Calling all sea-faring film fans who want to see Gregory Peck in a beautiful uniform! Greg plays the title character in Captain Horatio Hornblower, a strict man who follows the rules, corrects his mistakes, and clears his throat to excess when he's nervous. The main plot of the movie is international conflict during the Napoleonic wars. Since communication wasn't instantaneous back then, Greg didn't get the memo that Spain switched sides. While he's busy fighting Spanish ships, he doesn't know that Spain's loyalty has changed from France to England, and once he finds out, he has to somehow figure out a way to fix the mess, lest he and his crew be tried for treason. The side plot of the movie isn't war-related, it's romance-related. Virginia Mayo becomes a passenger on the ship, and naturally, she and Greg hit it off-in between his massive throat clearings.I know we weren't supposed to take the romantic part of the movie seriously, but Virginia Mayo's character really irritated me. In that day and age, when a lady's reputation was sacred, why would she ever put herself on board a ship with dozens of rough and tough sailors? She takes Greg's stateroom, meaning he'd have access to her chambers if he wanted, and flirts shamelessly with him the moment she comes aboard. Then, after claiming she hardly had time to pack her trunks, she dresses up in a different lavish gown for every scene. As Greg told her from the beginning, his men have been away at sea for eight months, and she expects to be able to prance around in a chest-baring, form-fitting, gorgeous gown and have the men ignore her feminine presence? It was pretty absurd, but if you're only in it for the fashion eye candy-or the Gregory Peck eye candy-you might not mind as much.

***SPOILERS*** Lavish production of the famous British Navy captain inspired by writer C.S Forester Horitio Hornblower played by Gregory Peck who got the part when the actor slated to play Captain Hornblower Errol Flynn blew it by being both too drunk and out of shape to be believable in the role.In the movie British Capt. Hornblower on his ship Lydia sails or blows around the South American continent into the Pacific Ocean to link up with South American rebel leader El Supremo, Alec Mongo. Together with El Supremo Hornblower plans to attack the Spanish Army who's in South America who at the time are allied with France's Napoleon whom Great Britan is a war with. Capturing a Spanish man of war the El Nitividad after a brief battle Hornblower against his better judgment hand the ship over to El Supremo who insists on having it. As things turn out El Supremo turns against Hornblower with it's learned that Spain became allies with Great Britian! This leads to an exciting sea battle between the British ship Lydia and the captured Spanish ship El Nitivda where El Supremo and his motley crew are blown away and end up at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean!It's when Honblower runs into, and later saves her life, Lady Barbara, Virginia Mayo, the sister of the Duke of Wellington that things get somewhat complicated for him. With Hornblwoer and Lady Barbara madly in love with each other it turns out that marriage is an impossibility for both of them! Hornblower is already happily married and Lady Barbara is slated to marry Hornblower's boss in the British Navy Admiral Leighton, Dennis O'Dea!***SPOILERS*** This of course is soon ironed out, by the movie screenwriters, with Hornblower's wife Marie dying while giving birth and Admiral Leighton, who hated Hornbower's guts, getting killed at sea when his flag ship was sunk by the French in the battle of Lateste! Hornblower who himself was captured during the battle by the French after sinking their entire fleet at Lateste escaped and made his way back, with the remainder of his crew, to England. It's there that Hornblower got the "good news" about Admiral Leighton's death and was now free to marry Lady Barbara, who didn't seem that distraught about losing her future husband, and live happily after after with her as both his wife and step-mother to his new born son.P.S Captain Hornblower almost blew it all by giving El Supremo the captured Spanish war ship that he later turned on the British Navy. But he soon vindicated himself by his heroic exploits at Lateste that more then made up for it.

Though it’s been a staple on Italian TV ever since childhood, for some reason I never got around to watching this seafaring epic – given its popular source material (C.S. Forester penned a series of novels about this fictional British naval hero), not to mention the imposing director and star (Gregory Peck) credentials. Anyway, going through a mini-swashbuckling marathon, it seemed the ideal opportunity to check it out; having said that, this is another film to which the epithet shouldn’t perhaps be attached – due to the fact that cannons are the sole weapons that are adopted during the various sea battles (after all, it’s closer to “Mutiny On The Bounty” than, say, the Errol Flynn vehicles made by the same studio, Warner Bros.)! Unsurprisingly, however, the end result still proved to be extremely typical of its kind and era: a colorful spectacle full of adventure, drama and romance, to say nothing of a stalwart cast. In fact, many a future British star is featured in this Anglo-American production, among them James Robertson Justice (a role he would virtually recreate that same year in another pirate romp, ANNE OF THE INDIES, which I’ve also just watched for the first time), Stanley Baker and Christopher Lee! The film basically resolves itself into a series of vignettes, designed to showcase the many facets of Hornblower’s personality: able navigator, disciplined commander and clever strategist. However, it takes care as well (albeit less successfully) to promote his human side – not merely through the all-too-predictable romantic complications involving the Virginia Mayo character, but the Captain’s rather silly idiosyncrasy of clearing his throat whenever he finds himself at a disadvantage!CAPTAIN HORATIO HORNBLOWER, therefore, is an incident-packed and generally entertaining ride – albeit longish at nearly two hours; for the record, Walsh and Peck would collaborate on another adventure film with the same milieu – THE WORLD IN HIS ARMS (1952) – while the star had one of his most atypical and challenging roles in the best cinematic adaptation of an equally famed seafaring source, Herman Melville’s MOBY DICK (1956)…

Raoul Walsh has many great films to his credit and once you see his name as director, you know the man has imbued his work with all the panache of a great artist. To his credit and well placed among his best work is the sea epic " Captain Horatio Hornblower." This story comes from the fertile and imaginative mind of novelist C. S. Forester who's famed hero has spawned a dozen books, films and T.V. specials. In this particular movie, we have legendary actor Gregory Peck playing the gallant and dashing swashbuckler aboard His Majestys' ship Lydia, Her secret mission is placed in the mists of the Napoleonic wars, charged to deliver guns and ammunition to a pint-size delusional dictator Don Julian Alvarado (Alec Mango) who greets him as a ally but later becomes a belligerent adversary. To help him in his quest is, Lt. William Bush (Robert Beatty) an admirable and courageous second in command. Lt. Crystal (Moultrie Kelsall) an excellent navigator. 2nd Lt. Gerard, Gunnery Officer (Terence Morgan) and Mr. Longley, (James Kenny) Midshipman and junior ensign. Together, with James Justice as 'Seaman Quist' they spend five years on the high seas, braving hunger, thirst and war time experiences, including saving beautiful Lady Barbara Wellesley (Virginia Mayo). A fine story fit for re-telling to any generation ****