vincentlynch-moonoi I'm not particularly strong on this film, even though I have always admired Tyrone Power. And, this was Power's first significant film role...and although he is clearly the centerpiece of the film, he gets 4th billing beneath Freddie Bartholomew (child actor), Madeleine Carroll, and Guy Standing. Power is so young here (just 22) that you really might not recognize him. He does a fine job acting here.The most interesting part of the movie (to my surprise) may well be the opening section, where Freddie Bartholomew is the friend of the boy who will become Lord Nelson. Bartholomew will grow to become Tyrone Power's character -- influential in Lloyds Of London.Once Tyrone Power takes center stage, however, the film seems to struggle to decide what it's really about. There's a really dumb segment where Power is in France disguised as a priest (we're not told why), and saves fellow Brit Madeleine Carroll from being arrested by Napoleon's military as a spy by hiding with her in a huge barrel...and somehow that ends them up in a small boat, manned (no pun intended...she changes clothes behind the barrel into men's clothing...and together they pilot the boat across the English Channel through a storm...only for her to disappear. At least we learn why she disappears...she is married to, of all people, a very young and unpleasant George Sanders. That whole segment was rather unbelievable and could have been handled with other logic to make it realistic.We then move on to Powers' stand against Lloyds, who is attempting to use a large part of Lord Nelson's fleet to protect ships, rather than fight the French. Powers prevents that from happening, but Nelson dies...while victorious.I don't know...it's just a bit much to believe.The acting is reasonably good, particularly Guy Standing as Power's mentor. An excellent role.I found this film disappointing, but watchable. It won't find a spot on my DVD shelf!

wes-connors Our story begins in a fishing village in Norfolk, on the east coast of England in the year 1770. This is when adventurous preteen Freddie Bartholomew (as Jonathan Blake) and his pal Douglas Scott (as Horatio Nelson) learn some sailors are planning to swindle an insurance company. The young lads want to report the skulduggery by taking a one hundred mile walk to London. When Master Scott takes a midshipman's job, Master Bartholomew makes the trip to "Lloyd's Coffee-House" alone. His warning results in a job with the origination, which of course becomes "Lloyd's of London"...The story jumps to 1784 as Bartholomew grows up to be Tyrone Power, who is the real star of the film (top-billed Bartholomew makes an additional, brief flashback appearance). Mr. Power makes advances in the insurance business and meets beautiful blonde Madeleine Carroll (as Elizabeth). They are mutually attracted, but she is married to unscrupulous George Sanders (as Everett Stacy). Odd as it seems, Power and Bartholomew are believable as the same person. The heroic story of an insurance company, with action and romance, is difficult to follow; but it's a nice looking production.****** Lloyd's of London (11/25/36) Henry King ~ Tyrone Power, Madeleine Carroll, Freddie Bartholomew, George Sanders

MartinHafer While I read that this movie was a very, very fictionalized account of the early days of Lloyd's of London, it still was a nifty 1930s-style adventure film. This is not exactly a wonderful endorsement, I know, but the film was far from perfect. Now if you are a Brit or a real Anglophile, then you will probably like the film more than the average person--with all its "Huzzah and God save the King" style of hooplah. I am not 100% sure why Hollywood embraced Britain so strongly in the 1930s (WWII would explain this for 1940s and 50s films).A very young Tyrone Power played the lead and much of the film concerned the British shipping industry during the time of the Napoleonic Wars. It was mildly interesting but that's about all. His love interest was the married Madeleine Carroll, though for the life of me, I didn't understand why he didn't pursue the prettier and available (and very amply endowed) Virginia Field--she seemed just as nice and almost identical to Ms. Carroll in looks and devotion to Tyrone--especially since his unrequited relationship that lasted years to Ms. Carroll just made him seem awfully desperate and pathetic.In the end, this is yet another costumer from the era--neither great nor bad. The acting was decent and the production values good. It's worth a look, but certainly not great or deserving special attention by anyone.

Ron Oliver A bright young lad goes to work at LLOYD'S OF London, the famous insurance house. He grows up to become a power in the institution, with much adventure & financial intrigue along the way, but love continues to elude him...This lavish film is great fun to watch for two primary reasons: some very good acting & the history of Lloyd's, preeminent in its field, which it details. 20th Century Fox obviously spent a pretty penny on the production values, and it shows.Freddie Bartholomew has top billing and effortlessly steals the first half hour of the film. When his character grows up, Master Bartholomew is sorely missed. He turns into Tyrone Power, who is billed fourth. This was the film that made Power a star, and he's quite effective in the role, if you overlook the American accent.An excellent supporting cast lends a hand: wonderful old Sir Guy Standing as Power's mentor at Lloyd's - this powerful actor would soon have his life cut short by a rattlesnake bite; Una O'Connor as Bartholomew's harridan aunt; Montagu Love as a duplicitous pirate; obese Robert Greig as the jocular First Lord of the Admiralty; E. E. Clive as a dyspeptic magistrate; oily George Sanders as a noble cad; and marvelous old Sir C. Aubrey Smith as a flirtatious peer.The romantic subplot is ludicrous: Power moons over beautiful, married Madeleine Carroll for 20 years, while pert barmaid Virginia Field pines for him; none of them so much as gain a wrinkle or an extra ounce during this time.The film earns high marks in its generally faithful depiction of the history both of Lloyd's, and of Horatio Nelson.