Sword Fishing

1939 0h 10m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 12

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A group of fishermen, including Howard Hill, "the world's greatest archer," go in search of marlin off the California coast. With a fishing line attached to his arrow, Hill plans to spear the fish, which would then be brought aboard the boat by rod and reel.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Ronald Reagan
Narrator (voice)
Howard Hill
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: De Leon Anthony
Writers: De Leon Anthony
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 10-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

87 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor De Leon Anthony shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Ronald Reagan and Howard Hill carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0032000 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 12 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

De Leon Anthony directs. De Leon Anthony cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 10-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
287 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Editor De Leon Anthony shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Ronald Reagan and Howard Hill carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0032000 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 12 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Editing: De Leon Anthony
Runtime: 10 min · 0h 10m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Sword Fishing (1939)

Also by

De Leon Anthony

Cinderella Horse
1949 · ★ 8.0

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-07-27
★ 6/10
There is some really impressive slo-motion photography in this short documentary narrated by Ronald Reagan, but I really couldn’t help but feel sorry for the marlin! It’s archery champion Howard Hill who is showing off his prowess on a yacht, effortlessly impaling flying fish to be used as bait, and then targeting these 250lb giants of the sea with an arrow adapted to host quite a substantial hook that really gives the fish precious little chance at all. He does have a fellow fisherman on his boat who, given the size of their quarry, keeps the end of his fishing rod in quite a precarious position before having to adjourn to a smaller dinghy that offers the heavily armed fish a chance to go out in style. It might have been fairer had he got into the water and evened up the odds a bit…!

Production companies