The Sand Pebbles (1966)

The Sand Pebbles (1966) (DVD) (*)

Out of Stock

Screened, competed or awarded at:
Golden Globes
Oscar Academy Awards
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 )
Italian ( Dolby Digital 5.1 )
Italian ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
Italy ( PAL/NTSC/Region 0 )

Running Time:
183 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (2.35:1)

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Photo Gallery
Posters
Scene Access
Trailer(s)

Movie filmed in 1966 and produced in:
United States ( USA, Canada )

Directed By:
Robert Wise

Written By:
Richard McKenna
Robert Anderson

Actors:
Steve McQueen ..... Jake Holman
Richard Attenborough ..... Frenchy Burgoyne
Richard Crenna ..... Captain Collins
Candice Bergen ..... Shirley Eckert
Emmanuelle Arsan ..... Maily (as Marayat Andriane)
Mako ..... Po-han
Larry Gates ..... Jameson
Charles Robinson ..... Ensign Bordelles
Simon Oakland ..... Stawski
Ford Rainey ..... Harris
Joe Turkel ..... Bronson
Gavin MacLeod ..... Crosley
Joe Di Reda ..... Shanahan (as Joseph di Reda)
Richard Loo ..... Major Chin

Synopsis:

Steve McQueen received his only Academy Award nomination for his performance in this epic-scale war drama, based on the novel by Richard McKenna. In 1926, as China teeters on the edge of political revolution in the midst of a civil war, an American battle ship, the USS San Pablo, is ordered to patrol the Yangtze River to represent and protect American interests. While the San Pablo may be an American ship, much of the labor is actually performed by Chinese locals willing to work for American money, while stern but inexperienced commanding officer Captain Collins (Richard Crenna) frequently drills his charges, unsure what else to do. A machinist's mate with just under a decade of navy service behind him, Jake Holman (Steve McQueen) is assigned to the San Pablo and immediately makes enemies among the crew -- he prefers to do his own work rather than farm it out to others, and the one Chinese man who works by his side, Po Han (Mako), is treated as an apprentice rather than a servant. Holman also falls in love with an idealistic American missionary (Candice Bergen), while his shipmate Frenchy (Richard Attenborough) falls for a Chinese girl and - with marriage plans in mind - kidnaps her to prevent her from being auctioned off. As Holman's methods and attitudes continue to anger his comrades, they find themselves increasingly at odds with the Chinese, especially after Frenchy's girlfriend becomes pregnant and Po Han is captured by revolutionary forces and branded a traitor.

Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat U.S.S. San Pablo, assigned to patrol a tributary of the Yangtze in the middle of exploited and revolution-torn 1926 China. His iconoclasm and cynical nature soon clash with the 'rice-bowl' system which runs the ship and the uneasy sybiosis between Chinese and foreigner on the river. Hostility towards the gunboat's presence reaches a climax when the boat must crash through a river-boom and rescue missionaries upriver at China Light Mission.

This product was added to our catalog on Thursday 01 July, 2021.