The Sand Pebbles (film)

It tells the story of an independent, rebellious U.S. Navy machinist's mate first class, aboard the fictional river gunboat USS San Pablo, on Yangtze Patrol in 1920s China.In 1926 China during its Warlord Era, Navy Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Jake Holman transfers to the Yangtze River Patrol gunboat USS San Pablo as their new engineer.After being caught by a mob, Holman violates the captain's orders to stay neutral by shooting Po-Han to end his brutal death on-shore.Former child actor and career naval officer Frank Coghlan Jr. was the film's U.S. Navy technical advisor; he made an uncredited appearance as an American businessman.The Sand Pebbles was eventually financed by Twentieth Century-Fox, but because its production required extensive location scouting and pre-production work, as well as being affected by a monsoon in Taipei, its producer and director Wise realized that it would be more than a year before principal photography could begin.When the filming was finally completed in Taiwan, the government of the Republic of China was rumored to have held the passports of several cast members because of unpaid additional taxes.[14] In March 1966, the filming moved to Hong Kong and Shaw Brothers Studio for three months, mainly for scenes in Sai Kung and Tung Chung.By the time he received treatment in Los Angeles, he was very ill and was ordered by his dentist and physician to take an extended period of rest, one that further delayed production for several more weeks.[15] After more than 40 years, 20th Century Fox found 14 minutes of footage that had been cut from the film's initial roadshow version shown at New York's Rivoli Theatre.Afterward, McQueen did not do any film work for about a year due to exhaustion, saying that whatever sins he had committed in his life had been paid for when he made The Sand Pebbles.[23] Bosley Crowther of The New York Times called it "a beautifully mounted film" with "a curiously turgid and uneven attempt to generate a war romance"."[24] Philip K. Scheuer of the Los Angeles Times called it "adventure on the grand scale, of a kind on which the British have too long enjoyed an exclusive monopoly.The Sand Pebbles earns a place up there beside The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, et al ... Too, the parallel with 1966 and Vietnam could hardly be more timely."[25] Richard L. Coe of The Washington Post called the film "a strong story with highly unusual backgrounds, a character perfectly suited to Steve McQueen and an engrossing drive that falters only because three hours is a bit much.
Howard TerpningRobert WiseRobert AndersonRichard McKennaSteve McQueenRichard AttenboroughRichard CrennaCandice BergenMarayat AndrianeJoseph MacDonaldA.S.C.William ReynoldsA.C.E.Jerry GoldsmithA Robert Wise Production20th Century FoxRoadshowwar filmPanavisionU.S. Navymachinist's mate first classriver gunboatYangtze PatrolTaiwanHong KongLarry Gatesnovel of the same namethe fourth highest-grossing film of 1966Academy AwardsBest PictureBest ActorGolden Globe AwardsWarlord EraYangtze River Patrolshore leaveboxingbattleChinese Civil Warbrutal deathpneumoniaLewis gunanti-foreigner riotsNankingNationalist soldiersCharles RobinsonSimon OaklandFord RaineyJoe TurkelGavin MacLeodRichard LooBarney PhillipsGus TrikonisJames JeterPaul ChinpaeBeulah QuoJames HongLoren JanesFrank Coghlan Jr.technical advisorTwentieth Century-Foxlocation scoutingmonsoonproducerdirectorAcademy AwardThe Sound of MusicgunboatUSS VillalobosSpanish NavyPhilippine IslandsSpanish–American WarTam SuiKeelung Riversriver gunboatsCumminsSingaporeTed McCordKeelungTamsui, TaipeiShaw Brothers StudioSai KungTung ChungHollywoodFox StudiosUSS Texascolonialismcooliesbargirlsgunboat diplomacyVietnamVietnam WarThe New York TimesRivoli Theatre750 Seventh AvenueNew York CityThe Thomas Crown AffairBullittRotten TomatoesBosley CrowtherVarietyLos Angeles TimesThe Bridge on the River KwaiLawrence of ArabiaDoctor ZhivagoRichard L. CoeThe Washington PostThe Monthly Film BulletinBrendan GillThe New YorkerBest Supporting ActorBest Art Direction – ColorBoris LevenWalter M. ScottJohn SturtevantWilliam KiernanBest Cinematography – ColorBest Film EditingBest Original Music ScoreBest SoundJames CorcoranAmerican Cinema Editors AwardsBest Edited Feature FilmDirectors Guild of America AwardsOutstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion PicturesBest Motion Picture – DramaBest Actor in a Motion Picture – DramaBest Supporting Actor – Motion PictureBest Director – Motion PictureBest Screenplay – Motion PictureBest Music, Original Score – Motion PictureMost Promising Newcomer – FemaleLaurel AwardsMotion Picture Sound Editors AwardsBest Sound Editing – DialogueWriters Guild of America AwardsBest Written American DramaAmerican Film InstituteAFI's 100 Years of Film ScoresList of American films of 1966On the TownThe Cruel SeaThe Caine MutinyMister RobertsBlood AlleyThe World of Suzie WongBrown-water navyBritish Board of Film ClassificationThe NumbersContemporary BooksWayback MachineFandangoTCM Movie DatabaseAFI Catalog of Feature FilmsMovie Review Query EngineTV GuideThe Curse of the Cat PeopleMademoiselle FifiThe Body SnatcherA Game of DeathCriminal CourtBorn to KillMystery in MexicoBlood on the MoonThe Set-UpTwo Flags WestThree SecretsThe House on Telegraph HillThe Day the Earth Stood StillThe Captive CitySomething for the BirdsDestination GobiThe Desert RatsSo BigExecutive SuiteHelen of TroyTribute to a Bad ManSomebody Up There Likes MeThis Could Be the NightUntil They SailRun Silent, Run DeepI Want to Live!Odds Against TomorrowWest Side StoryTwo for the SeesawThe HauntingThe Andromeda StrainTwo PeopleThe HindenburgAudrey RoseRooftopsA Storm in Summer