Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951)

Gregory Peck: Capt. Horatio Hornblower R.N

Photos 

Quotes 

• Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : You know why I'm having Hummill flogged, Mr. Gerard?

  2nd Lt. Gerard : I reported him for fighting, sir.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : I am not having him flogged for fighting, Mr. Gerard. I'm having him flogged because you said in front of the men that you'd flog him. This is a ship of war - as it's captain, I must uphold my lieutenants' authority.

  2nd Lt. Gerard : I understand, sir.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Flogging only makes a bad man worse, Mr. Gerard... but it can break a good man's spirit. Is Hummill a bad man?

  2nd Lt. Gerard : Aside from his temper, sir, he's a good sailor.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : A good sailor, ill-fed and thirsty. Watch the cat as it cuts his back to pieces, Mr. Gerard... and in the future, perhaps you'll think twice before you threaten anyone with a flogging.

• Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : This ship is getting slack, Mr. Gerard. It's taking you longer every day to clear for action.

  2nd Lt. Gerard : The hands are weak, sir, and...

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : And what?

  2nd Lt. Gerard : Restless, sir. After all, sir, seven months without sighting land.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : No excuse. You ought to control them...

  Lookout : Land ho! Off the starboard bow!

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : ...An officer who cannot control his men is not reliable.

  2nd Lt. Gerard : Yes, sir. Excuse me, sir, that was "Land ho."

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : I have ears, Mr. Gerard.

  2nd Lt. Gerard : I thought you might be interested, sir.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : It took you eleven minutes and twenty seconds to clear for action the other day. I want it done in ten. Now!

  2nd Lt. Gerard : Now, sir?

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : You seem to have your mind on something else - I said, "Now!"

• Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : If I am not back aboard the Lydia within one hour, she'll train her guns upon your fort and reduce it to rubble.

  El Supremo : With you in it, Captain?

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : That is my order.

• El Supremo : Make known your needs to Admiral Hernandez.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Aside from water, I shall need 200 bullocks, 500 pigs, 100 quintals of salt, 40 tons of flour, ten tons of sugar, five tons of tobacco, one ton of coffee, the juice of 40,000 limes and, um, are there any wines to be had here?

  Hernandez : We drink a spirit distilled from molasses which you probably do not know. We call it rum. Will that do?

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Ha-hmm. Well, if there's nothing better that will have to do. One hundred barrels.

• Midshipman Longley : That was wonderful swordsmanship, sir.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Mr. Longley, when I was a midshipman I was bottom of the class in swordsmanship.

• Surgeon Gundarson : You'll lose more than Hazlett if you don't put ashore for fresh food and water!

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Perhaps you'll dig into your medical kit and get me a breath of fresh wind.

• Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Gentlemen, we will raise our objective within two days. It will be identified by a fortress on a hill overlooking a large bay.

  [Hornblower leaves the quarterdeck] 

  Lt. Crystal : A fortress... and a wind before morning. Huh! Heat's gone to his head.

  Lt. William Bush : Well, I think he knows more than he's saying.

  Lt. Crystal : Perhaps you'd care to take a wager on it, Mr. Bush?

  Lt. William Bush : How much can you afford?

  Lt. Crystal : Five shillings that says no wind and ten shillings that we don't sight any fortress.

  Lt. William Bush : Done!

• Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : You may retain your sword, Captain. Mr. Bush, will you remove these officers to the Lydia and put them in irons?

  Spanish captain : B-but we have surrendered! There are rules of war!

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Believe me, Captain, if Don Julian so much as sees you during the next day, he'll have you all killed. Those are his rules of war.

• Lt. William Bush : It is the captain's wish, Your Ladyship, that from now on you and your maid remain below.

  Lady Barbara Wellesley : [to Hornblower]  Can two women really be so distracting, Captain?

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : May I remind you that my men have been continously at sea for eight months?

  Lady Barbara Wellesley : [as Hornblower begins to walk away]  Oh, Captain!

  [He stops and turns to her] 

  Lady Barbara Wellesley : And how long have you been at sea?

