The Golden Hawk

Last updated

The Golden Hawk
The golden hawk - poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Sidney Salkow
Written by Frank Yerby
Robert E. Kent
Based on The Golden Hawk
by Frank Yerby
Produced by Sam Katzman
Starring Rhonda Fleming
Sterling Hayden
John Sutton
Cinematography William V. Skall
Edited by Edwin Bryant
Music by Mischa Bakaleinikoff
Production
company
Esskay Pictures
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • October 17, 1952 (1952-10-17)
Running time
83 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Golden Hawk is a 1952 American historical adventure film in Technicolor directed by Sidney Salkow and starring Rhonda Fleming, Sterling Hayden and John Sutton. [1] It is based on the 1948 novel of the same name by Frank Yerby. [2] [3]

Contents

Plot

During the 17th century a French sea captain, Kit 'The Hawk' Gerardo is on Basse-Terre Island with a crew but no ship. He duels the captain the ship Sea Flower, and commandeers his ship. His objective is to capture a far larger 60-gun ship undr command of a Spanish pirate, Luis del Toro, partly for loot but also believing him responsible for the death of Kit's mother, Jeanne Buoyant.

A female pirate who calls herself Captain Rouge disguises herself as a Dutch maid in order to board a vessel. The Hawk lends her his flintlock pistol with which to defend herself in her cabin at night, resulting in her shooting and wounding Kit when he attempts to make romantic advances. Rouge escapes through the window and swims to an island.

After several battles against Spanish ships Kit takes captive a mother and daughter, Bianca, who says she is betrothed to del Toro, and begins another love affair. He demands 10,000 pieces of gold for her safe return. Del Toro pays, then surrounds Kit with three of his ships to take it back. Kit floats a raft of gunpowder out to the ships in the night and blows one up. Nevertheless when he tries to escape he is captured.

Rouge wants half the loot for herself. In a raid of Jamaica on orders of the king, Kit discovers that the property once belonged to Rouge, who is a British subject, Lady Jane Golfin, trying to retrieve the riches that have been illegally taken from her family.

Kit breaks into the Spanish fortress to blow it up, hoping for the help of Bianca who resides there, but he id captured. Del Toro reveals to Bianca that he is Kit's son and the death of his mother was an accident.

Kit ends up tried, convicted and sentenced to hang. Rouge materialises and confronts Bianca. Rouge disguises herself as a man and cons g=her way into Kit's prison cell. Meanwhile the Sea Flower and multiple French men o'war make an attack on the fortress. Kit finds the gunpowder store and blows up the fortress. Del Toro is taken prisoner and father and son are reunited. Kit also decides it is Rouge that he loves.

Cast

Production

Frank Yerby's novel was published in 1948. [4] The book was a best seller, selling 1,863,000 copies. [5] In 1951 it was announced Sterling Hayden and Rhonda Fleming would star in a film version. [6] Helena Carter played the second female lead. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Morgan</span> Privateer and political office holder in Jamaica (1635–1688)

Sir Henry Morgan was a Welsh privateer, plantation owner, and, later, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. From his base in Port Royal, Jamaica, he and those under his command raided settlements and shipping ports on the Spanish Main, becoming wealthy as they did so. With the prize money and loot from the raids, Morgan purchased three large sugar plantations on Jamaica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calico Jack</span> English pirate

John Rackham, commonly known as Calico Jack, was an English pirate captain operating in the Bahamas and in Cuba during the early 18th century. His nickname was derived from the calico clothing that he wore, while Jack is a nickname for "John".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Read</span> English pirate

Mary Read, was an English pirate. She and Anne Bonny were among the few female pirates during the "Golden Age of Piracy".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Yerby</span> American novelist, 1916–1991

Frank Garvin Yerby was an American writer, best known for his 1946 historical novel The Foxes of Harrow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sterling Hayden</span> American actor (1916–1986)

Sterling Walter Hayden was an American actor, author, sailor, model and Marine. A leading man for most of his career, he specialized in Westerns and film noir throughout the 1950s, in films such as John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle (1950), Nicholas Ray's Johnny Guitar (1954), and Stanley Kubrick's The Killing (1956). He became noted for supporting roles in the 1960s, perhaps most memorably as General Jack D. Ripper in Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhonda Fleming</span> American actress and singer (1923–2020)

Rhonda Fleming was an American film and television actress and singer. She acted in more than 40 films, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, and became renowned as one of the most glamorous actresses of her day, nicknamed the "Queen of Technicolor" because she photographed so well in that medium.

