Claude-Rains Movie Reviews

The original INVISBLE MAN is now 70 years old, and obviously it shows some age by being a bit static and talky. Overall, however, I was pretty impressed with how enjoyable it is in light of today's action movies. The film was directed by James Whale, who made "Frankenstein" and was the subject of "Gods and Monsters."

Claude Rains, in his first major role, plays a scientist who meddles with invisibility. His experiments work, except now he can't reverse the results, and he's slowing going mad. Gloria Stuart (old Rose from Titanic) plays his love interest who tries to talk him back to sanity. The special effects still work pretty well - apparently the invisiblity scenes were filmed by having Rains in a black velvet body stocking and filmed in front of a black velvet backdrop (an early precursor to our bluescreen special effects). Some of the acting is pretty hammy but doesn't detract too much from the main story. Finally, it's a surprisingly humorous movie - I laughed out loud more than once! Highly recommended for fans of early horror films and classic films in general.

Jack Griffin is a brilliant scientist who has some ideas that his peers think dangerous and unethical. Not one to be dissuaded, Griffin successfully experiments on himself, becoming the first human to be rendered invisible. Unfortunately, prolonged invisibility--or possibly the invisibility drug itself, as his peers had warned--begins to deteriorate Griffin's mind, and he soon becomes a power-hungry killer bent on revenge.

Though rarely seen in the film due to the special effects and costuming demanded by the part, Claude Rains does a dynamic job in the role of Jack Griffin. His gravelly voice and vocal histrionics serve perfectly in delivering to the audience Griffin's descent into emotional hell. And James Whale's direction is as brilliant as ever, creating the appropriate mood and atmosphere as we follow a madman's ravaging of the English countryside.

One of only four Horror films directed by James Whale for Universal, THE INVISIBLE MAN is a work that some historians and critics regard as a veiled allegory of the director's own publically covert homosexuality. While FRANKENSTEIN and BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN also depict societal outcasts in a sympathetic light, the eponymous character in THE INVISIBLE MAN is a character in a situation that is most like Whale's own--a respected genius in the public eye, but a person whose true self must remain invisible.

Even if you don't buy that particular historical perspective, THE INVISIBLE MAN still works as an allegory of any societal pariah. We all have traits that we sometimes hide from others; we all have masks that we wear. And at the times when we dwell on the things we keep hidden behind those masks, we may feel just a little "invisible" to others. So in watching THE INVISIBLE MAN, Jack Griffin becomes a metaphor for our own private identities, and we care about what happens to him. As with many of Whale's films, this pathos for the protagonist becomes a skeleton on which hangs the overall plot.

Compared to contemporary movies, the special effects in this film might seem a little dated. But the script is good, the directing is great, and the acting is superb. Anyone who enjoyes a well-crafted movie certainly won't be disappointed.

Even though we don't see him till the very last scene, Claude Raines gives probably his best performance. This was by far the best invisible man themed movie that I have seen.

There are some really tense parts especially after Raines tells Kemp he is going to kill him. There is also some extremely amusing scenes (Raines going through the countryside with nothing but a basket and singing a children's song while scarring all the townfolk.

Great movie for all the guys who liked to lay out the toy soldiers, GI Joes, cowboys & indians & stage dining room floor battles when they were kids & they are legion, I know. Very rousing, stirring, but still a bit confusing if you're trying to follow political or military planning or history. Hope the Brits come up with a mini-series that sticks a bit closer to the 7 Pillars of Wisdom & gets someone a bit more to (down-) scale for TEL. Personally I find O'Toole's performance gooier with each viewing.

I won't review the movie. That's all been said before. And reading the other reviews will make you aware of the extraordinary restoration effort that was put into this masterpiece for its re-release in 70 mm 15 years ago. But no matter how good that release was, it didn't translate well to home video. I've had a VHS version and also own the DVD release from two years ago. That deluxe disc set had the entire three-hour plus film on one disc and was not properly color corrected. (The second disc IS chock full of newsreel footage and other extras if you enjoy that sort of thing)

Now comes the Superbit release, which spreads the movie across two discs, dramatically increasing the bit rate. For once, Superbit really comes through and great improves the DVD experience. There are no extras. But the quality of the video is amazing. Key to this was the involvement in this edition of Robert Harris, who worked with David Lean and the film's cinematographer on the 1988 restoration. Mr. Harris details on thedigitalbits.com the time spent on this new DVD release to get everything right.

The results are excellent. It's like a veil was lifted from the film to fully reveal the magnificent details of the desert landscapes. The 5.1 and DTS mixes are also top notch.

Whatever you have heard about Superbit, this is the version of the title to own and one of the major DVD releases of this or any other year. If you enjoy this film, you owe it to yourself to rent or buy this version.

"Lawrence of Arabia," one of the most compelling character studies ever captured on film, is the story of T.E. Lawrence, the eccentric British spy who was the prime architect for the destruction of the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The story unfolds in the haunting beauty of the vast, harsh, and unforgiving deserts of the Middle East.

Maurice Jarre, through eloquent musical composition, gives voice to both the man and the desert. Lawrence was a man conflicted by personal ambition and a romantic image of the Arab cause. In real life, Lawrence was a homosexual who had relations with his beduoin slaves.

Jarre's crisp, syncopated musical rhythms vividly portray the exotic Arabian culture that so appealed to Lawrence. The majestic moments of the score, however, are reserved for the desert. Jarre's sweeping orchestrations blend with David Lean's expansive visual images to evoke the raw, physical power of the desert. This unforgettable synergy of sight and sound is perhaps the finest ever recorded on film.

