The Sand Pebbles poster
FilmDramaAdventureWar

The Sand Pebbles (1966)

PG-13 · 1966-12-20 · 3h 2m · EN
72%
User score
225 votes
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This is the heroic story of the men on the U.S.S. San Pablo who disturbed the sleeping dragon of savage China as the threatened world watched in breathless terror.

Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat USS San Pablo, assigned to patrol a tributary of the Yangtze in the middle of exploited and revolution-torn 1926 China. His iconoclasm and cynical nature soon clash with the 'rice-bowl' system which runs the ship and the uneasy symbiosis between Chinese and foreigner on the river. Hostility towards the gunboat's presence reaches a climax when the boat must crash through a river-boom and rescue missionaries upriver at China Light Mission.

Read the The Sand Pebbles feature →
Robert WiseDirector
Budget
$12M
Box office
$20M

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Media

Top billed cast

Full cast & crew →
Steve McQueenSteve McQueenJake HolmanRichard AttenboroughRichard AttenboroughFrenchy BurgoyneRichard CrennaRichard CrennaCaptain CollinsCandice BergenCandice BergenShirley EckertMakoMakoPo-hanLarry GatesLarry GatesJamesonCharles RobinsonCharles RobinsonEnsign BordellesSimon OaklandSimon OaklandStawskiFord RaineyFord RaineyHarrisJoe TurkelJoe TurkelBronsonGavin MacLeodGavin MacLeodCrosleyJoe Di RedaJoe Di RedaShanahan

Keywords

ChinaBattleU.s. navyMissionaryChineseGunboat

Movie DNA

Genre affinityDrama · Adventure · WarTheme affinityChina · Battle · U S NavyDialogue densityDramaPacingLongEmotional intensityWarDirector preference165020

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Frequently asked questions about The Sand Pebbles

What is The Sand Pebbles about?

Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat USS San Pablo, assigned to patrol a tributary of the Yangtze in the middle of exploited and revolution-torn 1926 China. His iconoclasm and cynical nature soon clash with the 'rice-bowl' system which runs the ship and the uneasy symbiosis between Chinese and foreigner on the river. Hostility towards the gunboat's presence reaches a climax when the boat must crash through a river-boom and rescue missionaries upriver at China Light Mission.

How long is The Sand Pebbles?

The Sand Pebbles has a runtime of 182 minutes.

Where can I watch The Sand Pebbles?

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