I first saw this excellent film on the old Saturday night at the movies more years ago than i care to admit. I will admit that i did NOT see the beginning of it,which is why when i watched it again years later that the scene between Michael Rennie and Wendy Hiller made no sense(I thought I was watching a different movie.) Be that as it may, Sailor of the king remains one of my all time favorites. It is well crafted,and the tension builds to a peak as the Essen pulls out of the grotto where it has gone for repairs, leaving Seaman Brown behind. In his first major film roll, Jeffrey Hunter is excellent. One can see the frustration on his face as the the Essen leaves.(only to be blasted out of the water by the British Navy.). I didn't realize that there were actually two endings filmed for this,one with a far happy ending, but true to the book, Brown on Resolution, on which it is based.According to film trivia both endings were shown to a preview audience and they opted for Brown being rescued. Michael Rennie and Wendy Hiller are pivotal to the story and excellent as always, but the film is all Jeffrey Hunter. I particularly enjoyed the scene at the end when Hunter is talking to Michael Rennie and Rennie tells them they will be putting into port in Brown's home town in Canada. Hunter says that he wants Rennie to meet his mother to which Rennie replies that he would be quite pleased(.....!) Then of course the King comes in and both snap to attention to the tune of God save the King...... goosebump time. I suspect that I should try to track down the alternative ending sometime.. Am not sure how the final scene would play out in it.
21 Reviews
They Don't Make Adventure Stories Like This Anymore
Piafredux19 June 2003
Whichever of its titles you choose to like (I first saw this film as 'Sailor Of The King'), this is a fine adventure story.
The theme is inborn filial devotion to king, country (or Commonwealth), democracy, duty, and decency: inborn since the main character (played stirringly by Jeffrey Hunter as the ordinary bloke, Brown, who rises to the challenge of extraordinary circumstances) doesn't know who his father is, and the plot development tantalizes us with the nearness of the dispelling of Brown's ignorance.
I have heard that C.S. Forester wrote the novel as an adventure story for boys. No matter, the film builds slowly to a taut, exciting climax that viewers of all ages can thrill to.
Jeffrey Hunter was wonderfully handsome, and he could act; it would be lovely if such talent could also be found in today's (2003's) non-nutritional, unsatisfying crop of young male leads. Wendy Hiller's acting is always superb, and though she has a small part in 'Sailor of the King' she plays it with all her crackling, yet understated verve; Hiller's expressive, soulful eyes should have inspired the composition of a long, gorgeous symphony. Michael Rennie, another handsome and talented - and underappreciated - actor, gives a good effort too.
Though the plot is fictional, it doesn't matter a whit. 'Sailor Of The King' is a splendid adventure film, the likes of which "they just don't make anymore." This is the sort of film you can watch every six months, just for the pure joy of its congealing plot and the anxiety in its inspiring denouement. Pity 'Sailor Of The King' has not made it onto DVD.
The theme is inborn filial devotion to king, country (or Commonwealth), democracy, duty, and decency: inborn since the main character (played stirringly by Jeffrey Hunter as the ordinary bloke, Brown, who rises to the challenge of extraordinary circumstances) doesn't know who his father is, and the plot development tantalizes us with the nearness of the dispelling of Brown's ignorance.
I have heard that C.S. Forester wrote the novel as an adventure story for boys. No matter, the film builds slowly to a taut, exciting climax that viewers of all ages can thrill to.
Jeffrey Hunter was wonderfully handsome, and he could act; it would be lovely if such talent could also be found in today's (2003's) non-nutritional, unsatisfying crop of young male leads. Wendy Hiller's acting is always superb, and though she has a small part in 'Sailor of the King' she plays it with all her crackling, yet understated verve; Hiller's expressive, soulful eyes should have inspired the composition of a long, gorgeous symphony. Michael Rennie, another handsome and talented - and underappreciated - actor, gives a good effort too.
