Starring
Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains, Donald Crisp, Flora
Robson, Alan Hale. Directed by Michael Curtiz. (1940/127 min).
AVAILABLE
ON BLU-RAY FROM
Review
by Mr. Pawsđź
Going
out to the movies used to be a different experience.
Today,
your $12 ticket gets you more trailers than you have patience for, a
Coca-Cola ad and animated M&Ms reminding you to turn off your
cell phone. And I get it. Theaters need to pay the bills. But back in
my day, as I often tell my kids, movies were only three bucks and
we usually got a double feature. My daughters weren't impressed, both
stating that's way too long to sit in a theater. Makes me wonder whose kids I'm really raising.
But even before my day, moviegoers got a cartoon, short
subject, newsreel and a trailer or two before the feature. A night at
the movies was truly a night at the movies, and
in 1940, you got it all for a quarter...without a single asshat
whipping out his cellphone. M&Ms were strictly for eatin'.
As a
lifelong cinephile, sometimes I think I was born a few decades too
late.
Warner
Bros. remembers those days, though. In the past, they've released some of their
classics as part of their Warner Night at the Movies
series (even back in the VHS days), where the feature was preceded by
all the aforementioned goodies. One of those movies was the 1940
Errol Flynn adventure, The Sea Hawk.
Now on Blu-ray for the first time, the original Warner
Night at the Movies presentation
is included as a viewing option. For anyone with a fondness for
Hollywood history - or are simply curious - it's the only way to
experience a film like this.
 |
| "Did you steal these from the neighbor's yard?" |
The
movie itself is one of Errol Flynn's best. Released at the height of
his popularity, The Sea Hawk
is an epic adventure with Flynn as sea captain Geoffrey Thorpe,
England's most infamous privateer, defending his country against enemies through piracy. While running afoul of Spain - who are
secretly building an armada for an invasion - he falls in love with
Dona Maria (Brenda Marshall), the daughter of Spain's unscrupulous
ambassador, Don de Cordoba (Claude Rains). At the unofficial behest
of Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson, in a wonderfully playful
performance), Flynn plans to raid a Spanish outpost in the New World,
stealing their gold to bring back to England. Unfortunately, Sir
Burleson (Donald Crisp) betrays the Queen, scheming with de Cordoba
to catch Thorpe in the act.
Flynn
may not have ever been what anyone considered a great actor, but
he had loads of charisma and was always a great
physical performer. No one exploited his gifts as effectively as
director Michael Curtiz. While the two collaborated on a dozen films
together, The Sea Hawk
is arguably one of their most ambitious. Capitalizing on the success
of Captain Blood, the
film ups the ante in terms of scope, spectacle and swordplay. The final showdown between Thorpe and Burleson remains one
of the greatest sword fights ever filmed.
Best
of all, nearly 80 years later The Sea Hawk
is still loads of fun, belying its age with this terrific Blu-ray
transfer. And by carrying-over one of the greatest bonus features
ever concocted, we can once again experience it just as filmgoers did
in 1940, when "a night at the movies" was just that. As
classics go, this one is irresistible.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
"WARNER
NIGHT AT THE MOVIES" - The option to watch The Sea Hawk
as presented in theaters, with a cartoon ("Porky's Poor Fish"),
newsreel, short subject ("Alice in Movieland") and trailers
preceding the feature. Includes an introduction by Leonard Maltin.
FEATURETTE -
"The Sea Hawk: Flynn in Action"
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEE-OW! LIKE BEING TURNED LOOSE IN A BIRD SANCTUARY.
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