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Pursuit of the Graf Spee

Original title: The Battle of the River Plate
  • 1956
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 59m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
4.7K
YOUR RATING
Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)
Pursuit Of The Graf Spee: Sweep The Horizon
Play clip2:48
Watch Pursuit Of The Graf Spee: Sweep The Horizon
1 Video
62 Photos
ActionAdventureDrama

In the first major naval battle of World War II, the British Navy must find and destroy a powerful German warship.In the first major naval battle of World War II, the British Navy must find and destroy a powerful German warship.In the first major naval battle of World War II, the British Navy must find and destroy a powerful German warship.

  • Directors
    • Michael Powell
    • Emeric Pressburger
  • Writers
    • Michael Powell
    • Emeric Pressburger
  • Stars
    • John Gregson
    • Anthony Quayle
    • Peter Finch
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    4.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Michael Powell
      • Emeric Pressburger
    • Writers
      • Michael Powell
      • Emeric Pressburger
    • Stars
      • John Gregson
      • Anthony Quayle
      • Peter Finch
    • 58User reviews
    • 21Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 BAFTA Awards
      • 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    Pursuit Of The Graf Spee: Sweep The Horizon
    Clip 2:48
    Watch Pursuit Of The Graf Spee: Sweep The Horizon

    Photos62

    Peter Finch, Jack Gwillim, John Gregson, and Anthony Quayle in Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)
    Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)
    Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)
    Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)
    Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)
    In Which We Serve (1942)
    Peter Finch, Jack Gwillim, John Gregson, Ian Hunter, and Anthony Quayle in Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)
    Jack Gwillim in Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)
    Jack Gwillim and John Merivale in Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)
    Jack Gwillim and John Merivale in Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)
    Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)
    Peter Finch in Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Gregson
    John Gregson
    • Captain Bell - H.M.S. Exeter
    Anthony Quayle
    Anthony Quayle
    • Commodore Harwood-H.M.S. Ajax
    Peter Finch
    Peter Finch
    • Captain Langsdorff - 'Admiral Graf Spee'
    Ian Hunter
    Ian Hunter
    • Captain Woodhouse - H.M.S. Ajax
    Jack Gwillim
    Jack Gwillim
    • Captain Parry - H.M.N.Z.S. Achilles
    Bernard Lee
    Bernard Lee
    • Captain Dove - M.S. Africa Shell
    H.M.S. Sheffield
    • H. M. S. Ajax
    I.N.S. Delhi
    • H.M.N.Z.S. Achilles
    H.M.S. Jamaica
    • H.M.S. Exeter
    H.M.S. Cumberland
    • H.M.S. Cumberland
    Lionel Murton
    • Mike Fowler
    Anthony Bushell
    Anthony Bushell
    • Mr. Millington Drake - British Minister, Montevideo
    Peter Illing
    Peter Illing
    • Dr. Guani - Foreign Minister, Uruguay
    Michael Goodliffe
    Michael Goodliffe
    • Captain McCall - R.N., British Naval Attache, Buenos Aires
    Patrick Macnee
    Patrick Macnee
    • Lieutenant Commander Medley R.N.
    John Chandos
    • Dr. Langmann - German Minister, Montevideo
    Douglas Wilmer
    Douglas Wilmer
    • M. Desmoulins - French Minister, Montevideo
    William Squire
    William Squire
    • Ray Martin
    • Directors
      • Michael Powell
      • Emeric Pressburger
    • Writers
      • Michael Powell
      • Emeric Pressburger
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The Midshipmen's quarters were empty because Captain Langsdorff had promoted all of his Midshipmen to Ensigns in order to make room for his prisoners.
    • Goofs
      In the opening scenes the German sailors are carrying American Thompson M1A1 sub-machine guns instead of German weapons such as the MP38 or MP40.
    • Quotes

      Captain Langsdorff 'Admiral Graff Spee': [to Captain Dove] Every commander is alone, Captain.

    • Crazy credits
      H.M.S. Sheffield as H.M.S. Ajax
    • Connections
      Featured in The Story of Making the Film They're a Weird Mob (1966)
    • Soundtracks
      Cabalgata de los Gauchos
      (uncredited)

      Music by Brian Easdale

      Lyrics by Manuel Salina

      Performed by April Olrich (dubbed by Muriel Smith)

    User reviews58

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    A change of pace from Powell & Pressburger
    Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger are probably best known for their mystical, romantic films like: 'A Matter of Life and Death'; 'Black Narcissus', and 'The Red Shoes'.

    'Battle of the River Plate' is a decent film, but it does have some awkward lapses. There is some excellent footage shot at sea using veteran Royal Navy ships. Unfortunately this sits uneasily with the studio sets. During the battle scenes I had the uneasy feeling someone out of shot was throwing buckets of water in the air to simulate shell-fire.

    Instead of indulging in Technicolor, I feel the producers should have gone for the harsher monochrome which 'The Cruel Sea' and 'Sink the Bismarck!' use so well. Black and white photography also makes the shift between location and studio work much less obvious.

    There are some good performances in the film, notably Peter Finch as Langsdorff. I remember seeing newsreel footage of the real Langsdorff attending the funeral of his men in Montevideo, he gave a German Naval salute instead of the Nazi version. His portrayal as a 'decent' German has a basis in fact.

    The battle of the River Plate was the last Naval action to take place without the benefit of technical advances such as radar. It was a fine piece of seamanship and the story deserved to be told. At the end of this film, unfortunately, you can't help feeling it could have been told better.
    helpful•16
    8
    • vaughan.birbeck
    • Oct 1, 2001

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    FAQ1

    • When the sun rises,one of the crew says " There she is, the old tiriagi(sic)".What is this word and where does it come from, I've searched on the web and cannot find anything.

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 1957 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Panzerschiff Graf Spee
    • Filming locations
      • Cromarty Firth, Invergordon, Highland, Scotland, UK(re-fuelling scene)
    • Production company
      • The Archers
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 59 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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