Though the plot is fictional, it doesn't matter a whit. 'Sailor Of The King' is a splendid adventure film, the likes of which "they just don't make anymore." This is the sort of film you can watch every six months, just for the pure joy of its congealing plot and the anxiety in its inspiring denouement. Pity 'Sailor Of The King' has not made it onto DVD.
Holding up a ship.
rmax3048236 November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
There's a startling moment in Howard Hawks' acclaimed "Rio Bravo." After a shoot out in which several bad guys are killed, the surviving villains manage to knock down John Wayne and tie him up. They haul him to his feet and tell him that he'd better do what he's told. Then one of the heavies makes an surprising statement. "If it was up to me you'd have never got off the floor. Some of those you killed were friends of mine." Hawks' heavies are rarely complicated (neither are his heroes) but in this instance the audience feels a strange and almost unwelcome flash of recognition. This heavy is a human being. He had friends.
I had some of the same discomfort while watching "Sailor of the King." Jeffrey Hunter, young, tan, and fit, is the sailor whose cruiser has just been sunk in the Pacific by the German cruiser Essen. He and a shipmate (Bernard Miles) are rescued by Captain Peter Van Eyck of the Eseen. Wounded and shaken, Hunter and Miles are taken to sick bay where a German doctor must amputate Miles' leg. The German sailors treat the two captive fairly. At times they're even friendly.
Hunter is soon up and about and discovers that the Essen has been damaged during the battle and has put into a remote and tiny cove in the Galapagos Islands to make some much needed repairs. Hunter knows, and Van Eyck guesses correctly, that another force of British ships is on their way to search for the Essen and sink her, so the repairs must be made as quickly as possible so she can get under way again and out of danger.
Hunter knocks out the sick bay guard, commandeers a rifle and ammunition and a canteen of water, and escapes to the bare rocky bluffs overlooking the cove where the Essen has anchored. Hunter is determined to delay the repairs long enough for the British force to arrive -- and that he does. He picks off German sailors one by one as they work on the hole in the ship's hull. The Captain, knowing what's happened, scours the cliffs first with 40 mm. cannon, then with his main battery, but Hunter is unhurt, though out of water and exhausted. That night the Germans put ashore a landing party and they manage to wound Hunter just above the ankle before the ship's whistle hoots, recalling the Germans. The Essen slowly backs out of the cove while Hunter lies exhausted on the bare rocks, but it's too late for the Essen and she is sunk.
To tell the truth, I kind of got to like the Germans sailors, and even Van Eyck's Captain. Of course, it's war. I know that. And it's every prisoner's duty to escape and fight the enemy and all that. But these bad guys have saved the lives of Hunter and Miles. (Miles goes down with the Essen but it isn't shown.) I'm not suggesting that Hunter's allegiance should have shifted to the Germans. It's just that shooting down individuals with a rifle is rather a personal business and Hunter seems to give it nary a thought. It all looks cold blooded.
That's the A story. The B story, which consists of a long introduction involving an illicit affair during WWI between Michael Rennie, who commands the British fleet at the Galapagos, and Wendy Hiller. Hiller refuses to marry Rennie in 1918 and, finding she's pregnant, moves to Montreal, which explains Jeffrey Hunter's American accent. Yes, it's true. Hunter is Rennie's son! Neither of them knows it, nor do they ever find out, and it has nothing to do with the A story, but there it is. A romantic turn for Wendy Hiller and an ironic meeting at the end between Hunter and his own father.
There's an alternate ending on the DVD in which Hunter doesn't simply lie exhausted on the Galapagos cliffs but is found dead by the British rescue party. Hiller shows up in London to receive her son's Victoria Cross, while Rennie is there for his investiture. They both recognize one another, of course, but Hiller tells Rennie nothing about Hunter being their illegitimate son.
The alternate ending has a neater structure, beginning and ending with Rennie and Hiller together so that it becomes a framing story, but that leaves the problem of Jeffrey Hunter's death hanging. How do you die from a bullet through the ankle? Even when the wound is combined with 12 hours of thirst? The existing ending is clumsy and askew. It makes the long introductory story of Rennie and Hiller almost irrelevant, but it does preserve the irony of two brave men about to be decorated by the King, not knowing that they share more than the honors with which they are about to be presented.