Great movie for all the guys who liked to lay out the toy soldiers, GI Joes, cowboys & indians & stage dining room floor battles when they were kids & they are legion, I know. Very rousing, stirring, but still a bit confusing if you're trying to follow political or military planning or history. Hope the Brits come up with a mini-series that sticks a bit closer to the 7 Pillars of Wisdom & gets someone a bit more to (down-) scale for TEL. Personally I find O'Toole's performance gooier with each viewing.

I won't review the movie. That's all been said before. And reading the other reviews will make you aware of the extraordinary restoration effort that was put into this masterpiece for its re-release in 70 mm 15 years ago. But no matter how good that release was, it didn't translate well to home video. I've had a VHS version and also own the DVD release from two years ago. That deluxe disc set had the entire three-hour plus film on one disc and was not properly color corrected. (The second disc IS chock full of newsreel footage and other extras if you enjoy that sort of thing)

Now comes the Superbit release, which spreads the movie across two discs, dramatically increasing the bit rate. For once, Superbit really comes through and great improves the DVD experience. There are no extras. But the quality of the video is amazing. Key to this was the involvement in this edition of Robert Harris, who worked with David Lean and the film's cinematographer on the 1988 restoration. Mr. Harris details on thedigitalbits.com the time spent on this new DVD release to get everything right.

The results are excellent. It's like a veil was lifted from the film to fully reveal the magnificent details of the desert landscapes. The 5.1 and DTS mixes are also top notch.

Whatever you have heard about Superbit, this is the version of the title to own and one of the major DVD releases of this or any other year. If you enjoy this film, you owe it to yourself to rent or buy this version.

"Lawrence of Arabia," one of the most compelling character studies ever captured on film, is the story of T.E. Lawrence, the eccentric British spy who was the prime architect for the destruction of the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The story unfolds in the haunting beauty of the vast, harsh, and unforgiving deserts of the Middle East.

Maurice Jarre, through eloquent musical composition, gives voice to both the man and the desert. Lawrence was a man conflicted by personal ambition and a romantic image of the Arab cause. In real life, Lawrence was a homosexual who had relations with his beduoin slaves.

Jarre's crisp, syncopated musical rhythms vividly portray the exotic Arabian culture that so appealed to Lawrence. The majestic moments of the score, however, are reserved for the desert. Jarre's sweeping orchestrations blend with David Lean's expansive visual images to evoke the raw, physical power of the desert. This unforgettable synergy of sight and sound is perhaps the finest ever recorded on film.

While lacking color and Olivia de Havilland, The Sea Hawk is Flynn's top pirate adventure film. The interplay between Flynn and Alan Hale is superb, never better. Flynn shows a striking contrast between his easy approach to Queen Elizabeth (wonderfully played by Flora Robson) and his almost fumbling manner with Donna Maria (Brenda Marshall). Villainy supreme from Claude Rains and Henry Daniell, both scheming and sly.

A great touch in this release is the restoration of the sepia-toned sequence in Panama. Wonderfully conveys the sense of the unbearable heat and oppression.

This film has to be near the top of the list for any fan of Errol Flynn - and for any fan of action/adventure films.

This movie has to be seen to be believed. It's an absolutely fabulous film. Director Michael Curtiz is, in my opinion, one of the great storytellers of all time. (After all, he directed "Casablanca" only two years after "The Sea Hawk.") This is a film unencumbered by flashback sequences and neurotic characters. At the same time, the characters are rich and complicated, all of them caught in an escalating war between England and Spain. These were symbolic when the film was made for the Allies and the Nazis, and you can almost feel the actors' intensity over their uncertainty of the future, and Erich Korngold's music is probably his masterpiece in conveying not only chivalry and heroism, but an extraordinary longing for freedom and release from political aggression.

Like the other reviewers have noted, Errol Flynn is at his best. The cast is generally superb, although I would have cast something closer to a real Spaniard for Don Alvarez instead of - again! - Claude Rains. As a Spaniard, he should at least have tempered his British accent. Flora Robson as Queen Elizabeth I is simply the best Elizabeth I have ever seen on film. (Sorry Bette Davis and Judi Dench.)

This film is not only thrilling, dashing, and heartwarming, it is really "about" something. And since September of 2001, this film has suddenly taken on yet a new meaning for our own time.

I am holding my breath for a DVD of this soon?? And please, be careful with the sound transfer. The music for this film is one of the finest film scores ever composed.

"The Sea Hawk" is the definitive swashbuckling tale and captures legendary actor Errol Flynn at his most dynamic. He was an actor born for these type of romantic action roles as seen in the earlier classics "Captain Blood", and "The Adventures of Robin Hood". This film reveals Flynn in a tailor made role when he was at the peak of his physical fitness, and athletic prowess and he brings a new maturity and depth to his character here after 5 years of top stardom at Warner Brothers. "The Sea Hawk", is everything a good high seas adventure should be with eye filling adventure, exotic locations, romance, dashes of intrigue and superb swordplay.

