth. This was the film that made Power a star, and he's quite effective in the role, if you overlook the American accent.

An excellent supporting cast lends a hand: wonderful old Sir Guy Standing as Power's mentor at Lloyd's - this powerful actor would soon have his life cut short by a rattlesnake bite; Una O'Connor as Bartholomew's harridan aunt; Montagu Love as a duplicitous pirate; obese Robert Greig as the jocular First Lord of the Admiralty; E. E. Clive as a dyspeptic magistrate; oily George Sanders as a noble cad; and marvelous old Sir C. Aubrey Smith as a flirtatious peer.

The romantic subplot is ludicrous: Power moons over beautiful, married Madeleine Carroll for 20 years, while pert barmaid Virginia Field pines for him; none of them so much as gain a wrinkle or an extra ounce during this time.

The film earns high marks in its generally faithful depiction of the history both of Lloyd's, and of Horatio Nelson.

Our story begins in a fishing village in Norfolk, on the east coast of England in the year 1770. This is when adventurous preteen Freddie Bartholomew (as Jonathan Blake) and his pal Douglas Scott (as Horatio Nelson) learn some sailors are planning to swindle an insurance company. The young lads want to report the skulduggery by taking a one hundred mile walk to London. When Master Scott takes a midshipman's job, Master Bartholomew makes the trip to "Lloyd's Coffee-House" alone. His warning results in a job with the origination, which of course becomes "Lloyd's of London"...

The story jumps to 1784 as Bartholomew grows up to be Tyrone Power, who is the real star of the film (top-billed Bartholomew makes an additional, brief flashback appearance). Mr. Power makes advances in the insurance business and meets beautiful blonde Madeleine Carroll (as Elizabeth). They are mutually attracted, but she is married to unscrupulous George Sanders (as Everett Stacy). Odd as it seems, Power and Bartholomew are believable as the same person. The heroic story of an insurance company, with action and romance, is difficult to follow; but it's a nice looking production.

****** Lloyd's of London (11/25/36) Henry King ~ Tyrone Power, Madeleine Carroll, Freddie Bartholomew, George Sanders

OK, so here's the deal, this movie ruined my life. How can such a thing be? Well, listen up: At the age of five (or thereabouts) I watched this movie on television. I fell in love with Ms. Carroll. Her golden-ringletted cloying prettiness was perfectly suited to a five-year-old's notion of female beauty. She was married to Mr. Saunders, who dressed REALLY well, spoke beautifully, was rich and was exceptionally urbane. Naturally, she didn't care for him. She was in love with Mr. Powers, who was, frankly, breathtakingly beautiful -- much more beautiful than Ms. Carroll at her best.

But I digress. Anyway, my five year old brain decides, "In order to win M.C., you have to look like T.P." Well, it's been over 50 years and I'm STILL WAITING to be as handsome as Mr. Power (probably NOT going to happen -- what's your guess?). So, here I am in (advanced) middle age, still functioning under the delusion that you have to look like Mr. Power in order to secure the attentions of the lady of your dreams. How messed up is THAT?

Silliness aside, the movie is thin on (rational) plot but long on star-magic. Enjoy Mr. Power and Ms. Carroll at their loveliest and Mr. Saunders at his most vile. The rest of the flic is just and excuse to watch them dress up in period costumes.