There's room for improvement but it's an exciting story and the scenes of battle at sea are realistic enough to be gripping. And, though I'm sure we're supposed to feel nothing but admiration for Hunter's heroism (and that's what it was), it's a rather sad story as well.
I had some of the same discomfort while watching "Sailor of the King." Jeffrey Hunter, young, tan, and fit, is the sailor whose cruiser has just been sunk in the Pacific by the German cruiser Essen. He and a shipmate (Bernard Miles) are rescued by Captain Peter Van Eyck of the Eseen. Wounded and shaken, Hunter and Miles are taken to sick bay where a German doctor must amputate Miles' leg. The German sailors treat the two captive fairly. At times they're even friendly.
Hunter is soon up and about and discovers that the Essen has been damaged during the battle and has put into a remote and tiny cove in the Galapagos Islands to make some much needed repairs. Hunter knows, and Van Eyck guesses correctly, that another force of British ships is on their way to search for the Essen and sink her, so the repairs must be made as quickly as possible so she can get under way again and out of danger.
Hunter knocks out the sick bay guard, commandeers a rifle and ammunition and a canteen of water, and escapes to the bare rocky bluffs overlooking the cove where the Essen has anchored. Hunter is determined to delay the repairs long enough for the British force to arrive -- and that he does. He picks off German sailors one by one as they work on the hole in the ship's hull. The Captain, knowing what's happened, scours the cliffs first with 40 mm. cannon, then with his main battery, but Hunter is unhurt, though out of water and exhausted. That night the Germans put ashore a landing party and they manage to wound Hunter just above the ankle before the ship's whistle hoots, recalling the Germans. The Essen slowly backs out of the cove while Hunter lies exhausted on the bare rocks, but it's too late for the Essen and she is sunk.
To tell the truth, I kind of got to like the Germans sailors, and even Van Eyck's Captain. Of course, it's war. I know that. And it's every prisoner's duty to escape and fight the enemy and all that. But these bad guys have saved the lives of Hunter and Miles. (Miles goes down with the Essen but it isn't shown.) I'm not suggesting that Hunter's allegiance should have shifted to the Germans. It's just that shooting down individuals with a rifle is rather a personal business and Hunter seems to give it nary a thought. It all looks cold blooded.
That's the A story. The B story, which consists of a long introduction involving an illicit affair during WWI between Michael Rennie, who commands the British fleet at the Galapagos, and Wendy Hiller. Hiller refuses to marry Rennie in 1918 and, finding she's pregnant, moves to Montreal, which explains Jeffrey Hunter's American accent. Yes, it's true. Hunter is Rennie's son! Neither of them knows it, nor do they ever find out, and it has nothing to do with the A story, but there it is. A romantic turn for Wendy Hiller and an ironic meeting at the end between Hunter and his own father.
There's an alternate ending on the DVD in which Hunter doesn't simply lie exhausted on the Galapagos cliffs but is found dead by the British rescue party. Hiller shows up in London to receive her son's Victoria Cross, while Rennie is there for his investiture. They both recognize one another, of course, but Hiller tells Rennie nothing about Hunter being their illegitimate son.
The alternate ending has a neater structure, beginning and ending with Rennie and Hiller together so that it becomes a framing story, but that leaves the problem of Jeffrey Hunter's death hanging. How do you die from a bullet through the ankle? Even when the wound is combined with 12 hours of thirst? The existing ending is clumsy and askew. It makes the long introductory story of Rennie and Hiller almost irrelevant, but it does preserve the irony of two brave men about to be decorated by the King, not knowing that they share more than the honors with which they are about to be presented.
There's room for improvement but it's an exciting story and the scenes of battle at sea are realistic enough to be gripping. And, though I'm sure we're supposed to feel nothing but admiration for Hunter's heroism (and that's what it was), it's a rather sad story as well.
Courage in the face of Overwhelming Odds.