With the the huge box office returns Warner's got for "Captain Blood", it was certain that Errol Flynn would be the natural choice to head any future productions of lavish pirate tales being filmed by the studio. That encore came along in another adventure story written by Rafael Sabatini "The Sea Hawk",which Warner's planned as one of their most lavish productions for 1940. Discarding most of the original novel writers Koch and Miller fashioned an exciting and beautiful screenplay that worked wonderfully on screen. "The Sea Hawk", tells the story of British Privateer Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe (Errol Flynn), who with secret backing from Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson), sets out on many voyages designed to harrass the Spanish Empire while enriching the British treasury with plunder from the Spanish Galleons that Thorpe raids on their way back from the New World. An adventure of a different sort confronts Thorpe when he inadvertently captures a Spanish ship that happens to be carrying the new Spanish Ambassador Don Jose Alvarez de Cordoba (Claude Rains),and his niece Dona Maria (Brenda Marshall) to England. What initially starts out as outrage at the injustice done to her by Dona Maria slowly turns to love as she sees Thorpe's humane side in rescueing the unfortunate slaves from the Spanish ship's galleys and in seeing to her comfort on the journey to England. Once in England after a superficial reprimand from the secretly pleased queen for the benefit of her Spanish guests, Thorpe and the other Sea Hawks press her about the seriousness of King Phillip of Spain's threat to England's security with the mighty Armada he is planning. Capt. Thorpe plans to attack the Spanish before they are ready to sail and with the Queen Elizabeth's un-official blessing secretly plans a voyage to the Carribean to raid more Spanish vessels to get more gold to help build England's defense fleet. He however doesn't count on English spy Lord Wolfingham who by underhanded means finds out about the voyage and warns the Spanish Ambassador of Thorpe's intent. Once the privateers are in Panama they are ambushed by the Spanish in a trap and sentenced to life imprisonment as galley slaves. All seems lost until Thorpe and his men orchestrate an escape plan which sees them get back to England. Aware that the Queen has been forced to put an arrest order on all Sea Hawks in England, Capt. Thorpe literally fights his way room by room to get to the Queen along the way duelling to the death with his enemy the traitorous Lord Wolfingham. Pardoned by the Queen the preparations to defend England from the growing threat of the Armada are put into place beginning with a rousing speech by the Queen about the need for the nation to be united as one in times of adversity.

"The Sea Hawk", is a stunning "A" class production despite it's strange absence of colour photography. It contains great work by Errol Flynn who is in turn rogueish and athletic on the high seas and then refined and subdued in the romantic and court scenes. The supporting cast is headed by "Flynn regular", Alan Hale in the role of Thorpe's offsider in adventure Mr. Pitt, and the lovely Brenda Marshall as Dona Maria who has just the right dark icy beauty to be perfect as the upright noblewoman who is melted by love for Capt. Thorpe. Claude Rains lends his usual excellent suport to the role of the Spanish Ambassador and Henry Daniell steals ever scene he is in as the traitor Lord Wolfingham. Flora Robson in a great performance also lends impressive support in the smaller role of Queen Elizabeth and delivers a totally convincing and balanced interpretation of this famous woman, at times stern and authoritian and at others almost playful and very human in her dealings with Thorpe. The "Sea Hawk", production christened the huge new sound stage at Warner's built to accomodate this huge production and two full sized galleons were constructed for the sea bound action scenes. With a huge budget of almost 2 million dollars the costumes, sets, and attention to historical detail are unsurpassed. Erich Wolfgang Korngold's sweeping Academy Award nominated musical score is one of the best in his distinguished career and really enhances the overall impact of the story. The recently restored "Sepia " sequence is also a highlight during the Panama scenes and it's murky quality really lends atmosphere to the hot swamp scenes when the men are being pursued by the Spainards and are dying of fatigue.

For all lovers of swashbuckling adventures you need go no further than the Michael Curtiz directed pirate classic "The Sea Hawk". This film is certainly what the legend of Errol Flynn is all about and his obvious appeal to movie goers is very evident in his powerful screen charisma here. Many copies of "The Sea Hawk", have been made but none come close to it in great story telling, lively performances and beautiful production values. "The Sea Hawk", is classic Hollywood at its very best and is esential viewing for all classic movie lovers.

While lacking color and Olivia de Havilland, The Sea Hawk is Flynn's top pirate adventure film. The interplay between Flynn and Alan Hale is superb, never better. Flynn shows a striking contrast between his easy approach to Queen Elizabeth (wonderfully played by Flora Robson) and his almost fumbling manner with Donna Maria (Brenda Marshall). Villainy supreme from Claude Rains and Henry Daniell, both scheming and sly.

A great touch in this release is the restoration of the sepia-toned sequence in Panama. Wonderfully conveys the sense of the unbearable heat and oppression.

This film has to be near the top of the list for any fan of Errol Flynn - and for any fan of action/adventure films.

This movie has to be seen to be believed. It's an absolutely fabulous film. Director Michael Curtiz is, in my opinion, one of the great storytellers of all time. (After all, he directed "Casablanca" only two years after "The Sea Hawk.") This is a film unencumbered by flashback sequences and neurotic characters. At the same time, the characters are rich and complicated, all of them caught in an escalating war between England and Spain. These were symbolic when the film was made for the Allies and the Nazis, and you can almost feel the actors' intensity over their uncertainty of the future, and Erich Korngold's music is probably his masterpiece in conveying not only chivalry and heroism, but an extraordinary longing for freedom and release from political aggression.

Like the other reviewers have noted, Errol Flynn is at his best. The cast is generally superb, although I would have cast something closer to a real Spaniard for Don Alvarez instead of - again! - Claude Rains. As a Spaniard, he should at least have tempered his British accent. Flora Robson as Queen Elizabeth I is simply the best Elizabeth I have ever seen on film. (Sorry Bette Davis and Judi Dench.)

This film is not only thrilling, dashing, and heartwarming, it is really "about" something. And since September of 2001, this film has suddenly taken on yet a new meaning for our own time.

I am holding my breath for a DVD of this soon?? And please, be careful with the sound transfer. The music for this film is one of the finest film scores ever composed.