<i>Serpent of the Nile</i> 1953 film by William Castle

Serpent of the Nile is a 1953 American Technicolor historical adventure film produced by Sam Katzman and directed by William Castle. The film starred Rhonda Fleming, Raymond Burr, William Lundigan and Michael Ansara. In an early role, actress Julie Newmar appears as an exotic dancer clad only in gold paint. It also stars William Lundigan as Lucilius and Michael Fox as Octavius.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Age of Piracy</span> Maritime piracy from the 1650s to the 1730s

The Golden Age of Piracy is a common designation for the period between the 1650s and the 1730s, when maritime piracy was a significant factor in the histories of the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

War Games (<i>Space: 1999</i>) 4th episode of the 1st series of Space: 1999

"War Games" is the fourth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Christopher Penfold; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is dated 15 October 1974. Live-action filming took place Thursday 24 October 1974 through Thursday 7 November 1974.

<i>Redbeard</i> (comics) Belgian comic book series

Redbeard is a series of Belgian comic books, originally published in French, created by writer Jean-Michel Charlier and artist Victor Hubinon in 1959. After their deaths the series was continued by other writers and artists, including Jijé, Christian Gaty, Patrice Pellerin, Jean Ollivier, Christian Perrissin and Marc Bourgne, Jean-Charles Kraehn and Stefano Carloni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bartholomew Sharp</span> 17th century English buccaneer

Bartholomew Sharp was an English buccaneer and privateer. His career of piracy lasted seven years (1675–1682). In the Caribbean he took several ships, and raided the Gulf of Honduras and Portobelo. He took command of an expedition into the Pacific and spent months raiding settlements on the Pacific Coast of South America including La Serena which he torched in 1680. His flagship, taken at Panama, was the Trinity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman: Leatherwing</span> Batman comic published in 1994

Leatherwing, also known as Batman: Leatherwing, is a DC Comics Elseworlds story published in Detective Comics Annual #7 in 1994. It was written by Chuck Dixon and illustrated by Enrique Alcatena, who also devised the plot.

Laurens Prins, anglicized as Lawrence Prince, was a 17th-century Dutch buccaneer, privateer and an officer under Captain Sir Henry Morgan. He and Major John Morris led one of the columns that raided Panama in 1671.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sutton (actor)</span> British actor (1908–1963)

John Sutton was a British actor with a prolific career in Hollywood of more than 30 years.

<i>Pirate Latitudes</i> 2009 novel by Michael Crichton

Pirate Latitudes is an action adventure novel by Michael Crichton, the sixteenth novel to be published under his own name and first to be published after his death, concerning 17th-century piracy in the Caribbean. HarperCollins published the book posthumously on November 26, 2009. The story stars the fictional privateer Captain Charles Hunter who, hired by Jamaica's governor Sir James Almont, plots to raid a Spanish galleon for its treasure.

<i>Double Crossbones</i> 1951 film by Charles Barton

Double Crossbones is a 1951 American comedy adventure film distributed by Universal International, produced by Leonard Goldstein, directed by Charles Barton, and stars Donald O'Connor and Helena Carter. It was shot in Technicolor and was released on January 22. The story is of shopkeeper apprentice Davey Crandall becoming a pirate after being accused falsely of being involved of selling stolen goods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piracy on Lake Nicaragua</span>

Between 1665 and 1857, Caribbean pirates and filibusters operated in Lake Nicaragua and the surrounding shores. The Spanish city of Granada, located on the lake, was an important trading centre for much of its early history so it was a prime target for pirates such as Welshman Henry Morgan and freebooters like William Walker.

<i>The Pathfinder</i> (1952 film) 1952 film

The Pathfinder is a 1952 American adventure historical western film directed by Sidney Salkow and starring George Montgomery, Helena Carter and Jay Silverheels. It is based on the 1840 novel The Pathfinder by James Fenimore Cooper and was produced by Sam Katzman for Columbia Pictures.

<i>The Pirate and the Slave Girl</i> 1959 Italian film

The Pirate and the Slave Girl is a 1959 Italian adventure film written and directed by Piero Pierotti and starring Lex Barker and Chelo Alonso.

<i>The Golden Hawk</i> (novel) 1948 novel

The Golden Hawk is a 1948 historical novel by the American writer Frank Yerby. It was his third published novel, and was a popular success ranking sixth on the Publishers Weekly list of bestselling novels that year.

References

  1. "The Golden Hawk". NY Times. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  2. The Golden Hawk at the TCM Movie Database
  3. "Of Local Origin". New York Times. October 17, 1952. p. 33.
  4. Watson, Wilbur (May 2, 1948). "Balloon Prose: The Golden Hawk. By Frank Yerby. 346 pp. New York: The Dial Press. $3". New York Times. p. 226.
  5. "magazine of BOOKS: Two Best Sellers of 1948 Now Past Million Mark Hansen, Harry". Chicago Daily Tribune. December 19, 1948. p. e8.
  6. "FILMLAND BRIEFS". Los Angeles Times. September 18, 1951. p. B7.
  7. Vagg, Stephen (February 14, 2020). "Helena Carter: An Appreciation". Filmink.