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Captain Horatio Hornblower

Play trailer Poster for Captain Horatio Hornblower 1951 1h 57m Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Capt. Horatio Hornblower (Gregory Peck) helms the HMS Lydia for a treacherous transatlantic mission near the dawn of the 19th century, during which his faithful crew battle both a Spanish warship and a ragged band of Central American rebels. In the process, he also saves Lady Barbara Wellesley (Virginia Mayo), whose brother is the Duke of Wellington. Though the couple fall in love during their return to England, she is betrothed to Hornblower's rival, Rear Adm. Leighton (Denis O'Dea).
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Captain Horatio Hornblower

Critics Reviews

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Bob Thomas Associated Press 08/05/2019
Excellent adventure stuff. Go to Full Review Jay Carmody Washington Star 08/20/2021
It is unlikely that even the most intense of Hornblower admirers will find anything to complain of in Peck's portrait of the lion-hearted captain, or of Miss Mayo's impersonation of the fiery, lovely Lady Barbara. Go to Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion 03/07/2010
Breathtaking Go to Full Review Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television 07/17/2009
Brilliant adventure film with rich visual style. Go to Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid 05/15/2009
Captain Horatio Hornblower showed the 64 year-old director Raoul Walsh still able to conjure up a rousing good action picture, even in color and with a largish budget. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 10/16/2008
B
A thinking person's swashbuckler. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Russ G Dec 25 Miss Mayo is lovely, perfectly coiffed and made up while withstanding the rigors of 19th Century seafaring, and Peck is handsome and dashing in this lightweight role. Good model ship action and excellent practical effects for the time; the sea battles are Old Hollywood magic and it's a wonder no one was actually killed during their filming. It would leave modern youth audiences bored especially with the mushy stuff, but probably wowed 'em back in '51. All in all a decent two-hour distraction. See more Steve D 01/22/2024 A bit overblown but Peck saves it. See more 02/12/2022 Great film peck is perfect as the lead. Great costumes and battle scenes . See more 10/02/2021 I still enjoy this movie but it is dated with old acting style. Still enjoyable but with some old things not getting away with today. The Mexicans are darkened to look Mestizo (insults me as I am a Conquistador (white)). Mother and Grandmother in love with Peck so growing up saw this movie 2x a year. See more ashley h @ashleyhobgood87 07/23/2018 Captain Horatio Hornblower is an excellent film. It is about Horatio Hornblower getting caught up in the shifting political tensions between Spain and England. Gregory Peck and Virginia Mayo give incredible performances. The screenplay is well written. Raoul Walsh did a great job directing this movie. I enjoyed watching this motion picture because of the drama and adventure. Captain Horatio Hornblower is a must see. See more 05/02/2018 Played loose with the storylines of a few of the books and changed hey facts. However, the portrayal of the characters and events was good. See more Read all reviews
Captain Horatio Hornblower

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Cast & Crew

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Raoul Walsh

Director

Gregory Peck

Capt. Horatio Hornblower R.N

Virginia Mayo

Lady Barbara Wellesley

Robert Beatty

Lt. William Bush

Terence Morgan

2nd Lt. Gerard

Moultrie Kelsall

Lt. Crystal

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Captain Horatio Hornblower

Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Capt. Horatio Hornblower (Gregory Peck) helms the HMS Lydia for a treacherous transatlantic mission near the dawn of the 19th century, during which his faithful crew battle both a Spanish warship and a ragged band of Central American rebels. In the process, he also saves Lady Barbara Wellesley (Virginia Mayo), whose brother is the Duke of Wellington. Though the couple fall in love during their return to England, she is betrothed to Hornblower's rival, Rear Adm. Leighton (Denis O'Dea).
Director
Raoul Walsh
Producer
Raoul Walsh
Screenwriter
Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts, Æneas MacKenzie
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre
Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 57m
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