Initially meant as a form of follow-up to his 1935 Captain Blood, which gave Errol Flynn his first major role, The Sea Hawk, had to wait half a decade, and come from another source entirely to make it to the screen.
But when it did, with Mr. Flynn one of Hollywood’s consummate stars, it arrived via a huge budget, a great cast, and quality galore.
There are only about a dozen major Flynn films, and finally receiving Sea Hawk on Blu-ray, is a cause of celebration.
The majority of the film, which made up the cut version (18 minutes had been lost) is drop dead gorgeous, while the inserts for the excised material is less so.
But the difference between the two, similar to the situation with Hawks’ The Thing, allows us to see, and understand the various cutting decisions at work.
One of the great adventure for not only of the 1940s, but for any era.
Those who have never seen the film, should be thrilled.
The sepia toned sequence, also looks superb in HD.
I could offer a list of the Flynn films that fans would love to purchase on Blu-ray, like so many others have requested, but the studio is aware, and acting as funds allow to do proper restoration work.
Image – 5/3 (cut sequences)
Audio – 5
Pass / Fail – Pass
Upgrade from DVD – Absolutely
Very Highly Recommended
RAH
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
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