JSPrine7 October 1999
Jeffrey Hunter is very good in this splendid account of a British seaman who pits himself single-handedly in a desperate battle against a huge German warship.
Slow-moving at first, the action builds inexorably into a grand and (at least for me) very satisfactory climax. Who cares about realism when you can have this much fun?
Michael Rennie (one of my favorite actors) is well-cast in his role, and Bernard Lee (you might know him as James Bond's chief) is also very good.
If you see this movie and enjoy it, you might also be interested in Peter O'Toole's "Murphy's War", which is quite similar in many respects.
I rate this good old movie 7.5 out of 10.
Slow-moving at first, the action builds inexorably into a grand and (at least for me) very satisfactory climax. Who cares about realism when you can have this much fun?
Michael Rennie (one of my favorite actors) is well-cast in his role, and Bernard Lee (you might know him as James Bond's chief) is also very good.
If you see this movie and enjoy it, you might also be interested in Peter O'Toole's "Murphy's War", which is quite similar in many respects.
I rate this good old movie 7.5 out of 10.
Loyalty and paternity. Father and son, Mother and son symbolised by the idea of "For King and Country"
oscar-grillo28 April 2009
I watched this film with no previous knowledge of its content or style and I was delighted to discover that it was a curiously interesting work. Very well acted by Jeffrey Hunter. A man who was often wasted in Hollywood. Surprised me the interplay Hunter has with Bernard Lee. It is quite mature and they play very well and with great sensitivity the part of father and son figures as the only survivors of a ship sinking. This was greatly helped by a very finely crafted dialogue. Instead, Michel Rennie and Wendy Hiller are quite stilted and their characters appear to be badly drawn and unidimensional. Today I saw this film with TWO endings. After the first ending a card appears on the screen telling the audience that this is an experiment. They'll show a second, different,ending and will distribute cards in he lobby of the cinema (I saw it on TV!) for a vote of which one was the favourite. Great!
Above Average PostWar Fare (Some Spoilers)
Worf10123 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I never heard of this film before I ran across it on Amazon.Com. I was amazed by this as I'm a military historian and I already have an extensive WWII film library. Upon first viewing I found the whole front story stultifying. I love Michael Rennie as an actor but I found his whole "stiff upper lip" "I love you I truly do" performance to be unbelievably stiff. And the mother, were talking early 20th Century morals here, I no more believe her spending a week bonking a stranger than I do her then allowing him to walk away. And her then compounding it by having his love child out of wedlock AND NEVER TELLING HIM??? Puhlease. Eyewash....
When we're finally at sea though the movie comes into its own. Of course the ships are way to modern to be WWII vintage craft and the Nazi's are portrayed as "right good fellows" (they are our allies at the time now against those nasty Bolshiviks so be nice to em) and there's nary a swastika in sight. Good ripping yarn if I do say so myself but could'a been much more if the Victorian morals hadn't derailed the film.
Da Worfster
When we're finally at sea though the movie comes into its own. Of course the ships are way to modern to be WWII vintage craft and the Nazi's are portrayed as "right good fellows" (they are our allies at the time now against those nasty Bolshiviks so be nice to em) and there's nary a swastika in sight. Good ripping yarn if I do say so myself but could'a been much more if the Victorian morals hadn't derailed the film.
Da Worfster
One Man Against A Battleship
boblipton29 May 2020
During the Great War, young artillery officer Michael Rennie meets shy Wendy Hiller on a train bound for London. They fall into an affair and Rennie proposes marriage. She turns him down because a wife is an impediment to a navy man with no background. During the early days of World War II, Rennie has risen to admiral, in pursuit of a German battleship in the Pacific. The companion ship is destroyed, and young signalman Jeffrey Hunter, a fatherless man whose mother came from England to Montreal, and who has pushed him to the Navy since since he could walk, is pulled from the water and is a prisoner on the damaged German ship. When they pull into an inlet in the Galápagos, Hunter escapes, climbs into the cliffs, and besieges the ship to stop the repairs.
