Browse all reviews by letter     A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0 - 9

USA 1937
Directed by
Henry King
118 minutes
Rated G

Reviewed by
Bernard Hemingway
3.5 stars

Lloyds Of London

Lloyds Of London was the first outing for Henry King and Tyrone Power who went onto make eight more films together. It is a quality production and was nominated for two Academy Awards, one for Best Art Direction by William S. Darling and the other for Film Editing by Barbara McLean (who edited twenty-nine films directed by King) and remains an enjoyable adventure romance costume drama, a style that was so popular in the 1930s.

Taking a broad historical canvas that mixes fact with fiction with gay abandon it sketches out the story of two young chums, Jonathan Blake and Horatio Nelson (Freddie Bartholomew and Douglas Scott), who grow up to become the saviours of, respectively, Lloyd's of London and England. The main attention is on the former with Nelson essentially a historical reference point for Blake’s story of selfless devotion to the insurance company.  

Power, in his first major role is gorgeous as Blake, George Sanders plays a Regency cad with relish and Madeleine Carroll, also looking gorgeous, is the cad’s wife with whom the noble Jonathan falls in love.

 

 

back

Want something different?

random vintage best worst