Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951)

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Ivan Goff (screenplay) &
Ben Roberts (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 April 1951 (UK)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

Tagline:

Wherever adventure beckons, you'll find Captain Horatio Hornblower!

Plot:

During the Napoleonic wars, a British naval captain has adventures in Central American waters.

Plot Keywords:

Napoleonic Wars | Frigate | Megalomaniac | British Navy | Fortress

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N
Virginia Mayo	...	Lady Barbara Wellesley
Robert Beatty	...	Lt. William Bush
Moultrie Kelsall	...	Lt. Crystal (as M. Kelsall)
Terence Morgan	...	2nd Lt. Gerard (as T. Morgan)
James Kenney	...	Midshipman Longley
James Robertson Justice	...	Seaman Quist (as James R. Justice)
Denis O'Dea	...	RAdm. Sir Rodney Leighton
Richard Hearne	...	Polwheal (Hornblower's batman)
Michael Dolan	...	Surgeon Gundarson
Stanley Baker	...	Mr. Harrison (bosun)
Alan Tilvern	...	Hernandez
Alec Mango	...	El Supremo (Don Julian Alvarado)
Christopher Lee	...	Spanish captain
John Witty	...	Entenza
Michael Goodliffe	...	Col. Caillard (POW escort)
Eugene Deckers	...	French commandant
Ingeborg von Kusserow	...	Hebe (Lady Barbara's maid) (as Ingeborg Wells)
Amy Veness	...	Mrs. McPhee (Hornblower's housekeeper)
Kynaston Reeves	...	Adm. Lord Hood
Ronald Adam	...	Adm. McCartney
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Basil Bartlett	...	Capt. Elliott (uncredited)
Robert Cawdron	...	French mate on 'Witch of Endor' (uncredited)
Diane Cilento	...	Voice of Maria Hornblower (uncredited)
Howard Connell	...	Seaman on 'Lydia' (uncredited)
Patric Doonan	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Richard Johnson	...	Macrae (Surgeon's Mate) (uncredited)
Sam Kydd	...	Seaman Garvin (uncredited)
Peter Morton	...	Hommel - Flogged Seaman (uncredited)
Stuart Pearless	...	Seaman on 'Lydia' (uncredited)
Raymond Sherry	...	Seaman on 'Lydia' (uncredited)
Jack Stewart	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Russell Waters	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Jack Watson	...	Capt. Sylvester (uncredited)
Byron Webster	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Patrick Young	...	Lt. Radot (uncredited)

Directed by
Raoul Walsh

Writing credits
Ivan Goff		(screenplay) &
Ben Roberts		(screenplay) and
Æneas MacKenzie		(screenplay) (as Aeneas MacKenzie)
C.S. Forester		adaptation &
C.S. Forester		novel

Produced by
Gerry Mitchell	....	producer (uncredited)
Raoul Walsh	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Robert Farnon

Cinematography by
Guy Green		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jack Harris

Casting by
Robert Lennard		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Thomas N. Morahan		(as Tom Morahan)

Costume Design by
Sheila Graham
Thomas N. Morahan		(as Tom Morahan)

Makeup Department
Tony Sforzini	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Martin	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ken Adam	....	associate art director (uncredited)
Bill Beavis	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Harold V. King	....	sound (as Harold King)

Special Effects by
Harry Barndollar	....	special effects
George Blackwell	....	special effects
Arthur Rhoades	....	special effects (as Arthur S. Rhoades)
Cliff Richardson	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Peter Ellenshaw	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Jack Cooper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Maurice Gillett	....	electrician (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis Levy	....	musical director

Other crew
Joan Bridge	....	technicolor color consultant
I.T. Clark	....	technical advisor (as Cmdr. I.T. Clark)
David O. Selznick	....	Gregory Peck by arrangement with
Joan Davis	....	continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (presents) (as A Warner Bros. First National Picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1951) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1951) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1951) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (Germany) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Captain Horatio Hornblower (USA)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-16 | UK:U | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Leslie Linder, John Benson, Frank Coburn and Basil Appleby. were all suggested for parts.

Goofs:

Factual errors: It's 1807, and when Hornblower invites his officers for dinner before they go to capture the Natividad, they toast the King while sitting down, rather than standing to do so. This privilege was only given to the Royal Navy after 1830 when William IV became King. He had been a Royal Navy officer for many years himself, and knew how cramped things were on a ship, making standing for a toast difficult.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: In the year Eighteen Hundred and Seven, a small ship of the Royal Navy set sail from England for a secret destination. With five million French and Spanish soldiers poised on the Continent under Napolean, nothing could save England from invasion except her 300 ships. HMS Lydia was soon far beyond battle-charged Europe. Under the most secret of sealed orders, she sailed for southern waters, fought her way around the Horn...

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Conversation with Gregory Peck (1999)

British swashbuckling heroics.

Raul Walsh directs this action packed adventure, based on three novels by C.S. Forester. Captain Horatio Hornblower(Gregory Peck) is a stern 19th-century seafarer during the Napoleonic wars. He sometimes hides the truth from the hands on the ship Lydia in order to survive battles with Spain and France in Central American waters. Eight months into his mission he takes on board Lady Barbara Wellesley(Virgina Mayo) and her hand-maid for the return trip to England. Their love is professed, but will not continue for she is promised to a Rear Admiral soon to be Hornblower's commander. Along the way back to British shores Lady Barbara comes down ill and Hornblower nurses her back to health. This is a prelude to a serious situation in his own home. He arrives and finds that his wife has died in childbirth. His thoughts return to Lady Barbara, but she has already married. Plenty of action with cannon laden majestic ships in battle. The supporting cast features: Robert Beatty, James Kenney, Alec Mango, Denis O'Dea and Christopher Lee. Almost two hours of sea-going adventure in beautiful Technicolor.