The Battle of the River Plate

"Pursuit of the Graf Spee"

1956 1h 59m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 75

DramaHistoryWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the early years of the World War II, the Royal Navy is fighting a desperate battle to keep the Atlantic convoy routes open to supply the British Isles, facing the great danger posed by the many German warships, such as the Admiral Graf Spee, which are scouring the ocean for cargo ships to sink.

“Pursuit of the Graf Spee”

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Cast

John Gregson
Captain Bell - H.M.S. Exeter
Anthony Quayle
Commodore Harwood - H.M.S. Ajax
Ian Hunter
Captain Woodhouse - H.M.S. Ajax
Jack Gwillim
Captain Parry - H.M.N. Z. S. Achilles
Bernard Lee
Captain Dove - M.S. Africa Shell
Lionel Murton
Mike Fowler
Anthony Bushell
Sir Millington Drake, British Minister, Montevideo
Peter Illing
Dr. Guani, Foreign Minister, Uruguay

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michael Powell
Writers: Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell
Languages: German, English, Spanish
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

70 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, English, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michael Powell, shot by Christopher Challis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Brian Easdale. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Reginald Mills shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John Gregson and Anthony Quayle and Ian Hunter carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Pursuit of the Graf Spee".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michael Powell directs. Christopher Challis behind the camera. Brian Easdale scores. Reginald Mills cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in German, English, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
270 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, English, Spanish.
4Directed by Michael Powell, shot by Christopher Challis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Brian Easdale. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Reginald Mills shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7John Gregson and Anthony Quayle and Ian Hunter carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Pursuit of the Graf Spee".
9IMDB entry: tt0048990 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 75 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.