"The Sea Hawk" is the definitive swashbuckling tale and captures legendary actor Errol Flynn at his most dynamic. He was an actor born for these type of romantic action roles as seen in the earlier classics "Captain Blood", and "The Adventures of Robin Hood". This film reveals Flynn in a tailor made role when he was at the peak of his physical fitness, and athletic prowess and he brings a new maturity and depth to his character here after 5 years of top stardom at Warner Brothers. "The Sea Hawk", is everything a good high seas adventure should be with eye filling adventure, exotic locations, romance, dashes of intrigue and superb swordplay.

With the the huge box office returns Warner's got for "Captain Blood", it was certain that Errol Flynn would be the natural choice to head any future productions of lavish pirate tales being filmed by the studio. That encore came along in another adventure story written by Rafael Sabatini "The Sea Hawk",which Warner's planned as one of their most lavish productions for 1940. Discarding most of the original novel writers Koch and Miller fashioned an exciting and beautiful screenplay that worked wonderfully on screen. "The Sea Hawk", tells the story of British Privateer Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe (Errol Flynn), who with secret backing from Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson), sets out on many voyages designed to harrass the Spanish Empire while enriching the British treasury with plunder from the Spanish Galleons that Thorpe raids on their way back from the New World. An adventure of a different sort confronts Thorpe when he inadvertently captures a Spanish ship that happens to be carrying the new Spanish Ambassador Don Jose Alvarez de Cordoba (Claude Rains),and his niece Dona Maria (Brenda Marshall) to England. What initially starts out as outrage at the injustice done to her by Dona Maria slowly turns to love as she sees Thorpe's humane side in rescueing the unfortunate slaves from the Spanish ship's galleys and in seeing to her comfort on the journey to England. Once in England after a superficial reprimand from the secretly pleased queen for the benefit of her Spanish guests, Thorpe and the other Sea Hawks press her about the seriousness of King Phillip of Spain's threat to England's security with the mighty Armada he is planning. Capt. Thorpe plans to attack the Spanish before they are ready to sail and with the Queen Elizabeth's un-official blessing secretly plans a voyage to the Carribean to raid more Spanish vessels to get more gold to help build England's defense fleet. He however doesn't count on English spy Lord Wolfingham who by underhanded means finds out about the voyage and warns the Spanish Ambassador of Thorpe's intent. Once the privateers are in Panama they are ambushed by the Spanish in a trap and sentenced to life imprisonment as galley slaves. All seems lost until Thorpe and his men orchestrate an escape plan which sees them get back to England. Aware that the Queen has been forced to put an arrest order on all Sea Hawks in England, Capt. Thorpe literally fights his way room by room to get to the Queen along the way duelling to the death with his enemy the traitorous Lord Wolfingham. Pardoned by the Queen the preparations to defend England from the growing threat of the Armada are put into place beginning with a rousing speech by the Queen about the need for the nation to be united as one in times of adversity.

"The Sea Hawk", is a stunning "A" class production despite it's strange absence of colour photography. It contains great work by Errol Flynn who is in turn rogueish and athletic on the high seas and then refined and subdued in the romantic and court scenes. The supporting cast is headed by "Flynn regular", Alan Hale in the role of Thorpe's offsider in adventure Mr. Pitt, and the lovely Brenda Marshall as Dona Maria who has just the right dark icy beauty to be perfect as the upright noblewoman who is melted by love for Capt. Thorpe. Claude Rains lends his usual excellent suport to the role of the Spanish Ambassador and Henry Daniell steals ever scene he is in as the traitor Lord Wolfingham. Flora Robson in a great performance also lends impressive support in the smaller role of Queen Elizabeth and delivers a totally convincing and balanced interpretation of this famous woman, at times stern and authoritian and at others almost playful and very human in her dealings with Thorpe. The "Sea Hawk", production christened the huge new sound stage at Warner's built to accomodate this huge production and two full sized galleons were constructed for the sea bound action scenes. With a huge budget of almost 2 million dollars the costumes, sets, and attention to historical detail are unsurpassed. Erich Wolfgang Korngold's sweeping Academy Award nominated musical score is one of the best in his distinguished career and really enhances the overall impact of the story. The recently restored "Sepia " sequence is also a highlight during the Panama scenes and it's murky quality really lends atmosphere to the hot swamp scenes when the men are being pursued by the Spainards and are dying of fatigue.

For all lovers of swashbuckling adventures you need go no further than the Michael Curtiz directed pirate classic "The Sea Hawk". This film is certainly what the legend of Errol Flynn is all about and his obvious appeal to movie goers is very evident in his powerful screen charisma here. Many copies of "The Sea Hawk", have been made but none come close to it in great story telling, lively performances and beautiful production values. "The Sea Hawk", is classic Hollywood at its very best and is esential viewing for all classic movie lovers.

While lacking color and Olivia de Havilland, The Sea Hawk is Flynn's top pirate adventure film. The interplay between Flynn and Alan Hale is superb, never better. Flynn shows a striking contrast between his easy approach to Queen Elizabeth (wonderfully played by Flora Robson) and his almost fumbling manner with Donna Maria (Brenda Marshall). Villainy supreme from Claude Rains and Henry Daniell, both scheming and sly.

A great touch in this release is the restoration of the sepia-toned sequence in Panama. Wonderfully conveys the sense of the unbearable heat and oppression.

This film has to be near the top of the list for any fan of Errol Flynn - and for any fan of action/adventure films.

This movie has to be seen to be believed. It's an absolutely fabulous film. Director Michael Curtiz is, in my opinion, one of the great storytellers of all time. (After all, he directed "Casablanca" only two years after "The Sea Hawk.") This is a film unencumbered by flashback sequences and neurotic characters. At the same time, the characters are rich and complicated, all of them caught in an escalating war between England and Spain. These were symbolic when the film was made for the Allies and the Nazis, and you can almost feel the actors' intensity over their uncertainty of the future, and Erich Korngold's music is probably his masterpiece in conveying not only chivalry and heroism, but an extraordinary longing for freedom and release from political aggression.

