Pirate Watch: The Sea Hawk (1940)

Watched:  09/10/2026

Format:  TCM on DVR

Viewing:  First

Director:  Michael Curtiz

Look, names of directors get forgotten, but Michael Curtiz was one of the best to get behind a lens, making some of my very favorite films - and they may be your favorites, too.  Casablanca, Mildred Pierce, Adventures of Robin Hood, White Christmas, Flamingo Road, and another Errol Flynn pirate movie - Captain Blood.  

And, man, I still am unclear how they filmed these things, with their huge ships, falling masts, flashing sabers and swashing buckles.  The Sea Hawk (1940) merges the scale of Captain Blood and Robin Hood - two prior Curtiz/ Flynn productions with palace sets, huge galleons and more.  

Errol Flynn is one of those guys I have to separate the art from the artist.  He was a cad, seems to have slept with any and all women (including underage girls) and been a big ol' Peeping Tom.  Rumors that he picked the wrong side during the lead up to WWII appear to be unfounded but there's, like, one guy who won't let it go (they based Timothy Dalton's character in The Rocketeer on those stories).  But, gaht-damn, he's fun on screen.  Really ground zero for the action hero with the cool, dry wit.  

As long as we're re-pairing Flynn and Curtiz, we also bring in our Prince John from Robin Hood in the snarky-ass form of Claude Rains as an ambassador from Spain sailing to the court of Queen Elizabeth.  Despite the diplomatic flags, Flynn and his crew take the Spanish ship, ignoring maritime law (one does not attack an ambassador) as Flynn knows the Spanish have enslaved Englishmen and made them their crew, rowing below decks.  

Essentially the "Sea Hawks" are privateers commissioned by Queen Elizabeth to act as a navy for England as England does not have the budget for a full navy of her own.  On the sea, the Sea Hawks are well aware of what Spain is up to as Spain uses their riches from the New World to build the infamous Spanish Armada.  What I had not clicked to until this moment is that the Armada was happening at the same time as the Inquisition.  But the Inquisition lasted about 200 years longer than I guess I realized (well into the 1800's!)*.

We can't have a pirate movie without a woman of royal standing and her handmaid aboard, and so we get that in the form of Brenda Marshall and Una O'Connor.  And we stan Una in this house.

Not so side-note:  I adored Flora Robson as Queen Elizabeth.  Just a terrific performance.

We have a tremendous sea battle to start with, and it really feels we're off to the races.  Canons explode, people swing on ropes, swords slash, it's a whole scene.**

Unfortunately, this movie is incredibly front-loaded with good stuff and becomes a slog in the second-half.  I'll be honest, I was kind of disappointed.  

Our Captain forms a plan to capture the Spanish booty from the New World in Panama, and is blessed by Her Majesty to go plunder - creating plausible deniability while also slowing Spain's building of their armada.  Meanwhile, palace intrigue and shady alliances mean Flynn's plan is discovered.

The movie hits the skids as the crew gets off the ship in Panama.  It's not dull, but it feels like it contracts, really, into a different movie.  Our crew is on the run in the jungles of Panama, and in a bit of alignment with reality, a huge chunk of them don't live to see their ship again.  And those who do are captured and enslaved.  

Blah blah blah... escape, sail away, return to England, flex for the girl, save the day.  It's.. fine?  But why make a pirate movie if it's not going to end with cannons blasting holes in ships and knocking over masts?  I need sabers, and lots of them!  

It's fine.  It's not as good as even the preceding Captain Blood (recommended) but it'll do.  

*Spain.  You have a long history of weird governance.  What's up with that?  

**Hollywood - you should try this movie in Space.  This sort of thing might kill with the right script and effort.  I don't really trust you to do this with actual boats and historical context, but maybe there's room for privateers in space.  I can see a Chris or a Scarlett Johansson leading 100 space-faring rogues as they @#$% about with a wicked imperial space navy.