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : [Hornblower turns to walk away, stops, and clears his throat]  Ha-Hmmm!

  [He continues to walk away] 

• Hernandez : Captain Hornblower?

  [Hornblower nods] 

  Hernandez : I am Don Jose Hernandez, Admiral in the service of El Supremo.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : El Supremo? That means The Almighty.

  Hernandez : El Supremo was formerly known to men as Don Julian Alvarado.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Ha-hmm. Where is this Don Julian Alvarado?

  Hernandez : El Supremo is in his fortress.

• Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Mr. Bush, here are the keys to my dispatch box containing the Admiralty's orders. If I'm not back aboard by midnight, you will assume command.

  Lt. William Bush : Not back on board, sir? But you said they were on our side!

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : War breeds strange allies, Mr. Bush

• Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Captain Horatio Hornblower at your service. King George of England charges me with messages of his friendship...

  El Supremo : I am not interested in the words of a mere king!

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Ha-hmm.

• Lt. Crystal : Signal from the lookout, sir. Natividad's gone about - one more tack and she'll be at the harbor mouth.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Very good, Mr. Crystal. Well, gentlemen, that leaves time for a rubber of whist.

• Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : [after the HMS LYDIA has destroyed the NATIVIDAD in a sea battle]  Well, Quist, there goes your prize money.

  Seaman Quist : It's all right, sir. You'll find us another one. It's a big ocean.

• Lady Barbara Wellesley : When should we reach England, Captain?

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : In the spring, Lady Barbara.

  Lady Barbara Wellesley : It should take as long as that?

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : With fair winds and all the canvas we can carry, I think I can promise you that we'll have you home before the first robin.

• Lady Barbara Wellesley : How beautiful the stars are tonight. It's as though we were sailing the heavens instead of the sea.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Well, in a way, we are. We steer from star to star rather than from land to land.

  Lady Barbara Wellesley : You never forget you're the captain of a ship, do you?

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : No, the ship's captain cannot afford to forget.

  Lady Barbara Wellesley : On a night like this, I can forget everything. Who I am, where I come from, where I'm going. I only knew the LYDIA's sailing on and on in space. There is no other world and this voyage will never end.

• Lady Barbara Wellesley : I don't want a quick passage. I don't want this voyage to end.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Barbara...

  Lady Barbara Wellesley : How much longer are we going to pretend? You must know I love you. Why do you fight against it?

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : I'm married, Lady Barbara.

  Lady Barbara Wellesley : Forgive me. I've made a terrible mistake. I'm deeply ashamed... No, please. Stay here and speed your ship homeward.

• Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Mrs. McPhee. Where's my wife?

  Mrs. McPhee (Hornblower's Housekeeper) : If only you could've come home sooner, captain, to be here in time.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : What's happened?

  Mrs. McPhee (Hornblower's Housekeeper) : She's dead, sir. Died in childbed, giving you a son. She so wanted to live, sir, at least until you returned.

• Adm. Lord Hood : Well, Hornblower, after that cruise, you may not find it so exciting commanding a ship of the line.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : A ship of the line, sir?

  Adm. Lord Hood : We're giving you a "74." A Frenchman we captured, renamed the SUTHERLAND. The LYDIA's crew'll be transferred to her.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : I'm extremely grateful, m'lord.

  Adm. Lord Hood : You'll be attached to Leighton's squadron... And now, gentlemen, the confounded war. I think Napoleon has bitten off more than he can chew in the Spanish peninsula. The Duke of Wellington has a chance to defeat him, and bring victory to England, if we can maintain our naval blockade. But not a single French ship must sail. That's up to you.

• Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : Goodbye, Quist. I hope we sail together again.

  Seaman Quist : Thank you kindly, sir. And if not, perhaps you'll both come and take a glass of ale in the pub I'm gonna' buy with my prize money. With your permission, sir, I'll call it the Hornblower Arms.

  Capt. Horatio Hornblower, R.N : I'd be honored, Quist.