Like the other reviewers have noted, Errol Flynn is at his best. The cast is generally superb, although I would have cast something closer to a real Spaniard for Don Alvarez instead of - again! - Claude Rains. As a Spaniard, he should at least have tempered his British accent. Flora Robson as Queen Elizabeth I is simply the best Elizabeth I have ever seen on film. (Sorry Bette Davis and Judi Dench.)

This film is not only thrilling, dashing, and heartwarming, it is really "about" something. And since September of 2001, this film has suddenly taken on yet a new meaning for our own time.

I am holding my breath for a DVD of this soon?? And please, be careful with the sound transfer. The music for this film is one of the finest film scores ever composed.

"The Sea Hawk" is the definitive swashbuckling tale and captures legendary actor Errol Flynn at his most dynamic. He was an actor born for these type of romantic action roles as seen in the earlier classics "Captain Blood", and "The Adventures of Robin Hood". This film reveals Flynn in a tailor made role when he was at the peak of his physical fitness, and athletic prowess and he brings a new maturity and depth to his character here after 5 years of top stardom at Warner Brothers. "The Sea Hawk", is everything a good high seas adventure should be with eye filling adventure, exotic locations, romance, dashes of intrigue and superb swordplay.

With the the huge box office returns Warner's got for "Captain Blood", it was certain that Errol Flynn would be the natural choice to head any future productions of lavish pirate tales being filmed by the studio. That encore came along in another adventure story written by Rafael Sabatini "The Sea Hawk",which Warner's planned as one of their most lavish productions for 1940. Discarding most of the original novel writers Koch and Miller fashioned an exciting and beautiful screenplay that worked wonderfully on screen. "The Sea Hawk", tells the story of British Privateer Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe (Errol Flynn), who with secret backing from Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson), sets out on many voyages designed to harrass the Spanish Empire while enriching the British treasury with plunder from the Spanish Galleons that Thorpe raids on their way back from the New World. An adventure of a different sort confronts Thorpe when he inadvertently captures a Spanish ship that happens to be carrying the new Spanish Ambassador Don Jose Alvarez de Cordoba (Claude Rains),and his niece Dona Maria (Brenda Marshall) to England. What initially starts out as outrage at the injustice done to her by Dona Maria slowly turns to love as she sees Thorpe's humane side in rescueing the unfortunate slaves from the Spanish ship's galleys and in seeing to her comfort on the journey to England. Once in England after a superficial reprimand from the secretly pleased queen for the benefit of her Spanish guests, Thorpe and the other Sea Hawks press her about the seriousness of King Phillip of Spain's threat to England's security with the mighty Armada he is planning. Capt. Thorpe plans to attack the Spanish before they are ready to sail and with the Queen Elizabeth's un-official blessing secretly plans a voyage to the Carribean to raid more Spanish vessels to get more gold to help build England's defense fleet. He however doesn't count on English spy Lord Wolfingham who by underhanded means finds out about the voyage and warns the Spanish Ambassador of Thorpe's intent. Once the privateers are in Panama they are ambushed by the Spanish in a trap and sentenced to life imprisonment as galley slaves. All seems lost until Thorpe and his men orchestrate an escape plan which sees them get back to England. Aware that the Queen has been forced to put an arrest order on all Sea Hawks in England, Capt. Thorpe literally fights his way room by room to get to the Queen along the way duelling to the death with his enemy the traitorous Lord Wolfingham. Pardoned by the Queen the preparations to defend England from the growing threat of the Armada are put into place beginning with a rousing speech by the Queen about the need for the nation to be united as one in times of adversity.

"The Sea Hawk", is a stunning "A" class production despite it's strange absence of colour photography. It contains great work by Errol Flynn who is in turn rogueish and athletic on the high seas and then refined and subdued in the romantic and court scenes. The supporting cast is headed by "Flynn regular", Alan Hale in the role of Thorpe's offsider in adventure Mr. Pitt, and the lovely Brenda Marshall as Dona Maria who has just the right dark icy beauty to be perfect as the upright noblewoman who is melted by love for Capt. Thorpe. Claude Rains lends his usual excellent suport to the role of the Spanish Ambassador and Henry Daniell steals ever scene he is in as the traitor Lord Wolfingham. Flora Robson in a great performance also lends impressive support in the smaller role of Queen Elizabeth and delivers a totally convincing and balanced interpretation of this famous woman, at times stern and authoritian and at others almost playful and very human in her dealings with Thorpe. The "Sea Hawk", production christened the huge new sound stage at Warner's built to accomodate this huge production and two full sized galleons were constructed for the sea bound action scenes. With a huge budget of almost 2 million dollars the costumes, sets, and attention to historical detail are unsurpassed. Erich Wolfgang Korngold's sweeping Academy Award nominated musical score is one of the best in his distinguished career and really enhances the overall impact of the story. The recently restored "Sepia " sequence is also a highlight during the Panama scenes and it's murky quality really lends atmosphere to the hot swamp scenes when the men are being pursued by the Spainards and are dying of fatigue.

For all lovers of swashbuckling adventures you need go no further than the Michael Curtiz directed pirate classic "The Sea Hawk". This film is certainly what the legend of Errol Flynn is all about and his obvious appeal to movie goers is very evident in his powerful screen charisma here. Many copies of "The Sea Hawk", have been made but none come close to it in great story telling, lively performances and beautiful production values. "The Sea Hawk", is classic Hollywood at its very best and is esential viewing for all classic movie lovers.

