Le pacte

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.' "

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

In response to ADAMSHL's comment on LLoyd's insuring slave ships-In one scene when the insurers were in deep trouble, Blake was asked if he would insure a slave ship and he curtly said no! to emphasize the director's view of that practice.

It is a pleasant change to watch a movie that flows through the acting and dialog rather than sound effects and extreme graphics. I could even understand all the actors voices in spite of 60 yr old audio technology. Most present day English movies have horrible sound and many words are lost because of the actors elocution.

The main value of this movie is not a history lesson in politics but one in the lives of those who lived in that period and their environment, clothing, etc.

Tyrone Power was only 22 with a few films and Broadway credits when he was given his first major role in "Lloyds of London." This film was originally assigned to Don Ameche, but Henry King insisted on testing Power and, on viewing the test, told Zanuck he wanted the young man for the role. "In two years," King told Zanuck, "he will be one of the biggest stars ever." Good instincts. Power plays Jonathan Blake, a fictional character, whose childhood friendship with Horatio Nelson helps Nelson through the Napoleonic war. Blake becomes one of the syndicate owners at Lloyd's of London and, against every other syndicate, continues insuring the damaged British fleet so that Nelson has all the power necessary to defeat the French.

The radiant Madeline Carroll is Power's love interest and George Sanders is her cad husband. Sanders worked with Power on many films, including the one Power was making when he died 22 years later. Virginia Field is Polly, a young waitress in love with Jonathan, but it's unrequited.

The acting is top-notch, including beautiful performances from Freddie Bartholomew and Douglas Nelson as the young Blake and Nelson. Sir Guy Standing is marvelous as Power's mentor. Power is gorgeous, with his unlined face (even with a streak of gray hair as he ages -"Zanuck would never let me age in any film," he once said) and the world's longest eyelashes, and his acting is excellent. He carries the bulk of the film beautifully, conveying a strong presence, though he merely suggests an English accent. Darryl F. Zanuck was his biggest fan and for good reason, as the actor would bring in hit after hit during his long tenure at Twentieth Century Fox.

This is a great period piece, interesting as well as touching. Highly recommended.

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.