H.M.S. Defiant (1962)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Lewis Gilbert

Writers:

Frank Tilsley (novel)
Nigel Kneale (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 April 1962 (UK)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | History

Tagline:

The cry was MUTINY... and the decks ran red!...

Plot:

Defiant's crew is part of a fleet-wide movement to present a petition of grievances to the Admiralty...

Plot Keywords:

Mutiny | Napoleonic Wars | British Navy | Naval Battle | Spanking

Cast

Alec Guinness	...	Captain Crawford
Dirk Bogarde	...	Lieut. Scott-Padget
Maurice Denham	...	Mr. Goss (Ship's Surgeon)
Nigel Stock	...	Senior Midshipman Kilpatrick
Richard Carpenter	...	Lieut. Ponsonby
Peter Gill	...	Lieut. D'Arblay
David Robinson	...	Midshipman Harvey Crawford
Robin Stewart	...	Midshipman Pardoe
Ray Brooks	...	Hayes
Peter Greenspan	...	Johnson
Anthony Quayle	...	Vizard
Tom Bell	...	Evans
Murray Melvin	...	Percival Wagstaffe
Victor Maddern	...	Bosun Dawlish
Bryan Pringle	...	Marine Sgt. Kneebone

Also Known As:

Damn the Defiant! (USA)
Mutiny (UK) (working title)
The Mutineers (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (2002) | USA:Approved | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Last film role of Joy Shelton.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: As the second sailor is buried at sea you can see a rope tied to the body leading back along the ship. Obviously so they can haul the dummy back on board after the scene ends.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "War of 1812" (1999)

excellent

I had a chance to catch this well-known film for the first time on the "Action" cable channel and was very impressed all around - script, acting, direction, authenticity, pacing, the whole nine yards. This is a really engrossing story rooted in history with bold characters and lots of naval action; just a rip-snorting good adventure story of a very high calabre. The scenes of 180th century naval action are some of the most impressive I have seen (a letterbox release would be of great benefit in this regard). Guinness is up to his usual high standard, abetted by fine work from Bogarde and Quayle. The tension of the dramatic line never lets up until the heroic conclusion. The movie inspired to do some reading into the story of the Spithead Mutiny, on which the movie is based. Highly recommended.