I'm a big hitchcock fan and i rented this movie the other night. I'd a heard a lot of good things about it. I don't know why it's considered a masterpiece! That movie was boring, there was no plot, nothing happens except fake 1940's kissing between grant and Bergman, there's not suspense, no surprises. It was nominated for best original screen play at the oscars and i really wonder who was the competition cause the screenplay sucks.

The star is for Cary Grant that's it. He played real well in it but really don't waste your time watching that movie, you'd be better off staring at a picture of cary grant for 90 minutes.

I've been a Criterion fan for many years (I still have my Cat People laserdisc). However there are a couple of odd things about this release.
1) Still frames show a reduced resolution. I've noticed this curious effect on several Criterion titles. Is this a DVD authoring problem?
2) The title sequence on this film is overzealously window-boxed. The image is reduced by at least 40%! WHY? Then the image zooms to fill the screen. If the title sequence needed to be window-boxed shouldn't the entire film require this? Strange.
It's about time that Criterion felt the pressure to use competitive pricing. Years ago they were the "only game in town" when it came to true special editions. Such editions have now become almost common place.
Still a great film. This disc almost rounds out my Hitchcock collection.

In the days following the end of WWII, an American agent (Cary Grant) recruits a socialite (Ingrid Bergman) with a reputation as a party girl and a father recently convicted as a Nazi spy. She is to use her connections to the Nazi underground to seduce one of the leaders (Claude Rains) and obtain some vital information. Matters are complicated when the girl and the agent fall for each other yet recognize the necessity of completing their mission.

This is a fine film with many suspenseful scenes, such as the party where it becomes vital that the champagne last all night. The heart of the film is the romance and this is also its weakness. There were so many scenes of simple misunderstandings and deliberately hurtful actions meant to disguise their true feelings that the characters began to seem rather childish. Although this may have been in character for Bergman's spoiled socialite, I would have expected more from Grant's seasoned professional spy. Nevertheless, Hitchcock's direction is innovative and the cast is excellent.

I'm a big hitchcock fan and i rented this movie the other night. I'd a heard a lot of good things about it. I don't know why it's considered a masterpiece! That movie was boring, there was no plot, nothing happens except fake 1940's kissing between grant and Bergman, there's not suspense, no surprises. It was nominated for best original screen play at the oscars and i really wonder who was the competition cause the screenplay sucks.

The star is for Cary Grant that's it. He played real well in it but really don't waste your time watching that movie, you'd be better off staring at a picture of cary grant for 90 minutes.

This review refers to the Criterion Collection DVD of Alfred Hitchcock's "Notorious".....

The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, gives us another edge of your seat thriller. He combines, mystery,romance, and the evil's of Nazism in this chilling story.It takes place shortly after WWII. Alicia(Ingrid Bergman) is a woman with a past. Her father has just been convicted of spying. American agent Devlin(Cary Grant), enlists Alicia to infiltrate a Nazi spy ring.After her father's conviction, Alicia can prove her own patriotism by cooperating in this manner. She finds herself right in the thick of things and her own life in danger after she goes as far as to marry Alex(Claude Rains), one of the very powerful, rich and dangerous ring leaders of the group. Alex is on to her and tries to methodically get rid of his beautiful wife.Can the handsome "Dev" rescue the woman he has come to love so much before tragedy strikes.?

You'll delight to find Hitch's trademarks all through the film. The camera angles are definitive,the trademark staircase scene, the passion between Grant and Bergman electrifying,Claude Rains is terrifying, and the story a rollercoaster of suspense filled moments. There isn't a more perfect film I can think of.

Looking for Hitch: A little over an hour in you can have a little drink with him.(Not too much though, the Champagne needs to last the night at this party).

I am always happy to report on a great restoration of a classic film. This one made in 1946 is a beautiful, crisp, clean transfer to this DVD. The Black and White images are sharp and you will notice the attention that was made to every detail during the filming. The tears streaming down Ingrid's face look like drops of crystal. It's amazing. The sound is in Dolby Dig Mono and is very good. There are lots of "extras" on this edition. Among them is some great commentary from Marian Keane(she is a film scholar and talks alot about camera angles and other pertinent facts to the film) which you can listen to during the film if you choose, You can isolate that wonderful soundtrack,there is correspondce between Selznick and others connected to the film,TWO booklets, one about Hitch's Notorious and other films and another listing Criterions releases. And there is much more(see tech info for complete list).There are also subtitles which may be helpful to hearing impaired viewers.

You do get your money's worth on this one. However, if you are not as interested in the extras and are just looking to view this fabulous classic, there is another edition by Anchor Bay which costs much less. Although I have not viewed this particular Anchor Bay Release I do have many others by them and have always been more than happy with their treatment of the transfer.

Kick back with Cary, Ingrid and Hitch for a day of suspense and romance..........Laurie

This may be the most romantic noir film of all time. Hitchcock used the same stark and opulent black and white cinematography that Preminger used in "Laura" to give this elegant love story set in the world of secret agents a lusciously romantic glow. Who better to bring this across than Cary Grant and the young and beautiful Ingrid Bergman?

From Miami to Brazil American Secret Agent Delvin (Grant) must use Alicia (Bergman) to get close to suspected Nazi Alexander Sebastion (Claude Rains) and find out what is being planned by he and his friends. Her father was convicted of spying for the Germans and playgirl Bergman has been living fast and hard trying to forget until she falls hard for Grant.

