PT Raiders (1955) The Ship That Died of Shame (original title)

Director:

Basil Dearden

Writers:

Nicholas Monsarrat (novel)
John Whiting (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

30 January 1956 (Sweden)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Adventure on the high seas!

Plot:

A trio of ex-servicemen begin smuggling innocuous black market items into post-war Britain but through greed they graduate to more sinister cargo.

Plot Keywords:

Smuggling | Black Market | Contraband | Mechanic | Pedophile

Cast

Richard Attenborough	...	George Hoskins
George Baker	...	Bill Randall
Bill Owen	...	Birdie
Virginia McKenna	...	Helen Randall
Roland Culver	...	Maj. Fordyce
Bernard Lee	...	The Customs Officer
Ralph Truman	...	Sir Richard
John Chandos	...	Raines
Harold Goodwin	...	Second Customs Officer
John Longden	...	The Detective
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alfie Bass	...	Sailor on 1087 (uncredited)
John Boxer	...	Customs Man (uncredited)
Stratford Johns	...	Garage Worker (uncredited)
David Langton	...	Man in Coastal Forces Club Bar (uncredited)

Directed by
Basil Dearden

Writing credits
Nicholas Monsarrat		(novel)
John Whiting		(screenplay) &
Michael Relph		(screenplay) &
Basil Dearden		(screenplay)

Produced by
Michael Relph	....	producer
Basil Dearden	....	co-producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
William Alwyn

Cinematography by
Gordon Dines		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter Bezencenet

Art Direction by
Bernard Robinson

Costume Design by
Anthony Mendleson		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Harry Frampton	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Hal Mason	....	production supervisor
David Peers	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christopher Barry	....	assistant director (as Chris Barry)
John Assig	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Julian Mackintosh	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
David Butcher	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Bert Davey	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Tony Rimmington	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Jack Shampan	....	chief draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Arthur Bradburn	....	sound recordist
Stephen Dalby	....	sound supervisor
Gordon Stone	....	sound editor
Alastair McIntyre	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Lionel Selwyn	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Don Wortham	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sydney Pearson	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Geoffrey Dickinson	....	special processes

Camera and Electrical Department
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator
Brian Elvin	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Eddie Orton	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Herbert Smith	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Ken Westbury	....	clapper loader (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anthony Mendleson	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
John Jympson	....	second assistant editor (uncredited)
John S. Smith	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Dock Mathieson	....	conductor
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra	....	music player (as The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

Other crew
R.S. Abram	....	location liaison officer (as Cmdr. R.S. Abram D.S.C. RN [Retd])
Jean Graham	....	continuity
K. Perry	....	technical adviser (as Lt. [E] K. Perry R.N. [Retd])

Production Companies

• Ealing Studios

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1955) (UK) (theatrical)
• Continental Distributing (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• Gaumont & J. Arthur Rank Distribution de Films (1956) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Admiralty, The  the producers acknowledge with gratitude the co-operation of

Also Known As:

"The Ship That Died of Shame" - UK (original title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Ealing Studios

Trivia:

First film of David Langton.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Raines comes out of the abandoned WW2 bunker, the left lens of his glasses appears to have a scratch. In subsequent shots, the scratch is gone.

Quotes:

Bill Randall (skipper of 1087:You'll never get away with this!
George Hoskins:Let's try, shall we?

Soundtrack:

We'll Meet Again

Well worth watching

Despie my interest in post war films and all things Naval, I have not heard of this film. How I have missed it is beyond me.

George Baker is fantastic as the lead and Bill Owen, known to me as Compo, is a revelation. Richard Attenborough is perfect as always and the roles played by Bernard Lee and Virginia McKenna are small but superb.

I must now read the book to see how the author handled the many strands and ending, which is a little disappointing in the film. Few people in today's Britain understand the stress and strain on on those demobbed at the end of WW2 but I suspect that with growing redundancies of front line troops in Afghanistan, the stories and threads explored in this film will strike a modern chord.