Sailor of the King (1953)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Thanks for the memories!

Such a frustrating disappointment

Beautiful, moving film.

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. ****

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!

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.

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.