The Ship That Died of Shame

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The Ship That Died of Shame
Directed by	Basil Dearden
Produced by	Basil Dearden Michael Relph
Written by	Basil Dearden Nicholas Monsarrat (novel) Michael Relph John Whiting
Starring	George Baker Richard Attenborough Bill Owen
Release date(s)	April 19, 1955
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Ship That Died of Shame is a black-and-white 1955 Ealing Studios crime film starring George Baker, Richard Attenborough and Bill Owen.

It is based on a story written by Nicholas Monsarrat (better known as the author of The Cruel Sea). It was originally published in Lilliput magazine in 1952. It was later published in a collection of short stories (The Ship That Died of Shame and other stories, 1959, ISBN 0330104993).

[edit] Plot

The 1087 is a British Royal Navy motor torpedo boat that faithfully sees its crew through the worst that World War II can throw at them. After the end of the war, George Hoskins (Richard Attenborough) convinces former skipper Bill Randall (George Baker) and Birdie (Bill Owen) to buy their beloved boat and use it for some harmless, minor smuggling.

However, they find themselves transporting ever more sinister cargoes. Though their craft had been utterly reliable and never let them down in wartime, it begins to break down frequently, as if ashamed of its current use.