Gift Horse (1952)

06/01/1952Adventure, War, Drama1h 35m
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Overview

Compton Bennett's war drama The Gift Horse follows the fortunes of ageing destroyer The Ballantrae and her crew from the time they come together in 1940 until the climactic raid on occupied St Nazaire in 1942. Trevor Howard plays Lt Cmdr Hugh Alginon Fraser, the newly appointed captain, back in service after having left the navy following a court martial.

Top Billed Cast

  1. Cast 1

    Richard Attenborough

    Dripper Daniels

  2. Cast 1

    James Donald

    Lt. Richard Jennings, No. 1

  3. Cast 1

    Sonny Tufts

    Yank Flanagan

  4. Cast 1

    Trevor Howard

    Lt. Cmdr Hugh Alginon Fraser

  5. Cast 1

    Bernard Lee

    A.S. 'Stripey' Wood

  6. Cast 1

    Dora Bryan

    Glad Flanagan

  7. Cast 1

    Hugh Williams

    Captain David G. Wilson

  8. Cast 1

    Robin Bailey

    Lt. Michael Grant, Pilot

  9. Cast 1

    Meredith Edwards

    Jones

Trevor Howard makes for an eminently plausible "Lt. Cdr. Fraser" in command of a dilapidated ex-USN destroyer - renamed HMS Ballantrae - whose stiff upper lip, by the book, approach to his men causes considerable resentment. Gradually, though - and not before the ship has a few mishaps - he begins to turn them around before their ultimate mission to attack a Nazi-occupied French dry dock. A good ensemble cast including James Donald, Bernard Lee and Richard Attenborough help keep the pace quick and interesting. The latter part of the film is based on a real-life raid on St. Nazaire and is quite...

Status Released

Original LanguageEnglish 

Budget-

Revenue -

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