Hornblower: Duty (2003) (TV)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Andrew Grieve

Writers:

Stephen Churchett (screenplay)
C.S. Forester (novel)

Release Date:

3 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | War

Plot:

Admiral Pellew interrupts Hornblower's wedding reception and tasks him to locate a British ship which has disappeared off the French coast, where Napoleon's troops are engaged in covert activities.

Plot Keywords:

Duty | Wedding Reception | Wedding | Honor | Christmas

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Ioan Gruffudd	...	Commander Horatio Hornblower
Robert Lindsay	...	Admiral Sir Edward Pellew
Paul McGann	...	Lieutenant Bush
Lorcan Cranitch	...	Wolfe
Tony Haygarth	...	Master Prowse
Julia Sawalha	...	Maria Mason
Barbara Flynn	...	Mrs. Mason
Paul Copley	...	Matthews
Sean Gilder	...	Styles
Jim Carter	...	Etheridge
Ron Cook	...	Steward James Doughty
Jonathan Coy	...	Captain Bracegirdle
Jonathan Forbes	...	Midshipman Charles Orrock
David Birkin	...	Jerome Bonaparte
Camilla Power	...	Betsy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Timothy Deenihan	...	Maguire
Richard Syms	...	Parson
Greg Wise	...	Major Andre Cotard

Directed by
Andrew Grieve

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Stephen Churchett		screenplay
C.S. Forester		novel "Horatio and the Hotspur"

Produced by
Andrew Benson	....	producer
Michele Buck	....	executive producer: Granada/LWT
Liz Bunton	....	line producer
Delia Fine	....	executive producer: A&E Network
Emilio Nunez	....	supervising producer

Original Music by
John E. Keane		(as John Keane)

Cinematography by
Chris O'Dell

Film Editing by
Keith Palmer

Casting by
Susie Parriss

Production Design by
Rob Harris

Art Direction by
Stephen Campbell
Paul Cross
Peter Wenham

Set Decoration by
Tina Jones

Costume Design by
John Mollo

Makeup Department
Suzan Broad	....	hair designer
Suzan Broad	....	makeup designer
Maureen Hannaford-Naisbitt	....	makeup artist
Joe Hopker	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Gail Kennett	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Radford Neville	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Dave Channon	....	construction manager
Garry Dawson	....	stand-by props
Katie Lee	....	props buyer

Sound Department
James Bain	....	sound maintenance
Rudi Buckle	....	sound recordist
Enzo Cannatella	....	sound effects editor
Michael Crouch	....	supervising sound editor
Pietro Dalmasso	....	assistant dubbing mixer
Colin Martin	....	dubbing mixer
Dave Sloss	....	foley recordist
Mark Verner	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Alex Gurucharri	....	special effects
Tom Harris	....	special effects
Jeremy Lovett	....	senior technician: model unit

Visual Effects by
Phil Attfield	....	digital effects supervisor
Robin Beard	....	digital effects artist
Neil Cunningham	....	visual effects supervisor
Tom Hocking	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Jeff Hewitt-Davis	....	stunt arranger
Paul Kennington	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Christian Abomnes	....	first assistant camera
Christian Abomnes	....	focus puller
Martin Cox	....	electrician
Paul Donachie	....	camera operator
James Foster	....	second assistant camera
Vince Goddard	....	gaffer
Gwilym Hoosen-Owen	....	electrician
Nigel Stone	....	director of photography: model unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alan Flyng	....	wardrobe master
Barbara Rutter	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Simon Harris	....	assistant film editor
Steve Lee	....	assistant on-line editor
Vincent Narduzzo	....	telecine colorist (as Vince Narduzzo)
Shane Warden	....	editor: video tape

Other crew
Peter Foster	....	runner
Linda Gibson	....	script supervisor
Will Gould	....	script editor
Rob Grundy	....	supervising armorer
Martin Gutteridge	....	director: model unit
Sasha Harris	....	production coordinator
Louise O'Malley	....	production accountant
Douglas M. Ray	....	contact: London
Natalie Rogers	....	assistant to producer
Derek Wax	....	script executive
Marlea Willis	....	senior unit publicist: A&E Network

Production Companies

• Meridian Broadcasting
• United Film and Television Productions

Distributors

• A&E Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• A&E Home Video (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• A&E Television Networks (2003) (USA) (TV)
• Cinema Club (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Cinema Club (2003) (UK) (VHS)
• ITV DVD (2006) (UK) (DVD)
• Independent Television (ITV) (2003) (UK) (TV)

Other Companies

• Celtic/Picture Palace  series developed by

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Falmouth, Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

Meridian Broadcasting

Trivia:

The blue and white print gown worn by Julia Sawalha (Maria) to church is the same costume worn by a guest at the Easter Ball in "Wives and Daughters" (1999).

Goofs:

Factual errors: Hornblower was actually talking about shore batteries and not ship board artillery. Some shore batteries were measured in calibers/inches (diameter) than in the weight of the shot fired.

Quotes:

Admiral Sir Edward Pellew: You see things, sir, that others do not. One thing you do not question is your loyalty to your King. One day, Hornblower, you'll fight for more than England.
Commander Horatio Hornblower: What is there more than England?
Admiral Sir Edward Pellew: [He pointedly does not answer]

Movie Connections:

Follows Hornblower: Loyalty (2003) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Yankee Doodle

Just as good as the books!

I'm a long-time Hornblower fan; I own all the books and have read them so often they're falling apart. I can almost recite the Gregory Peck movie word for word as well! but this series is far, far better and of course more 'gutsy'. I bought the boxed DVD set on its release because it's one of those classic British historical dramas I will never get tired of watching.

While a fair amount of poetic license has been taken with the novels, I still feel I haven't been in any way cheated, or that Forester's characters have been misused. The way the screenwriters melded the different books together to make a full and exciting series is truly excellent, and Ioan Gruffudd shines as Hornblower; he even fits Forester's physical description. Robert Lindsay as Sir Edmund Pellew was brilliant, as indeed were every one of the actors.

I only wish they hadn't stopped!

A terrific series, well worth a look for anyone keen on swashing their buckles.