Against All Flags

"The greatest sea adventure of the them all!"

1952 1h 21m EN

😐

6.0

MID

⭐

6.5

IMDB

★6.0TMDB · 75★6.5IMDB · 3,038

DramaAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the 18th century, the pirates of Madagascar, lords of the Republic of Libertatia and masters of the Indian Ocean, live in an impregnable natural fortress, killing, robbing and plundering with impunity, so the British Navy hatches a daring plan to destroy them.

“The greatest sea adventure of the them all!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Errol Flynn
Brian Hawke
Maureen O'Hara
Spitfire Stevens
Anthony Quinn
Captain Roc Brasiliano
Alice Kelley
Princess Patma
Mildred Natwick
Molvina MacGregor
Robert Warwick
Captain Kidd
Harry Cording
Gow
John Alderson
Sailor Harris

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: George Sherman
Writers: Aeneas MacKenzie, Aeneas MacKenzie, Joseph Hoffman
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 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

81 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

74 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by George Sherman, shot by Russell Metty. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Hans J. Salter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Errol Flynn and Maureen O'Hara and Anthony Quinn carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The greatest sea adventure of the them all!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0044333 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

George Sherman directs. Russell Metty behind the camera. Hans J. Salter scores. Frank Gross cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

181 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
274 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by George Sherman, shot by Russell Metty. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Hans J. Salter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Frank Gross shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Errol Flynn and Maureen O'Hara and Anthony Quinn carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The greatest sea adventure of the them all!".
8IMDB entry: tt0044333 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 75 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 14 themes, including "princess", "madagascar", "royal navy", "piracy".

The technical file

Cinematography: Russell Metty
Original score: Hans J. Salter
Editing: Frank Gross
Makeup / hair: Joan St. Oegger
Runtime: 81 min · 1h 21m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Against All Flags (1952)
IMDB rating: 6.5/10 · 3,038 votes
MPAA: Approved
US box office: $1,600,000

Also by

George Sherman

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-08-12
★ 7/10
Rot my guts! The cannons are blowing up! Against All flags is directed by George Sherman and written by Joseph Hoffman and Aeneas MacKenzie. It stars Errol Flynn, Maureen O'Hara, Anthony Quinn, Alice Kelley and Mildred Natwick. A Technicolor production out of Universal with cinematography by Russell Metty and music scored by Hans J. Salter. In 1700 A.D. the Pirate Rebublic of Libertatia on the Island of Madagascar was in constant menace to the rich trade routes to India. Several days sail from this pirate fortress is the British merchant ship, Monsoon... Plot, in simple terms, sees Flynn as a British officer who goes under cover to smash the pirate ring operating on the coast of Madagascar. Swooning, jealousy, heroics, moustache twirling villainy and big hoorays do follow. It's a lesser Flynn swashbuckler that came at a time when he was fighting some personal issues as well as the onset of age. Filmed mostly on the Universal stages in California, with a small amount of location work shot at Palos Verdes, picture is far better than it probably had right to be. Duel with landing pikes! OK! This is hardly a rip snorter akin to Flynn's triumphs of the past, nor is it a particularly potent story, but it's a picture full of lovely optical delights whilst the lead performers have an ebullience that's utterly beguiling. Colour photography and costuming lead the way, both of which off set some of the cheapo corner cutting by producer Howard Christie. Direction is steady, with the actors comfortable with the jovial material to hand, and the finale doesn't lack in the crash, bang, wallop & hooray department. Flynn oozes laid back charisma, his unassuming kisses stealing the ladies hearts, Quinn enjoys being the dandy dastardo, O'Hara wields a good blade and broods a sexuality to knock the boys off of their feet, while Mildred Natwick is as always worthy of observation since her visual acting is most enjoyable. The flaws are evident from the off, making it an easy film to kick and dismiss if in a particularly demanding mood. Therefore, as pirate adventures go, or as Flynn swashers go in fact, it's very much a minor work. But that doesn't mean it isn't colourful or fun, for it happens to be both. Universal's Region 1 Pirates of the Golden Age release of Against All Flags comes in full frame and is a rather good transfer to disc. 7/10
CinemaSerf2022-09-11
★ 6/10
A still very charismatic Errol Flynn is slightly past his best in this seafaring swashbuckler as "Brian Hawke" - a Royal Navy Lieutenant gone undercover to discover the secret defences of the pirate stronghold of Suarez Bay on Madagascar. He falls for a deceptively glamorous Captain of the Coast - "Mistress Stevens" (Maureen O'Hara) who has lost none of her natural feistiness. Soon he is sparring with Anthony Quinn and after they inadvertently capture the daughter of the Mogul they all have to spar with Mildred Natwick (her nurse) doing her best Una O'Connor impression. It is still too much of a dawdling romance, with a soporific score from Hans Salter and way too much dialogue but is a perfectly watchable yarn, with an action-packed ending.