It's based on C.S. Forester's early best-seller, BROWN ON RESOLUTION, drawn from an incident from the First World War. An earlier version, BORN TO GLORY, had starred a young John Mills.
This version, produced by 20th Century-Fox, is a product of the company's British division. Director Roy Boulting does a wonderful job, with Malta standing in for the Galápagos, does a splendid job. Although there is a lot of talk for the first two-thirds of the movie, Hunter -- with his shirt off -- silently battles Germans and the sun in a wordless struggle. Bernard Lee and Peter van Eyck are in the cast, and the score is by an inevitable Muir Mathieson.
It's based on C.S. Forester's early best-seller, BROWN ON RESOLUTION, drawn from an incident from the First World War. An earlier version, BORN TO GLORY, had starred a young John Mills.
This version, produced by 20th Century-Fox, is a product of the company's British division. Director Roy Boulting does a wonderful job, with Malta standing in for the Galápagos, does a splendid job. Although there is a lot of talk for the first two-thirds of the movie, Hunter -- with his shirt off -- silently battles Germans and the sun in a wordless struggle. Bernard Lee and Peter van Eyck are in the cast, and the score is by an inevitable Muir Mathieson.
Well-done and rather unusual naval war film
gridoon202423 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
"Sailor Of The King" is a rather unusual war film in the sense that, as the alternate title "Single-Handed" implies, most of the warfare is carried out by one man (a Canadian) versus a German ship. Not very plausible (especially that the Germans, having first captured this man and failed to extract any information from him, would keep him alive for no reason at all - in fact, they let him wander all around their ship), but otherwise well-done. Jeffrey Hunter must set a record for how much time he appears shirtless in this film, revealing a superb physique. Third-billed Wendy Hiller takes part only in a short romantic segment at the start; her character does feature in a big plot twist which eventually becomes clear, although that plot thread is left largely unresolved. **1/2 out of 4.
One of the truly great WWII movies
Taggesell21 May 2005
I remember this film as being one of my Dad's favorite films as my brother's and I were growing up in the 1950s. I had described this movie to many people since then and no one else seemed to know what I was talking about. Then, in about 1990, the cable network, American Movie Classics (AMC) ran the film a couple of times and the film disappeared once more.
Everything about this film is just right. The storyline, music, acting and suspense are what makes a film a memorable experience. When I think of all the junk films that get picked up by AMC, Fox Movie Classics (FMC) and Turner Classic Movies (TCM), I have to wonder who is selecting the films these channels broadcast. They must have someone there who doesn't like Black & White Films. There were a handful of films made in the 10 years that followed WWII that are simply "Must Have" movies that people would like to add to their collections that the studios are either clueless about or they know nothing about the "Gold in their Vaults".
Consider how long it took to get Battleground released on DVD. Then think about Sailor of The King (Jeffrey Hunter), The Gallant Hours (James Cagney), Decision Before Dawn (Oskar Werner), 36 Hours (James Garner), and ask yourself if Hollywood is capable of making anything like these films again. You won't like the answer.
Come on Fox, get these films out.
Everything about this film is just right. The storyline, music, acting and suspense are what makes a film a memorable experience. When I think of all the junk films that get picked up by AMC, Fox Movie Classics (FMC) and Turner Classic Movies (TCM), I have to wonder who is selecting the films these channels broadcast. They must have someone there who doesn't like Black & White Films. There were a handful of films made in the 10 years that followed WWII that are simply "Must Have" movies that people would like to add to their collections that the studios are either clueless about or they know nothing about the "Gold in their Vaults".
Consider how long it took to get Battleground released on DVD. Then think about Sailor of The King (Jeffrey Hunter), The Gallant Hours (James Cagney), Decision Before Dawn (Oskar Werner), 36 Hours (James Garner), and ask yourself if Hollywood is capable of making anything like these films again. You won't like the answer.
Come on Fox, get these films out.