She may just be trusted enough to get in and find out, the only problem being Delvin is in love with the reformed Alicia as well but can't tell her. Sebastion is in love with Alicia also and all she wants is for Delvin to tell her not to get close to Sebastion. He can't, of course, and the romantic tension builds side by side with the suspense to create a unique atmosphere.

The romance gets equal billing until Alicia and Delvin discover something in the wine cellar besides wine, and Sebastion realizes she is a spy. Since Delvin has been reassigned to Spain, he may not be in time to save her. The famous staircase scene is just one highlight in a film filled with memorable images.

Hitchcock took an alluring Bergman and a handsome Grant, a tightly writtn and suspenseful script, and made one of the most exciting and lusciously beautiful films in screen history. Ingrid Bergman is lovely and vulnerable and Cary Grant has his hands full keeping his feelings to himself so he can do his job. Don't miss this one. It's one of Hitchcock's best.

This legendary horror film is the granddaddy of all werewolf movies. The previous "Werewolf of London" notwithstanding, this film set the standard for much that followed. Wolf Man Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney) became a popular member of the classic horror family at Universal Studios. Makeup genius Jack Pierce created the trademark hirsute fright look that has been imitated, but never improved, over the years. The familiar story of metamorphosis, wolfbane, and the autumn moon unfolds quickly. The running time of the film is a mere 70 minutes. Once it gets going, the action doesn't let up. The inspired casting of Maria Ouspenskaya as Maleva the gypsy woman is a memorable event in classic horror flicks. She brings a mystic sense of Slavic fatalism to her role. Her son, Bela the fortune teller, has the mark of the beast and infects Talbot. Bela Lugosi's appearance is brief, but he manages to project the world-weariness and suffering of his peculiar malady as the doomed gypsy who sees the pentagram in the palm of his next victim. The terrific scenes of Chaney in full makeup, creeping amid the gnarled trees and through the foggy night are the stuff of troubled childhood dreams. Scream Queen Evelyn Ankers is the resident threatened female. Claude Rains is cast in the unlikely role of the hulking Chaney's father. American Ralph Bellamy is also a peculiar choice to play the stern local chief constable. Despite these little quirks, it all blends nicely. About the only thing missing, is the dark sense of humor of James Whale, which made the early Universal Frankenstein flicks so richly enjoyable. Every serious collector of Classic Horror 101 needs this addition to their collection. ;-)

Although not as famous as "Dracula" or "Frankenstein," Universal's 1941 movie "The Wolf Man" is arguably the best horror film of the bunch. After his brother dies, Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.) returns from America to his ancestral home in Wales. While visiting a gypsy camp with Jenny Williams (Fay Helm) from the local village to have his fortune told, the young girl is attacked by Bela (Bela Lugosi), a gypsy who has been turned into a werewolf. Talbot manages to kill the werewolf, but during the fight he is bitten. Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya), Bela's mother, tells Talbot his tragic fortune: when the full moon rises, he too will become the Wolf Man. The doomed Talbot tries to explain his horrible plight to his father, Sir John (Claude Rains), but the old man refuses to believe. This means a final tragic encounter when the old man joins in the hunt for the werewolf, which also involves the woman Talbot loves, Gwen Conliffe (Evelyn Ankers).

"The Wolf Man" remains the most tragic figure in the Universal pantheon of monsters and this film directed by George Waggner holds up better than most of its contemporaries. Poor Larry Talbot is painfully aware of his curse and it is that pathos that overwhelms the wooden acting by most of the cast. The transformation sequences are first rate for the time and there are more believable scary moments in this film than any of the other classics.

"Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms. And the autumn moon is bright."

The 1941 version of "The Wolf Man" is one of the most important Universal monster movies that is a classic even if it is not a great film. That is because pretty much the entire mythology of werewolves, from the transformation beneath the full moon and the silver bullets to the appearance of a pentagram that marks the next victim of the werewolf, comes from this film. Consequently, screenwriter Curt Siodmak did for werewolves what Bram Stoker did for vampires, also working to take established folklore and then add a few creative twists.

The story of "The Wolf Man" should be well-known even to those who have yet to see the film. Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.), returns to his ancestral home in Wales following the death of his older brother. One night poor Larry is bitten by a wolf during an attack and he soon learns he has inherited the curse of lycanthrope from the gypsy werewolf (Bela Lugosi). Now, whenever the full moonrise, he goes out looking for some throats to rip out. What chance does he now have with the beautiful Gwen (Evelyn Ankers), and whatever will he tell his father, Sir John Talbot (Claude Reins?).

"The Wolf Man" is Lon Chaney, Jr.'s signature role mainly because it is one of the few movie monster roles that he originated (although the part was originally intended by Boris Karloff). Chaney was the original and only Larry Talbot, which is rather surprising given how often Universal played musical actors with the guys behind the monster makeup, which, once again, is by Jack Pierce. The film is more atmospheric than bloody, with lots of mist hugging the ground in the dark forest, which reflects both the sensibilities of the time and limitations placed on the genre by the production code. You also have Ralph Bellamy and veteran character actress Maria Ouspenskaya in the supporting cast adding weight to the story and make up for the fact you never really can buy that Reins and Chaney are father and son.

Ultimately, "The Wolf Man" is a monster movie that plays like a Greek tragedy with the monster being as much of an innocent victim as any of the werewolf's prey. Universal's classic version of "Frankenstein" was changed so much from Mary Shelley's novel that it lost the most tragic aspects of that particular story, leaving "The Wolf Man" to claim that particular title. It is that tragic element that you can find in all of the better werewolf movies that have followed this one, from "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" and "An American Werewolf in London" to "The Howling" and "Wolf."

