The Sea Hawks (1940)

Throughout The Sea Hawk, bold, underscored trumpets accompany the Sea Hawks while they are at battle on the sea, concurring with and foreshadowing their apparent invincibility while at sea. These trumpets first break out happily as an unlikely cannonball fired from the Albatross shatters the flagpole of the antagonistic Spaniard ship. They are not always constant during battles, but are especially noticeable during strategic successes such as the freeing of the enslaved rowers (the first time), boarding of the ship, and the transport of their new loot. The biased trumpets help the viewer join the Sea Hawks in their atmosphere of triumph and exhilaration. In contrast, the trumpet used with the Sea Hawks' capture of the Spanish gold is not as bold, signalling that the previous battles were more difficult and thus more glorious and also warning us that this victory may be short lived.
The trumpet is also foregone in some instances to fit a more subdued emotional atmosphere. For instance, while Captain Thorpe and his crew make their incredibly brave escape from chains as enslaved oarmen, they do so quietly enough not to wake up the guard. Korngold substitutes quieter strings in the escape scene to accentuate the whispering of Thorpe and his comrades. There is a brief crescendo of strings and low brass used to support the silent strangling of the timekeeper and killing of various guards, which is also silent. This is far more suspenseful and natural than loud trumpets that signify sure victory but are too loud for the stealthy scene. The trumpet makes its logical return when the Sea Hawks have sure control of the ship and lower the sails.