As jagged a plotline as the rocks surrounding the ship.
mark.waltz17 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This takes quite a while to really develop the major storyline, a heroic sailor (Jeffrey Hunter) taking charge to let the British naval ship heading its way to knock the German naval ship out of the ocean by allowing the German ship to use his rocky plateau as a target. The first quarter of the film has a lot of build-up, mainly dealing with officer Michael Rennie whose brief romance with the plain but delightful Wendy Hiller must end when he goes off to a secret mission. Hiller is only on screen for the first 20 minutes or so, and while very good, that plot takes up nearly a quarter of the film's running time.
Once Hunter comes into the picture, there's plenty of action and thrills, and what Hunter does is certainly courageous and worthy of the Victorian medal of honor. Had that storyline been developed from the start, this easily could have gotten a good four more stars from my rating, but even once Rennie is out at sea and Hunter is spotted having conversations with German sailors before making his dive off of the ship, the film moves as slow as the German vessel sailing through the rock filled seas. Some of the interactions between Hunter and the Germans are very well written because they show the Germans as human beings rather than the stereotypical hard-boiled Huns most war movies present them as.
Once Hunter comes into the picture, there's plenty of action and thrills, and what Hunter does is certainly courageous and worthy of the Victorian medal of honor. Had that storyline been developed from the start, this easily could have gotten a good four more stars from my rating, but even once Rennie is out at sea and Hunter is spotted having conversations with German sailors before making his dive off of the ship, the film moves as slow as the German vessel sailing through the rock filled seas. Some of the interactions between Hunter and the Germans are very well written because they show the Germans as human beings rather than the stereotypical hard-boiled Huns most war movies present them as.
Naval War Drama with interesting ending
Jrkrrdd15 April 2001
Excellent British naval war movie with Jeffrey Hunter. There are few movies of this type --as this is centered on sea action. I think of the movie "Pursuit of the Graf Spree" when watching this movie. This movie takes awhile to get going but is worth the wait.
Why IMDb is so much fun
martinsj01326 February 2002
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this film recently on Channel 4 (UK) - by the way I think it was under the alternative title of "Sailor of the King" - and like the earlier reviewers I very much enjoyed it. It reminded me in a way of Battle of the River Plate - at least the scenes on board ship.
I thought it was worth adding two points to the earlier reviews (the second one is a possible *SPOILER*).
First, that Jeffrey Hunter's character is actually supposed to be Canadian - or at any rate, brought up in Canada - I suppose that neatly explains how a man with the "transatlantic" accent was found on board a Royal Navy ship.
Second, towards the very end of the film, the audience is addressed directly and invited, "for the first time in cinema history" or somesuch, to see two different conclusions, and to vote for their preferred one on leaving the showing. I'd be interested to know if this was actually the first time this was done, and what the results were!
Oh, the fun of IMDb? Well, it dawned on me gradually during the film that I had seen Jeffrey Hunter before, and eventually that it was in the Start Trek pilot episode, as Captain Pike. A few minutes on IMDb not only confirmed this but also told me that he played Jesus in King of Kings, which was new to me.
IMDb also confirmed something I had already worked out - that Bernard Lee progressed from Petty Officer (here) to Captain (Battle of the River Plate) to head of MI6 (surely no need to say where!).
I thought it was worth adding two points to the earlier reviews (the second one is a possible *SPOILER*).
First, that Jeffrey Hunter's character is actually supposed to be Canadian - or at any rate, brought up in Canada - I suppose that neatly explains how a man with the "transatlantic" accent was found on board a Royal Navy ship.
Second, towards the very end of the film, the audience is addressed directly and invited, "for the first time in cinema history" or somesuch, to see two different conclusions, and to vote for their preferred one on leaving the showing. I'd be interested to know if this was actually the first time this was done, and what the results were!
Oh, the fun of IMDb? Well, it dawned on me gradually during the film that I had seen Jeffrey Hunter before, and eventually that it was in the Start Trek pilot episode, as Captain Pike. A few minutes on IMDb not only confirmed this but also told me that he played Jesus in King of Kings, which was new to me.
IMDb also confirmed something I had already worked out - that Bernard Lee progressed from Petty Officer (here) to Captain (Battle of the River Plate) to head of MI6 (surely no need to say where!).
