| The Sea Hawk | |
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1924 theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Frank Lloyd |
| Produced by | Frank Lloyd |
| Screenplay by | J. G. Hawks Intertitles: Walter Anthony |
| Based on | The Sea Hawk by Rafael Sabatini |
| Starring | Milton Sills Enid Bennett Lloyd Hughes Wallace MacDonald Marc McDermott Wallace Beery |
| Music by | Modest Altschuler Cecil Copping John LeRoy Johnston |
| Cinematography | Norbert F. Brodin |
| Editing by | Edward M. Roskam |
| Studio | Frank Lloyd Productions |
| Distributed by | Associated First National Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 14, 1924 (U.S. theatrical) |
| Running time | 123 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent film English intertitles |
The Sea Hawk is a 1924 silent movie about an English noble sold into slavery who escapes and turns himself into a pirate king. Directed by Frank Lloyd, the screen adaptation was written by J. G. Hawks based upon the Rafael Sabatini novel of the same name.[1]
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At the instigation of his half brother Lionel (Lloyd Hughes), Oliver Tressilian (Milton Sills), a wealthy baronet, is shanghaied and blamed for the death of Peter Godolphin (Wallace MacDonald), brother of Oliver's fiancée, whom Lionel actually has slain. At sea Oliver is captured by Spaniards and made a galley slave, but when he escapes to the Moors he becomes Sakr-el-Bahr, the scourge of Christendom. Learning of Rosamund's (Enid Bennett) impending marriage to his half brother, he kidnaps both of them, but to avoid the risk of giving her to Asad-ed-Din (Frank Currier), the Basha of Algiers, he surrenders to a British ship. Rosamund intercedes to save his life, and following the death of Lionel they are married.
The movie is based on the novel by Rafael Sabatini, The Sea Hawk. It premiered on June 2, 1924, in New York City, about twelve days before its theatrical debut. A movie with the same title (but an entirely different plot) was made in 1940, starring Errol Flynn. In the remake, the studio used some key scenes from battles in the 1924 film. They spliced the scenes into the 1940 film, thinking they could not have been done better.[2][3] The life-sized replicas were considered so well recreated, that Warner Bros repeatedly used them in later nautical films.[4]
Due to Lloyd recognizing that moviegoers of 1924 would be put off by miniature models, he instructed that full-sized ships be created for use in the film at a cost of $200,000.[1] This was done by outfitting existing crafts wooden exteriors designed by Fred Gabourie, known for his work in constructing props used in Buster Keaton films.[5] The ocean scenes were filmed off the coast of California's Catalina Island, with 150 tents set up on the island for housing and support of the film's 1,000 extras, 21 technicians, 14 actors and 64 sailors.[5][3][1]
Referenced in The Lost World, when the explorers return to London, there is a shot of the London Pavilion with a flashing sign advertising a showing of The Sea Hawk.
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All cast members are now deceased.
When the film was released, a New York Times critic called it, "far and away the best sea story that's yet been done up to that point". It held that unofficial status for years.
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