Customer Reviews

Sailor of the King

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I caught this movie on American Movie Classics a few years ago and
hoped that one day it would be made available on DVD. Jeffrey
Hunter, a very underrated actor in one of his first starring roles,
is a Canadian sailor in England's Royal Navy. It is World War Two, and
his ship is hunting for a much-feared German battlecruiser. When his ship engages the cruiser in battle, the cruiser is damaged and his ship is sunk. He is taken prisoner aboard the German ship, and when the ship pulls into a remote island harbor for repairs, he escapes to the
island armed with a rifle and plenty of ammunition. He devises a plan
to shoot at the repair crews as they try to fix the ship, to delay
their departure. Doing that will give other Royal Navy ships time
to zero in on the cruiser's location and sink them.
A very good movie with a very satisfying ending...look for a pre-James
Bond Bernard Lee in a fine supporting role.

"Sailor of the King"...with a movie title like that, you can't go wrong.

Thanks, Fox!! Keep these greats coming!

Maybe not the greatest war flick ever made, but a worthy example of some highly competent work by Director Ray Boulting, one of the principles involved in the evolution of British Lion Films Corp. Though Boulting's later films were often little more than generic comedies (including some work with Peter Sellers), this film is a good example of his earlier, more "morally earnest" work. The hero, who undertakes a lone mission from which he knows he will not return, is contrasted with both a flaky English officer and a fatalistic German commander. Some years ago I read somewhere that this story of a single hero seaman was based on an actual incident from World War II. In any case, the combat sequences are superbly produced - no wonder, since Boulting himself saw similar combat during the period this story covers. The sniping sequence is beautifully executed and edited -- you really do feel as if you're up there in the rocks when the artillery barrage surrounds you. The DVD is among the best b&w transfers around - clean, clear, film-like, with little of the digital over-sharpening often seen with monochrome; and the camera work is exceptional. Performances from all are quite good. Jeffrey Hunter looks even better here than he did in John Ford's "The Searchers" - with looks and talent like his, one questions why Hunter didn't achieve superstar status. The plot itself seems as if it had undergone a major revision at some point: the beginning and ending sequences seem as if they were designed to support some message about heroism and individual responsibility. But the message is murky, as if the writers weren't quite willing to make the commitment. Had they done so the film likely would have been raised to a near-classic level. The middle action portion is superior to the start or finish and works well as an action movie on its own. You might get an idea about the script's supposed overall purpose by watching the alternate British ending, which was not shown in the USA (the original British title was "Single-Handed"). Deficiencies of message aside, this is a memorable combat film that apparently cost a King's ransom to produce. It's a simple tale, compellingly told.

Bravo to Fox for releasing some of the less famous but still superior classics. This is a one of a kind. It clearly establishes Jeffrey Hunter as the most talented of the 1950's handsome hunks.

I'd been waiting for years for this film to be released on DVD.
This is a great story about man captured by the germans after his ship was sunk by them.
He manages to escape the germans after they have to pull into what amounts to a fiord
and manages to delay the repairs being done on the ship long enough to allow the british
fleet to arrive.
I don't want to give a lot of detail, just make it seem worth looking into.
If your a fan of WW II films this is a great one.

Overall a good WWII movie. Starts with some romance and then changes to the lives ot two men aboard British naval ships. One a Captain played by Michael Rennie and the other a signalman played by Jeffrey Hunter. Now I may have missed something but I didn't see a clear line drawn between the two, only a possible hint of it. And there is suppose to be a line. The movie starts a little slow but soon gets into the rousing action of British ships tracking a German Raider that has sunk several ships. Good action, special effects, and acting make it well worth seeing. Jeffrey Hunter and Michael Rennie do very well in their respective roles as well as the support cast. I recommend it for the whole family. This is good and different enough from other WWII movies that I think it is worth owning.

Synopsis:
A young sailor becomes romantically involved with a woman he meets on a train while he is on furlough during World War I. They spend a night together after deciding to get married the next day. The next day they don't marry after she decides it won't work. Shift to action at sea during World War II around twenty years later. Jeffrey Hunter is a young signalman aboard a destroyer escorting a convoy. His ship and another ship are sent to catch a German Raider. His ship is sunk and he escapes off the German Raider with a rifle while it is conducting repairs at the Galapagos. The Germans are trying to get underway before the British ships reach them. Hunter wreaks havoc with the repair crew by sniping them and greatly hampering their efforts. - C. Luster

I'd always enjoyed this movie on TV and was glad to be able to add it to my DVD collection. Not having seen it in a while there were scenes I did not remember, particularly at the beginning. I suspect TV stations tended to snip the early scenes to add commercial time since the film-maker took the time to insert something a lot of modern movies don't bother with: Plot Development. The original 'British' ending probably makes the film more dramatic but I prefer the happier 'American' ending; It makes the movie more re-watchable.
The transfer is clean and sharp but be advised that despite what it says on the box, this movie is (and always was) in black and white.

It had been many years since I first saw Sailor of the King, and watching it again brought back many scenes I had forgotten. The romantic parts at the beginning were very mature considering the year the movie was made. The action was better than I remembered too. Even my wife who is not a war movie affectionado liked it. Seeing an alternate ending from a move made in the early 1950's was a pleasant surprise.

Viewing this British naval action film 50 years ago inspired me to join the US Navy; and it still does today!

It's all about the mother! I disagree with previous reviews that the love portions were "slow" and "predictable." It's those portions that make this a great one. The Alternate Ending (the British original, as I've read) is by far the best. Wendy Hiller's performance in the final 30 seconds on that ending are Oscar-quality. Took my breath away. Just great.

Enjoyed this movie 20 + years ago and was delighted to finally find it in DVD. It is dated and a little corny but still a nice story and well done in that dry British style.