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The Sea Hawk

Play trailer Poster for The Sea Hawk 1940 2h 7m Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
As Spain prepares an armada to invade England, British privateer Geoffrey Thorpe (Errol Flynn) embarks on a mission to loot Spanish ships. When he captures the vessel carrying ambassador Don Jose Alvarez de Cordoba (Claude Rains), the dashing captain falls for his niece, the beautiful Dona Maria (Brenda Marshall), who settles comfortably in England. Dedicated to protecting British interests, Thorpe heads out to sea on a dangerous expedition that may determine the country's fate.
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The Sea Hawk

Critics Reviews

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Jeremiah Kipp Slant Magazine 04/21/2005
3.5/4
When The Sea Hawk is purely cinematic, it's at the top of its class. Go to Full Review
Nell Minow Movie Mom 12/13/2002
5/5
Swashbuckler heaven Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Sep 9
3.5/4
An oceanic epic that’s every bit as exciting as Flynn’s Captain Blood. Go to Full Review
Peter Freedman Radio Times 04/04/2024
4/5
This rip-roaring adventure yarn was made at lavish expense, and, as they say, it all shows up there on the screen. Go to Full Review
Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies 03/14/2023
4.5/5
Despite their relationship with each other, The Sea Hawk is the best collaboration between Michael Curtiz and Errol Flynn. Go to Full Review
Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 08/14/2020
8/10
Checks all the boxes for a seafaring adventure epic. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Seth K Jun 20 One of the best Errol Flynn-Michael Curtiz collaborations. It ranks right up there with Captain Blood and the Adventures of Robin Hood. Flynn's magic is timeless. I never get tired of watching these three films. See more David S 11/28/2024 There is a scene in this where these prisoners work together and escape the galleys and take over the boat they were captive in and start singing collectively afterwards - um they don't make films like this anymore - tremendous! See more T B 11/07/2024 I did enjoy the movie, but Warners should have made it in color. I didn't like the change to sepia. They should have done all Flynn's action movies in color like they did for The Adventures of Robin Hood, Flynn's best movie. I thought Flynn's acting was indifferent at times, he didn't have the edge he had in Robin Hood. The sword fight wasn't all that good, Flynn was doubled for about half of it. I recently watched the Corsican Brothers with Douglas Fairbanks and thought the sword fight at the end of that movie was much better, and Fairbanks looked better and handled the sword better. See more Steve D 01/12/2024 Too dated and slow to work. See more CodyZamboni 08/06/2023 Movie is old school fun adventure with a rousing Korngold score. I loved the awesome, enormous full scale ship sets, and epic battles with hundreds of stunt men. One of Errol's best roles, with an attractive leading lady, and a fine supporting cast, except for the silly monkey. That was annoying and stupid. I liked that that the high spirited adventure scenes are not all fun and games. They are tempered with some brutal ship galley torture, and the choice to film steamy humid Panama sequence in sepia tone. See more johnathon w @Hoppynsc 06/17/2020 Swashbuckling epic at its finest, thanks to a great lead performance and some thrilling set pieces. Errol Flynn is at his leading man best as Cap. Geoffrey Thorpe, a privateer in the service of Queen Elizabeth I fighting against the Spanish Empire. He's commanding in the action scenes though nicely shy when he meets Dona Maria (the lovely Brenda Marshall), realistic since sailors wouldn't see the opposite sex for months if not years at a time. Director Michael Curtiz delivers an epic film, though loosely connected on history and more to due with the context of when the film was made (the Spanish Empire substitutes for Nazi Germany). The opening ship battle is brilliant with the concluding dual at the end one of the best ever filmed. The one downside as that this is mostly Errol Flynn's show, with other actors being overshadowed (unlike "The Adventures of Robin Hood"). Overall, a great, swashbuckling epic that ranks as one of the best of the genre. See more Read all reviews
The Sea Hawk

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Movie Info

Synopsis As Spain prepares an armada to invade England, British privateer Geoffrey Thorpe (Errol Flynn) embarks on a mission to loot Spanish ships. When he captures the vessel carrying ambassador Don Jose Alvarez de Cordoba (Claude Rains), the dashing captain falls for his niece, the beautiful Dona Maria (Brenda Marshall), who settles comfortably in England. Dedicated to protecting British interests, Thorpe heads out to sea on a dangerous expedition that may determine the country's fate.
Director
Michael Curtiz
Screenwriter
Howard Koch, Seton I. Miller
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Brothers
Genre
Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 1, 1940, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2009
Runtime
2h 7m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm
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