Rent Gift Horse (1952)
3.3 of 5 from 59 ratings
1h 35min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
HMS Ballantrae is an ex-U.S. Navy destroyer - one of fifty lent by the Americans in 1940 to a desperate Royal Navy fighting to keep the Atlantic sea lanes open. The ship is old and desperately in need of a major refit, but is almost immediately pressed into service on convoy escort duty. Her new captain, Lt. Commander Fraser (Trevor Howard), struggles to keep her operational, while dealing with problems arising from his own, chequered past. The crew are mostly new recruits, raw, inexperienced and unused to navy discipline. Somehow, Fraser must shape them into a formidable fighting unit as they run the lethal gauntlet of U-Boats and German bombers... Just as HMS Ballantrae seems to have overcome her problems, she is selected to play a vital role in one of the most daring commando raids of the entire war - a mission from which the ship is intended never to return..."Gift Horse" offers an authentic and moving portrayal of life on board a Royal Navy ship during World War Two. It was made with the full cooperation of both the Admiralty and the St. Nazaire Society, and is broadly based on dramatic, real life events. - Actors:
- Trevor Howard, Richard Attenborough, Sonny Tufts, James Donald, Bernard Lee, Dora Bryan, Hugh Williams, Robin Bailey, Meredith Edwards, John Forrest, Patric Doonan, Sidney James, Tony Quinn, James Kenney, George Street, Hugh Hastings, James Carney, Harold Siddons, Harold Ayer, Charles Lloyd-Pack
- Directors:
- Compton Bennett
- Producers:
- George Pitcher
- Writers:
- Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts, W.E. Fairchild, Hugh Hastings, William Rose
- Aka:
- Glory at Sea
- Studio:
- DD Home Entertainment
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama
- Collections:
- Drama Films & TV, Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: Sidney James, Richard Attenborough: A Centenary Special Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide, WWII Films: Beaches, Oceans and Camps
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 04/04/2022
- Run Time:
- 100 minutes
- Languages:
- English LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.37:1
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Operation Chariot and HMS Campbeltown: James Dorrian Remembers the Real 'Gift Horse'
- Ceremony Commemorating 5 Year Anniversary of the St Nazaire Raid (1947)
- Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery
- Original Trailer
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Reviews (2) of Gift Horse
Great! - Gift Horse review by NR
Super old film!
Great performances from all concerned.
Cover's a period of history when stiff upper lips were downright rigid?
So nice to watch something that has no sub-plot or contrived "message"to get across,other than that under pressure human being's can be quite remarkable!!
Nick
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
War Story. - Gift Horse review by Steve
This low budget naval drama about the War in the Atlantic covers similar territory to The Cruel Sea, which was released the following year. It's not as good, but it does capture a particular point about WWII better than any other film; the impoverished unpreparedness of the British in the first days of the conflict.
The Gift Horse is a name given to the donation by the US government of battleships left over from the Great War. So the British were forced to face up to the German Kriegsmarine with a fleet of surplus destroyers. The film is based on the Campbeltown and actually shot on another gift horse, the Leamington.
The narrative is divided between action at sea and events on the home front. Most of these are standard situations. The crew are divided and have no respect for the captain who is trying to impose discipline. In time they develop an unshakable bond which sees them through many hazards, including the raid on the German dock at St Nazaire.
The film's strength is the realistic portrayal of conditions on the Atlantic. The understated performances are all excellent, particularly Trevor Howard as the complex, burdened skipper. And it's an interesting, little told story from before the US joined the fight, when the British forces had little else to fall back on but audacity and excessive risk taking.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.