Billy Budd

"The men! The mutiny! The might of the greatest adventure classic of the high seas!"

1962 1h 59m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 82

DramaAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Billy is an innocent, naive seaman in the British Navy in 1797. When the ship's sadistic master-at-arms is murdered, Billy is accused and tried.

“The men! The mutiny! The might of the greatest adventure classic of the high seas!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Terence Stamp
Billy Budd
Robert Ryan
John Claggart, Master of Arms
Peter Ustinov
Edwin Fairfax Vere, Post Captain
Melvyn Douglas
The Dansker, Sailmaker
Paul Rogers
Philip Seymour, 1st Lieutenant
John Neville
Julian Ratcliffe, 2nd Lieutenant
David McCallum
Steven Wyatt, Gunnery Officer
Ronald Lewis
Enoch Jenkins, Maintopman

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Peter Ustinov
Writers: Peter Ustinov, DeWitt Bodeen
Languages: English
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

ERA

Did you know

64 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Peter Ustinov, shot by Robert Krasker. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Terence Stamp and Robert Ryan and Peter Ustinov carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The men! The mutiny! The might of the greatest adventure classic of the high seas!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0055796 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Peter Ustinov directs. Robert Krasker behind the camera. Antony Hopkins scores. Jack Harris cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

164 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Peter Ustinov, shot by Robert Krasker. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Antony Hopkins. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Jack Harris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Terence Stamp and Robert Ryan and Peter Ustinov carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The men! The mutiny! The might of the greatest adventure classic of the high seas!".
8IMDB entry: tt0055796 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 82 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.