Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)

Director:

Albert Lewin

Writer:

Albert Lewin (writer)

Release Date:

15 October 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

The Woman of the year in the picture of the year ! [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

Albert Lewin's interpretation of the legend of the Flying Dutchman. In a little spanish seaport named Esperanza...

Plot Keywords:

Flying Dutchman | Pandora | Yacht | Esperanza | Singer

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

James Mason	...	Hendrik van der Zee
Ava Gardner	...	Pandora Reynolds
Nigel Patrick	...	Stephen Cameron
Sheila Sim	...	Janet
Harold Warrender	...	Geoffrey Fielding
Mario Cabré	...	Juan Montalvo
Marius Goring	...	Reggie Demarest
John Laurie	...	Angus
Pamela Mason	...	Jenny (as Pamela Kellino)
Patricia Raine	...	Peggy
Margarita D'Alvarez	...	Senora Montalvo
La Pillina	...	Spanish dancer
Abraham Sofaer	...	Judge
Francisco Igual	...	Vicente
Guillermo Beltrán	...	Barman
Lilli Molnar	...	Geoffrey's housekeeper (as Lila Molnar)
Phoebe Hodgson	...	Dressmaker
Gabriel Carmona	...	Member of Montalvo's cuadrilla
Antonio Martín	...	Member of Montalvo's cuadrilla
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lolita Allergria	...	Singer, Zanba number (uncredited)
John Carew	...	Priest (uncredited)
Helen Cleverley	...	(uncredited)
Pepe de la Isla	...	Guitarist, Zambra number (uncredited)
Christiana Forbes	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Eddie Leslie	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Ricardo Valle	...	(uncredited)
Gerald Welsh	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Albert Lewin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Albert Lewin		writer

Produced by
Joe Kaufmann	....	producer
Albert Lewin	....	producer
John Woolf	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Alan Rawsthorne

Cinematography by
Jack Cardiff

Film Editing by
Ralph Kemplen
Clive Donner		(uncredited)

Production Design by
John Bryan

Costume Design by
Beatrice Dawson

Art Department
John Hawkesworth	....	set dresser
T. Hopewell Ash	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Alan Allen	....	sound recordist
Harry Miller	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
W. Percy Day	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Man Ray	....	still photographer
Edward Scaife	....	photographer: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Julia Squire	....	costumer (uncredited)

Music Department
Hubert Clifford	....	musical director

Other crew
Joan Bridge	....	technicolor color consultant
Gordon Griffith	....	assistant to producers
Angela Allen	....	continuity (uncredited)
Catherine O'Brien	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Jeanie Sims	....	assistant: Albert Lewin (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Dorkay Productions
• Romulus Films

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kino Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Dorkay Productions

Trivia:

The tavern "Las Dos Tortugas" shares the same name (but in a different language) as the tavern "The Two Turtles" in Albert Lewin's earlier The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The picture that Hendrik carries of his late wife is a photograph. Photography had not yet been invented in the 17th century, when his wife was last alive.

Quotes:

Judge: I pity you not MY doom, but GOD'S!

Movie Connections:

References The Ancient Mariner (1925)

Soundtrack:

You're Driving Me Crazy

Absorbing, intense, and beautiful

Albert Lewin's work as director had not impressed me prior to seeing "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" I found myself frankly quite bored by his version of Maugham's "The Moon and Sixpence" as well as "The Private Affairs of Bel Ami". "The Picture of Dorian Gray" has quite the reputation, but I unfortunately haven't seen it yet.

'Exceeded expectations' cannot begin to describe how surprised I was at how absorbing, intense, captivating, and utterly gorgeous "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" is. Sure, there are flaws, mostly in the script which occasionally seems to think it's smarter than it actually is and goes for the sort of intrusive voice-over narration that never fails to annoy, but also in scenes where Lewin's decisions as director become frustrating and in the score which is generally quite good but often overbearing.

Regardless of its flaws, "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" is a literate, creative, fairly original, and exceptionally well-acted film, with the exceptional feature of being photographed by Jack Cardiff OBE, who was on quite a run going into this film having photographed the three Powell/Pressburger classics from the 40's: "A Matter of Life and Death", "Black Narcissus", and "The Red Shoes" as well as the underrated if not exactly great 1949 Hitchcock offering "Under Capricorn". James Mason and Ava Gardner are really excellent here in the lead roles.

I was not looking forward to "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" but I found myself very pleasantly surprised by it. It's far from a perfect film but I did find it to be quite excellent; even the melodrama that tends to bother me in romances from this era of film worked in the context of this film. A surprisingly good film, overall.

8/10