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Gift Horse (film)

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Gift Horse
UK DVD cover
Directed byCompton Bennett
Written byWilliam Fairchild
Hugh Hastings
William Rose
Produced byGeorge Pitcher
StarringTrevor Howard
Richard Attenborough
James Donald
Sonny Tufts
CinematographyHarry Waxman
Edited byAlan Osbiston
Music byClifton Parker
Production
company
Molton Films
Distributed byIndependent Film Distributors (UK)
Release date
  • 16 July 1952 (1952-07-16) (UK)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£218,784[1]

Gift Horse (released in the United States as Glory at Sea) is a 1952 British black-and-white World War II drama film. It was produced by George Pitcher, directed by Compton Bennett, and stars Trevor Howard, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, and Sonny Tufts.

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. The final mission is based on HMS Campbeltown and the St Nazaire Raid.[2] The title is a reference to the old proverb "Never look a gift horse in the mouth".

Plot

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In the Second World War, the Royal Navy is desperately short of personnel. Court-martialled eight years before, Lieutenant Commander Fraser is brought out of retirement and put in command of the antiquated "four pipe" First World War-vintage ship HMS Ballantrae, formerly USS Whittier, one of the Town-class destroyers from the destroyers-for-bases deal. On her first mission, convoy escort duty, Ballantrae suffers a burst steam pipe and has to be left behind while repairs are effected.

The commander's reputation spreads around the harbour while still in Britain, resulting in a bar brawl between crews when he crew choose to defend his reputation. Flanagan ends up on a charge due to this, ironicalbeing punished by the man he was defending.

On her first mission, convoy escort duty, while attempting to attack a nearby U-boat the Ballantrae suffers a burst steam pipe and cannot attack the submarine. They do however successfully shoot down a plane. before returning to port for repair. Fraser is offered a new ship but chooses to stay with the Ballantrae.

Whilst exercising close to the Cornish coast off Lizard Point the ship strikes a recently sunk ship, which should have been plotted on the charts. The ship is badly damaged. Fraser takes full blame for this during an enquiry by the Admiralty.

At Christmas 1941 Commander Fraser receives a telegram telling him that his son has been killed on active service. He does not show his grief. He celebrates with his crew, who have now given the ship the nickname "The Gift Horse".

Fraser's officers and crew resent his efforts to whip them into shape, but he eventually moulds them into an efficient fighting force, prior to being sent on Operation Boadicea, a daring suicide mission against a Nazi submarine base on the coast of France.

Cast

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Production

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The real-life ship used in the film was HMS Leamington. Built in 1919 as the USS Twiggs, a Wickes-class destroyer, she was one of the last post-war survivors of the 50 elderly four-funnelled destroyers provided in 1940 by the USA as part of the "Destroyers for Bases Agreement": (also known as "The Fifty Ships that Saved the World"). She served on convoy duties, including as an escort for the ill-fated Convoy PQ 17. In 1943 she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy as HMCS Leamington. After a short period in reserve in 1944, she was one of seven sisters transferred to the Soviet Navy, and there became the Zguchij ("Firebrand"). Returned to the Royal Navy in 1950, the ship was listed for disposal in 1951, but before being broken up she was hired for the Gift Horse film. For the final scenes of the film, based on her sister-ship Campbeltown's daring St Nazaire Raid, her four funnels were reduced to two, and cut down at an angle to resemble the funnels of a German torpedo boat, just as Campbeltown's had been. She was finally broken up in December 1951.[3]

The film was shot at Isleworth Studios in London with sets designed by the art director Edward Carrick.

Reception

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The film performed poorly at the US box office, like most British war movies of this era.[4] It earned the producer receipts of £152,287.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press p 358
  2. ^ The Greatest Raid of All Time: The attack on St. Nazaire [BBC - 2007]
  3. ^ "HMS Leamington (G 19)". uboat.net. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  4. ^ "British War Themes Disappoint". Variety. 8 August 1956. p. 7.
  5. ^ Chapman p 153
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