Erroll Flynn takes to the seas again-Captain Blood (1935) was his first voyage, also directed with derring-do by Curtiz. Now, teamed with the charming Brenda Marshall, Flynn plays the ever-dashing Captain Thorpe, a privateer plundering Spanish galleons for the coffers of the Queen of England. The high-budget dash and daring of The Sea Hawk is set against King Phillip's ambitions to expand the dominance of Spain. Court intrigues, led by the viperous Claude Rains, are boldly countered by the bluster of big sea battles. Warner Bros. built what was the biggest soundstage of the day to float the boats in its artsy armada. This is also Flynn at his best-a commanding and athletic presence, even when bare-chested and shackled as a galley slave. Released in 1940, The Sea Hawk carried a cautionary cargo for the day, that of Hitler's impending threat. At the film's conclusion, Queen Liz delivers a stirring speech about those times "when the ruthless ambitions of a man threaten to engulf the world.”