Whether you are going to enjoy or get into this film depends on a few factors. First of all, you must believe that every man is tripping over himself to win the hand of the woman considered the most beautiful and desirable in New York, Bette Davis. Now Davis was certainly attractive, but it's a real stretch to consider her that kind of once-in-a-lifetime beauty. You must then be willing to spend two and a half hours watching a vain, self-centered woman use her beauty, abuse her family, and then try to find sympathy for her when irony deals her exactly what she deserves. Obviously, I had some problems with this film. It tells the story of Fanny Trellis who later becomes Fanny Skeffington, the object of every man's affections, who can't see beyond her own mirror to see the events of the world or the pain she causes others. She marries Claude Rains for money and security for her family, but her marriage unravels and eventually so does her beauty. The character of Fanny is not sympathetic, and I found it hard to get past that, although thankfully she does have a sense of humour, which helps. Davis, using a higher pitched voice, doesn't shrink away from portraying Fanny as she is, and her appearance as the older Fanny is startling given how we know she aged in real life. Rains is his excellent self as usual in this film, really capturing the heart of the story. Not surprisingly, his absence from most of the last half of the film hurt it for me, as I found it long and badly in need of editing. There are some good moments in the film, but since I found little to like in the central character, there wasn't much else except Rains to appreciate.

Fanny is a young and beautiful woman of the early 1920s who possesses enormous qualities of face and figure much admired by her many suitors. Unfortunately, she also possesses a gigantic ego matched only by a blind spot to the feelings of others, a lack of basic empathy of which she is readily aware. Bette Davis, in MR. SKEFFINGTON, cuts a stark image of the vain and silly socialite wanna-be who knows that her looks are the means to climb to the top of the social eating chain. This movie is more than a female version of the then popular 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' story. The bootstraps that Fanny uses are a formidable array of beauty aids, which when allied to a perfect pitch of tone and voice, make her irresistable to nearly every man she meets. She dates many who see her only as the image she so carefully nurtures. She turns down all of them except for an aging and wealthy financier, Mr. Skeffington, played superbly by Claude Rains, an actor who has made a career of playing the educated and glib second banana to the lead. Here Rains is under no illusions about Fanny. He is well aware that she is a totally unreliable flirt who seeks flattery the way most others seek food and drink. Yet, there is something that he does see within her that he likes, enough at any rate to fall in love with her and propose. Fanny sees a rich old man whom she can control at will, so she accepts. They marry and the marriage goes pretty much the way that he thought. She continues her affairs, often right under his nose, yet he waits patiently for the loving woman he feels sure lurks somewhere in her soul. He also waits for some affirmation of his own worth. He gets none. The years pass, they have a daughter, also called Fanny, whom he adores, but she ignores. The daughter Fanny exists only in her mother's mind as an inflexible reminder that time passes on, so the mother avoids her daughter at nearly every turn. The inevitable happens. Mr. Skeffington and wife divorce, with the wife eager to surrender custody of a daughter that she could easily have retained legal custody to. The years pass, with father and daughter living in Germany and the elder Fanny continuing a circular existence of one meaningless affair after another. Reality crashes her life as she is afflicted with diphtheria, ruining her looks. Her suitors fade, her daughter marries one of her mother's suitors, and Fanny is now thoroughly alone. Those who criticize this movie point to the sudden moral regeneration of self that transforms Fanny in the last reel. Mr. Skeffington appears on her doorstep unexpectedly, poor, blind, and broken in spirit from his time in one of Hitler's concentration camps. She is at first unwilling to see him, but she changes her mind, and when he trips over a hassock, she now can see him more clearly than in the past. Her transformation of her inner self is more startling than the equivalent outer transformation from beauty to hag. The physical transformation is unintentionally ironic in that Bette Davis in real life never was the ravishing beauty of Hollywood. By the force of this true life person, she caused others to see her as a great beauty. The Fanny character performed a similar trick on screen. Her suitors saw her as desirable because she saw herself as one worthy of love based only on beauty. As her looks faded due to disease, so did her confidence. It is only the knowledge that she is loved that helps her regain her beauty. The final scene when she leads a blinded husband to her servants and tells them, 'Mr. Skeffington has returned home,' can we see that true beauty is more a function of the heart and not the eye. It simply took Fanny Skeffington a very long time to learn this.

Yeah, I've seen Now Voyager and Baby Jane and All About Eve. I've actually seen most of Bette Davis's pictures (this was before I discovered Joan Crawford - if you like one, you'll probably like the other). Anyway, Mr. Skeffington is Bette's very best film. I say this because of the very impressive acting, production, and screenplay. There is some very powerful social commentary in this film - just as relevant today as 60 years ago, if not more. The main theme of the film is you are only beautiful if you are loved. Damned if this isn't the same theme of Madonna's latest album, American Life! Anyway, we follow the epic life story of a very rich, beautiful and selfish woman (Bette) as she willingly marries a man for his money and throws him and her daughter away afterward as if they never happened. Years pass and Bette loses all her "beauty" and the makeup is plastered on to make her look like Baby Jane (this is 20 years before Baby Jane, but the effect is the same)! She tries to pretend she is still young...and all her fake hair falls out and none of the men want her any more! Then comes the great moment of catharsis, when Bette's daughter leaves and tells her that if somebody truly loved her, it wouldn't matter to them that she was now older (such a true statement and one of the best in the movie). I won't give the whole plot away, but the movie stands up because there are a lot of selfish people in our world today, not just women. I'm going to go out on a limb and say this movie would have been better with a real beauty like Joan Crawford, but she was off doing Mildred Pierce and whatnot. This movie really is a masterpiece, though, and it has a wonderful happy ending that will make you cry tears of joy!