Superb vehicle for Jeffrey Hunter
roger-16422 February 2003
Jeffrey Hunter sparkles in this film. I only wish it were on DVD! From the moment he appears on the screen he has the audience in his pocket. Strangely, the film has two endings - one happy, the other sad. Audiences were asked to vote for which one they liked best. I am astonished that this fine actor has fallen out of public favour and so little of his work is available on video. He had real charisma and charm. And he could act. It's about time someone presented a Jeffrey Hunter season on TV.
Great role for Jeffrey Hunter and a touching love-affair...
gregorhauser2 May 2002
...between Hiller and Rennie.
"Sailor of the king" seems to be a lot of fiction. But it is a gripping story of two lovers in WW1 and the adventures of their son in WW2.
I love the beginning of the movie with shy Michael Rennie and the charming Wendy Hiller. Then Jeff comes and takes the command. It is very thrilling to watch him shooting Peter van Eyck who is a famous german actor and plays very well too.
I do not like the ending. It is too unrealistic. >
"Sailor of the king" seems to be a lot of fiction. But it is a gripping story of two lovers in WW1 and the adventures of their son in WW2.
I love the beginning of the movie with shy Michael Rennie and the charming Wendy Hiller. Then Jeff comes and takes the command. It is very thrilling to watch him shooting Peter van Eyck who is a famous german actor and plays very well too.
I do not like the ending. It is too unrealistic. >
Superlative movie making in all aspects
claymoremine1 July 2004
I had never seen the title of the movie as "Single-Handed." Nonetheless, this movie is near perfection. Without question, however, the ending is the crown jewel of the picture. Some have commented that the movie is "unrealistic." Perhaps if more movies fit that criteria movie going would be a much more enjoyable experience. Patrons don't need to be preached to about a particular high-profile director's, star's, or producer's politics or social commentary. A simple ride with an imaginative story and great, optimistic ending are all that's needed to get me to part with my money. Yes, this movie should be on DVD ASAP!!
Fine flick, with some of the most accurate action shots ever
colin-41120 May 2011
A fine film, with good acting and excellent pacing-it never drags. This film will appeal to a wide audience, as the romantic and heart-breaking portions will appeal to one group, while the great action shots will appeal to a different audience.
One thing that is almost unique is that this is one of the few films that shows the crews donning flash suits. Flash suits are made of white fire-resistant material to prevent burns from firing the large guns in such close proximity, and fires caused by enemy action. In most naval movies the crews don't the flash suits. For the main actors, there is an obvious reason- you can't see their faces, but in this film all the British crews don the suits (though they don't wear the hoods that cover the face and neck). This makes this film more accurate than almost all WWI and WWII naval films.
Da Worfster, a previous reviewer, made the following comment: "Of course the ships are way to modern to be WWII vintage craft "-This is incorrect. The ships used in the film are HMS Glasgow, HMS Cleopatra, and HMS Manxman, and all three served during WWII, the Glasgow for the entire war, while the other two joined the war in 1941.
One last historical note: British and German ships used different optical rangefinder systems. The German system was more accurate, but lost accuracy from the concussion of the gun firing during battle. The British system was not as accurate, but more rugged and better in dim light. The result of this is actually shown during this film, with the German shells straddling the British with the first shots, but then losing accuracy as the battle progressed, while the British shooting got better as they 'got the range'.
All-in-all, a fine film, well made, and with better accuracy than most. Recommended.
One thing that is almost unique is that this is one of the few films that shows the crews donning flash suits. Flash suits are made of white fire-resistant material to prevent burns from firing the large guns in such close proximity, and fires caused by enemy action. In most naval movies the crews don't the flash suits. For the main actors, there is an obvious reason- you can't see their faces, but in this film all the British crews don the suits (though they don't wear the hoods that cover the face and neck). This makes this film more accurate than almost all WWI and WWII naval films.
