Gift Horse

1952 1h 35m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 23

AdventureWarDrama

Synopsis

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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.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Richard Attenborough
Dripper Daniels
James Donald
Lt. Richard Jennings, No. 1
Sonny Tufts
Yank Flanagan
Trevor Howard
Lt. Cmdr Hugh Alginon Fraser
Bernard Lee
A.S. 'Stripey' Wood
Dora Bryan
Glad Flanagan
Hugh Williams
Captain David G. Wilson
Robin Bailey
Lt. Michael Grant, Pilot

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Compton Bennett
Writers: Ben Roberts, William Fairchild, Ivan Goff
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 / 6

ERA

Did you know

74 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Compton Bennett, shot by Harry Waxman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Richard Attenborough and James Donald and Sonny Tufts carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

WILD

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IMDB entry: tt0044658 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

Only 23 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Compton Bennett directs. Harry Waxman behind the camera. Alan Osbiston cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

174 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Compton Bennett, shot by Harry Waxman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Editor Alan Osbiston shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Richard Attenborough and James Donald and Sonny Tufts carry the top of the cast.
5IMDB entry: tt0044658 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
6Only 23 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Harry Waxman
Editing: Alan Osbiston
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Gift Horse (1952)

Also by

Compton Bennett

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-09-09
★ 7/10
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 an exciting ride. I enjoyed this.

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