The Golden Hawk

It's the 17th century in the Caribbean seas. The Spanish and English are allied against the French. Kit 'The Hawk' Gerardo (Sterling Hayden) is a French privateer. His obsession is to take down Spanish pirate Luis del Toro who is responsible for his mother's death. Lady Jane (Rhonda Fleming) is an English pirate known as Captain Rouge.

This is a Technicolor seafaring adventure. Everybody's costumes are too clean. The fake background is fake although I do like some of the real exterior actions. The ship action has miniatures. I don't buy Sterling Hayden as French. I don't see him as any hero. I don't know if anybody is the hero of this piece. Maybe Lady Jane is one. It all feels rather fake and old fashion, but there is a kind of charm to all that. I just wouldn't recommend this to anybody.

I'm a fan of the genre - nothing better than a good swashbuckling adventure on the high seas. Well, actually there are plenty better than this rather poor effort. Sterling Hayden is certainly no natural as the eponymous privateer "Kit Gerardo" caught up in the Napoleonic war in the Caribbean. His marauding is perilous, though, particularly once he rescues the feisty "Rouge" (Rhonda Fleming) and discovers that she is also in his line of work - and out to avenge herself on the French. As the warfare hots up, the affianced of the Governor is also apprehended. "Bianca de Valdiva" (Helena Carter) takes a shine to our hero, but he has already taken a shine to "Rouge" but she in turn is trying to get the governor "del Toro" (John Sutton) to catch and hang the man! Still with me? Well, one further complication arises as we discover just why "Kit" is so determined to bring down the governor. To be fair, it does finish strongly with a good hearty battle, but the build up and relentless chatter robs the film of much pace or sense of peril and nobody at all in front of the camera is having a very good - or convincing - day. The production is a bit basic and stage bound which doesn't help, but at the end of the day this is just a let down that has little to redeem it.

Kit Gerardo, also known as The Hawk, is one of Frances's most daring privateers, rescues Rouge from a Spanish ship. She is also a pirate, working to restore the fortune the French took from her. When Kit is captured by the governor of Cartagena, Luis del Toro, Rouge demands that he be hanged for piracy. Only one person knows it, but Kit is the governor's son.

The Golden Hawk has all the usual ingredients of a pirate romp: ship, adventures, sword fights, plots/counter plots and gunpowder explosions and of course romance - there's a little twist regarding the man Golden Hawk wants to kill. It's a bit melodramatic and sometimes talky but the sprightly sword fights and ship battles as well as the beautiful ladies like Rhonda Fleming uplifts this film. As for Sterling Hayden, he's an odd choice as a dashing pirate captain, a Casanova of the high seas, and largely he isn't too bad. He's a bit more alive than he's in other films. But someone like John Payne would've been a better fit.

Rhonda Fleming cuts a comely figure in the publicity pictures as a lady buccaneer named Captain Rouge in blouse, thigh-high boots and wielding a sabre. Sadly in the picture itself she spends most of her time in petticoat and frocks; just as the action is mostly confined to the soundstage. Although given the opportunity she demonstrates her ability to wield a mean bottle.

The weight of most of the swordplay instead falls upon the broad shoulders of Sterling Hayden; although as usual he looks as though he would rather be somewhere else, especially as Miss Fleming's method of saying 'No' to his advances is to discharge a pistol.

Amusing adventures with intrepid pirates and exotic scenarios. Clean-cut heroics, anachronist storyline , brave privateer played by Sterling Hayden and handsomely roguish villainy from John Sutton. The seafaring adventures of French privateer Kit 'The Hawk' Gerardo during the Franco-Spanish-English war of the 17th century. Stars Kit Gerardo (Sterling Hayden), also known as The Hawk, is one of Frances's most daring buccaneers, rescues Rouge (Rhonda Fleming) from a Spanish ship (acceptable miniature ships). She is working to restore the fortune the French took from her. The pirate nicknamed The Hawk join forces to Captain Jeremy Smithers (Paul Cavanagh) and Bernardo Díaz (Michael Ansara). When Kit is captured by the governor of Cartagena, Luis del Toro (John Sutton), Rouge demands that he be hanged for piracy. Later on, they decide to take the ruler headquarter, the location strongest fortified from Cartagena de Indias. Daring Privateer Meets Notorious Lady Pirate!. The Most Popular Sea Story of Our Time!

Heroism , sword-play , ambushes and full of villainy swashbuckler, being financed by Columbia Pictures. The film is a nice pirate-adventure movie , produced in medium budget with habitual dueling, getaways , disguises and sexual hostility between hero and heroine, including a love triangle among Rhonda Fleming-Sterling Hayden-Helena Carter. Typical swashbuckler, the type no longer made in Hollywood, but exhilarating to see. This classic story of romantic adventure comes to life enriched by Technicolor cinematography and accompanied by an attractive score. It is the tale of a buccaneer named Kit Gerardo who takes over a ship of corsairs and wreak havoc on the high seas .

This is an agreeable entertainment juvenile romp in B-series, written for the screen by Robert E. Kent and based on the popularly successful novel by Frank Yerby. The movie displays in grandiose style noisy action, swashbuckler, heroism , swordplay, overwhelming fights, and spectacular sea battles with appropriate scale models. This release has some nice and even hilarious moments here and there , though isn't always interesting, sometimes is diverting and fresh and on a couple of sympathetic occasions is frankly delicious. Sterling Hayden is cool as the pirate hero who finds dangerous situations while trying save the damsel in distress. It has two exceptionally photogenic leading ladies in Rhonda Fleming and Helena Carter. This adventure movie with a budget enough packs breathtaking locations, sea-fight and amusing plot with plenty of roguish situations, thrills and emotion. It's enriched by colorful cinematography by cameraman William V. Skall. Furthermore , lively and rousing musical score. The motion picture was acceptably directed by Sidney Salkow. He was a craftsman who had already filmed adventures and Western movies . He realized all kind of genres such as routine westerns (Sitting Bull , The great Sioux massacre , Pathfinder) , Adventures (Prince of Pirates , Sword of the avenger) , war films , Sci-Fi (The last man on Earth) , Terror (Twice-told tales) and melodramas (City without men) . Salkow first worked for Republic, after joining Universal . At Columbia , he handled , among other assignments, four installments of the popular Lone Wolf series . After 1953, Salkow was primarily active as a director of episodes for television. Rating : 6/10

This standard and entertaining 50's swashbuckling that combines with certain gusto all staples of the genre to be liked for Sterling Hayden and Rhonda Fleming fans. Rating : 6/10, acceptable and passable , worthwhile watching .