Seven Seas to Calais (Italian: Il dominatore dei sette mari) is a 1962 Italian adventure film in Eastmancolor and CinemaScope, produced by Paolo Moffa, directed by Rudolph Maté (his final film) and Primo Zeglio, that stars Rod Taylor, Keith Michell, and Edy Vessel. The film depicts the career of Britain's Sir Francis Drake.
Contents
Plot
Francis Drake (Rod Taylor) is one of the leading naval commanders under Queen Elizabeth I of England (Irene Worth). A veteran privateer, master strategist and skilled diplomat, he excels at disrupting Spanish shipping and taking New World gold back to England, defying the Spanish Armada. Elizabeth publicly denounces him as a pirate, but secretly supplies him support and protection.
King Phillip of Spain (Umberto Raho) is not fooled. He refuses to countenance a plot by his advisers to assassinate Elizabeth and place Mary Stuart (Esmeralda Ruspoli) on the throne, removing Drake’s support and leaving him vulnerable. However, Phillip does nothing to stop them from proceeding with the plan.
Drake, freshly knighted for his secret services to the Crown, foils the plot but is unable stop Elizabeth from having Mary executed for her alleged involvement in the attempted coup. Spain is outraged, and the Armada threatens England. Drake’s spies track the Spanish fleet as Drake looks for an opportunity to cripple the Armada before they can invade Britain.
Cast
Main
Rod Taylor as Sir Francis Drake
Keith Michell as Malcolm Marsh
Edy Vessel as Arabella Ducleau
Terence Hill as Babington (Credited as Mario Girotti)
Basil Dignam as Sir Francis Walsingham
Anthony Dawson as Lord Burleigh
Gianni Cajafa as Tom Moon
Irene Worth as Queen Elizabeth I
Arturo Dominici as Don Bernardino de Mendoza, the Spanish Ambassador
Marco Guglielmi as Fletcher
Esmeralda Ruspoli as Mary of Scotland
Rossella D'Aquino as Potato
Umberto Raho as King Philip of Spain
Aldo Bufi Landi as Vigeois
Uncredited roles
Giuseppe Abbrescia as Chester
Luciana Gilli as Indian Wife
Massimo Righi as Lord of the Royal Court
Anna Santarsiero as Indian Wife
Gianni Solaro as Admiral Medina Sedonia
Jacopo TecchivGarcia
Bruno Ukmar as Emmanuel
Franco Ukmar as Francisco
Adriano Vitale as Recalde
Production
The film was mainly shot at the Titanus Appia Studios in Rome, but some scenes were filmed at the Bay of Naples. While filming, Rod Taylor was dating Anita Ekberg.
Reception
According to MGM records, the film earned $1,250,000 in North America and $1,000,000 in other markets, earning it a profit of $293,000.
It had admissions of 534,906 in France.
Biography
Hughes, Howard (2011). Cinema Italiano - The Complete Guide from Classics to Cult. London - New York: I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84885-608-0.