"Captain Horatio Hornblower" (1951)

Gregory Peck was the movies' master of stoic. With brooding good looks and baritone voice, his taciturn delivery created many a thoughtful and honorable hero. Here he's the famous British Naval officer of the early 19th century. While it doesn't boast the swagger of some swashbucklers--like say, those of Errol Flynn from the '30s and '40s--the fun is seeing Peck use his military smarts to outmaneuver his French and Spanish enemies in warship 'chess' on the high seas. The history lesson is illuminating, the battle sequences are exciting, and the love interest, Virginia Mayo, is luminous. Top notch entertainment.