Da Worfster, a previous reviewer, made the following comment: "Of course the ships are way to modern to be WWII vintage craft "-This is incorrect. The ships used in the film are HMS Glasgow, HMS Cleopatra, and HMS Manxman, and all three served during WWII, the Glasgow for the entire war, while the other two joined the war in 1941.
One last historical note: British and German ships used different optical rangefinder systems. The German system was more accurate, but lost accuracy from the concussion of the gun firing during battle. The British system was not as accurate, but more rugged and better in dim light. The result of this is actually shown during this film, with the German shells straddling the British with the first shots, but then losing accuracy as the battle progressed, while the British shooting got better as they 'got the range'.
All-in-all, a fine film, well made, and with better accuracy than most. Recommended.
" Bravery often waits within the confines of every hero "
thinker16913 July 2012
I have always admired the work of C.S. Forester. Some of his most enduring books are about English Captain Horatio Hornblower who served during the French Napoleonic and revolutionary War. In this movie called "Sailor of the King" my favorite actor Jeffrey Hunter plays Signalman Andrew Brown who is aboard H.M.Ship Ansley when it is sunk by a German Crusier. Another favorite actor Michael Rennie who is well remembered as Klatuu from 'The Day the Earth stood still' plays Capt. Richard Saville who longs to do battle with the German navy. In Forester's original work, he had Brown as Saville's son even though neither know of the other. In the movie it is only hinted that both men are related even when both are brought before the King to be decorated and knighted. The movie itself is well directed by Roy Boulting and if you look closely, you'll see Bernard Lee who later became James Bonds' boss at MI6. This is a fine movie and one which is listed as a early Classic in the annals of Military movies. Easily recommended for all. ****
Previous Version
brislack28 December 2018
I agree with all other reviewers here, and found this film terrific when I saw it back in the 1950s - but then I am British! However, you may not know that this one was an almost see exact copy of a previous film made in the 1930s. That one, called for some strange reason 'Forever England', starred a very young John Mills as the sniper. The naval battle scenes were really good for that time, but the sniper died and was given great praise for his bravery by the German captain! You could enjoy both versions, if you can find a copy.
Waging your life on losing it - unless...
clanciai7 September 2022
Wendy Hiller is a name that always warrants an excellent film, and this was even made by Roy Boulting who along with his brother also always warranted excellent films. On top of that, this is a true story. Wendy Hiller only appears in the beginning, but her impact remains throughout the film, and you feel her presence more than ever in the end. Of course, this is Jeffrey Hunter's film in his first great part, but he would make some more rather unforgettable parts dominating entire films, like Nicholas Ray's "King of Kings" where he plays Jesus, and one of the best, and in "No Man is an Island" as the last American soldier of Guam, but he lived only to 46. Michael Rennie is the other great male part here, as gentlemanly and sympathetic as ever, while Bernard Lee loses his leg and ends up a casualty - nevertheless he would always return. The film is excellent and more realistic than most naval war films, while Peter van Eyck makes the German captain - all the Germans speak perfect German. It's a great story and a great film, and no wonder it became the favourite of many.
The Alternative Ending is Far Superior
stevie-208 July 2020
I gave this movie a 6 after watching the standard ending but the alternative ending is so much more powerful and emotional that I gave the movie a 9. Be sure to watch the alternate ending to get the proper experience.
excellent but, with only one exception
rightwingisevil13 January 2013
when the young Canadian sailor was rescued and captured on the German warship, his p.o.w. status was the first time that i've seen in a war movie that a prisoner of war could be so easily walked around on board of the German warship and not be confined in the holding cabin under 24/7 watch. he seemed to be the only British sailor who's not wounded but still stayed with all the other wounded ones. he was escorted only by a German sailor to walk around having fresh air regularly in the day time. the way that a pow had been treated like a first class cruise ship was a shocking contrast to what we had seen in any WWII movie. then when the young sailor escaped, he chose to sneak off the ship without a shirt, and the shoes he wore were also quite convenient like a ballet dancer's, that's quite weird too. but the flaws i mentioned here are nothing if you've seen the whole movie, a great one!
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
