HMS Defiant

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H.M.S. Defiant is a British movie released in 1962 about a mutiny aboard the fictitious ship of the title at around the time of the Spithead Mutiny, starring Alec Guinness and Dirk Bogarde.

It was known as Damn the Defiant! in the United States.

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The humane Captain Crawford (Guinness) is in command of the warship HMS Defiant during the Napoleonic wars. He brings his son, midshipman Harvey Crawford (David Robinson), aboard as part of the crew. This proves to be a serious mistake; his supercilious, sadistic First Lieutenant, Mr Scott-Padget (Bogarde), usurps his authority by making veiled threats against Crawford's son.

The crew is goaded into mutiny by Scott-Padget's brutality, and one of them, Vizard (Anthony Quayle), takes charge. When an enemy French fleet appears, Crawford appeals to the mutineers' patriotism and resumes command, promising to intercede for the crew in the inevitable investigation. Scott-Padget is killed by a crewman.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Trivia

In the Star Trek Universe, the USS Defiant NCC-1764 was named after "HMS Defiant", and had a painting of it in its Briefing room. Interestingly, there was never a real "H.M.S. Defiant." While working on the Star Trek Enterprise episode "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II", the writers ran a Google search and mistook a website on the Defiant from this movie for a real ship.