| Gift Horse | |
|---|---|
UK DVD cover |
|
| Directed by | Compton Bennett |
| Produced by | George Pitcher |
| Starring | Trevor Howard Richard Attenborough |
| Music by | Clifton Parker |
| Cinematography | Harry Waxman |
| Studio | Molton |
| Distributed by | Independent Film Distributors (UK) Souvaine Selective Pictures (USA) |
| Release date(s) | 16 July 1952 (UK) 10 March 1953 (USA) |
| Running time | 100 min |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Gift Horse (US title Glory At Sea) is a 1952 British war film starring Trevor Howard and Richard Attenborough.
The film follows the story of the fictional ship HMS Ballantrae and her crew from the time they come together in 1940 until they go on a one-way mission to destroy a German-held dry dock in France.
Contents |
A disgraced former commander re-enlists in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. He forms the crew of his run-down ship, "HMS Ballantrae", ex "USS Whittier", one of the Town class destroyers from the Destroyers for Bases Agreement, into an efficient fighting force, before being sent on Operation Boadicea, a suicide mission.
The first half of the film depicts an overview of the Lend-Lease destroyers, from their handing over to the Royal Navy, their working-up into fighting units despite their old age and limitations, and their dangerous work as convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic. The latter part of the film is clearly based [1] on HMS Campbeltown and the St. Nazaire Raid.
The real-life ship used in the film was HMS Leamington. Built in 1919 as the USS Twiggs, the ship was transferred to the Royal Navy in October 1940 and served on convoy duty including as an escort for PQ17. In 1943 she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy as HMCS Leamington. After a short period paid off into reserve in 1944, she was transferred to the Russian Navy to become the Zguchij. Returned to the Royal Navy in 1950 she was listed for disposal in 1951, but before being broken up the ship was hired for the Gift Horse film. She was finally broken up in December 1951. [2]
|
|||||||||||