The Sand Pebbles (1966)

In 1926, a U.S. Naval engineer gets assigned to a gunboat on a rescue mission in war-torn China.

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Richard McKenna (novel), Robert Anderson (screenplay)

Stars:

Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Richard Crenna

Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
Barney Phillips	...	Franks

Storyline

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 symbiosis 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.

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Plot Keywords:

year 1926 | gunboat | yangtze river | warship | cultural misunderstanding | 

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Taglines:

THE STORY OF MEN...men who disturbed the sleeping dragon of China as the world watched in terror!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence and sexual material

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Mandarin

Release Date:

20 December 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

El Yang-Tsé en llamas

Filming Locations:

Taipei City, Taiwan

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$30,017,647, 31 January 1968

Company Credits

Production Co:

Argyle Enterprises, Solar Productions, Robert Wise Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

182 min 196 min (BBFC submission before censorship) 196 min (roadshow)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) Mono (35 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) 4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Color by Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Wise was so hard at work on this movie's production in Hong Kong, that he couldn't attend the 38th Annual Academy Awards ceremony where The Sound of Music (1965) was up for ten awards, including Best Picture. The movie eventually won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Julie Andrews, the movie's star, accepted the Best Director Oscar on Wise's behalf, while Saul Chaplin, the movie's associate producer, accepted his Best Picture Oscar. When the cast and crew of this movie heard the announcement of The Sound of Music (1965)'s victory at the Academy Awards, they took a short time off of filming to throw a celebration for him.

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Goofs

The Machinist Mate First Class (MM1c) rate patch that Holman wears on his left shoulder is a post 1941-type where the "crow" faces to its right side. In 1926 when the movie is set, the crow on a Machinist Mate's rate patch faced left, looking away from the wearer's face. After 1941, all USN petty officer rate patch "crows" faced forward, like their wearer, to "face the enemy".

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Quotes

Jake Holman: [Holman enters the engine room after boarding the San Pablo. He looks around the room, smiles and places his hand on the machinery] Hello, Engine; I'm Jake Holman.

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Crazy Credits

There is a credit for 'Diversions by Irving Schwartz' in tribute to a mysterious, unknown correspondent whose letters proved a morale booster to cast and crew during trying location work in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

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Alternate Versions

The original "roadshow" version ran 196 minutes; later cut to its present length (182 minutes) for its general release. The roadshow version was included in a 2007 special edition DVD release, which provided the first viewing of this version since the original 1966 release.

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Connections

Featured in Slaying the Dragon (1988)

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Soundtracks

Sleepy Time Gal
(uncredited)
Music by Richard A. Whiting and Ange Lorenzo
Lyrics by Ray Egan and Joseph R. Alden

User Reviews

Throughly enjoyable.

"The Sand Pebbles" was a throughly enjoyable movie. The setting was exotic and the story engaging. Though it starred Steve McQueen, who did an excellent job, its strength was the ensemble acting with a very talented cast including Richard Crenna, Richard Attenborough, Mako and Candice Bergen. The story was nicely involved and, though it portrayed the sailor's prejudices, did not feel condescending toward the Chinese as many war-type movies do. The men were caught up in the turbulent times and many of the conflicts portrayed seem to come more from troubled psyches. It is not Ramboish macho crap. I found the portrayals of the people and times entertaining. I had read the book so maybe I read more into the movie than others seeing it cold. It was a very good movie and well worth a watch.