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The Sailor of the King

Sailor of the king movie poster, vintage film poster for sailor of the king featuring a confident sailor with guns, ships in battle, and action scene, classic WWII era design.
The stunning coastal Fungus Rock formation at sunset.

Synopsis

Sailor of the King is a 1953 British war film based on C. S. Forester’s 1929 novel Brown on Resolution — the same author best known for the Hornblower series. The film is also a remake of the 1935 British film Forever England, which covered the same story.

Set during both World War I and World War II, the film follows the parallel stories of a Royal Navy officer and the illegitimate son he never knew he had. The son, Signalman Andrew Brown played by Jeffrey Hunter, finds himself stranded on a rocky island after his ship is sunk, and single-handedly delays a German raider long enough for British forces to catch up and destroy it.

Directed by Roy Boulting and starring Jeffrey Hunter, Michael Rennie and Wendy Hiller, the film was a significant production for its time and holds a particular place in Gozo’s cinematic history as the first film ever shot on the island.

FAQ

Sailor of the King is a 1953 British war film that follows two parallel storylines. The first is set during World War I and follows Royal Navy officer Richard Saville, played by Michael Rennie, who has a brief affair without knowing it results in a son. The second is set twenty years later during World War II, when that son, Signalman Andrew Brown played by Jeffrey Hunter, is stranded on a rocky island after his ship is sunk by a German raider. Brown single-handedly sabotages the German vessel’s repairs, buying enough time for British forces to catch up and destroy it.

The cliffside sequences were filmed at Dwejra Bay on Gozo’s western coast, which doubled as a fictional enemy-held cove. Sailor of the King holds the distinction of being the first film ever shot on Gozo, beginning a long tradition of international productions using the island’s dramatic landscapes.

No. The film is based on C.S. Forester’s 1929 novel Brown on Resolution. Forester is best known for his Hornblower series of naval fiction. The film is also a remake of the 1935 British film Forever England, which told the same story. While the wartime setting is historically accurate, the characters and events are fictional.

Yes. Sailor of the King is a remake of Forever England, a 1935 British film that told the same story based on C.S. Forester’s novel. The 1935 version starred John Mills. Sailor of the King updated the production with a Hollywood lead in Jeffrey Hunter and used Gozo as its primary exterior location.

Production Info

Released


1953

Directed


Roy Boulting

Starring

Jeffrey Hunter
Michael Rennie
Wendy Hiller

More Info

Sailor of the King Scenes on Gozo

  • Signalman Andrew Brown (Jeffrey Hunter) shelters on a cliff in Sailor of the King.
    Signalman Brown taking his postion on the cliffs overlooking the Essen, filmed at Dwerja Bay, Gozo.
  • A World War II Battleship sails out of Dwerja Bay.
    The Essen enters a cove to moor up for vital repairs, shot at Dwerja Bay, Gozo.

Sailor of the King Filming Locations on Gozo

The sequences showing Signalman Brown pinned down on the cliffs above the German ship were filmed at Il-port, Dwejra Bay, San Lawrenz on Gozo’s western coast. The bay doubled convincingly as an unnamed enemy-held cove, with its dramatic limestone cliffs and sheltered inlet providing exactly the kind of geography the story required.

One detail worth noting for fans who visit: the navigation chart used by the German ship Essen in the film accurately reflects Dwejra Bay’s true outline, but the coastline shown south of the bay is fictional. In reality Dwejra Bay has two entrances because its wide mouth is divided by Fungus Rock, the distinctive limestone outcrop that sits in the middle of the bay. The film frames its shots to show only a single narrow entrance, which suited the story but doesn’t quite match what you’ll see when you visit.

The Inland Sea, the small enclosed lagoon connected to the open sea by a short tunnel, is visible in several background shots. Today Dwejra Bay is one of Gozo’s most visited locations and is accessible year round. Our dedicated Dwejra Bay guide has full details on what to see and how to get there.

This one matters more than its modest reputation suggests. Long before Game of Thrones brought international crews to Dwejra, Sailor of the King quietly claimed the title of the first production ever filmed on Gozo, back in 1953. Local memory of the shoot has mostly faded, but the coastline hasn’t. Stand at Dwejra today, minus the Azure Window since 2017, and you’re looking at the same stretch of limestone that stood in for a fictional cove seven decades before Daenerys Targaryen ever set foot there. For an island with over 100 productions to its name, this is where the story actually begins. For the full history of Dwejra on screen, see our Dwejra Bay filming locations guide.

Watch Trailer for Sailor of the King

Sailor of the King isn’t currently available to stream anywhere, but the DVD is on Amazon, and it comes with both of the film’s original alternate endings, one British, one American, screened to audiences at the time to vote on. If you would rather go to the source, the film is based on C.S. Forester’s 1929 novel Brown on Resolution, also worth tracking down, particularly if you already know him from the Hornblower books.

Sailor of the King Locations Map

Did you Know

The chart of the bay used by the ship, Essen, accurately reflects Dwejra Bay’s true outline, but the coastline depicted south of the bay is fictional. In reality, Dwejra Bay has two entrances because its wide mouth is divided by a small rocky island known as Fungus Rock. However, the film frames its shots to show only a single narrow entrance to the bay.

🎬 Explore Gozo’s Film Locations in One Day

Loved this production? My new Gozo in a Day: Film & TV Location Guide helps you turn Gozo’s screen history into a real day out, with a practical route through Victoria, Dwejra and Mġarr Harbour, plus colour photos, maps and useful stop-by-stop notes.