Poster

The Sand Pebbles ()

Reference View | Change View
In 1926, a U.S. Naval engineer gets assigned to a gunboat on a rescue mission in war-torn China.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
  • Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 13 nominations.
  • See more »
Reviews:

Photos and Videos

149 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

Edit
...
Jake Holman
...
Frenchy Burgoyne
...
Captain Collins
...
Shirley Eckert
...
Maily (as Marayat Andriane)
...
Po-han
...
Jameson
...
Ensign Bordelles
...
Stawski
...
Harris
...
Bronson
...
Crosley
...
Shanahan (as Joseph di Reda)
...
Major Chin
...
Franks
...
Restorff
...
Perna
...
Farren
Thomas H. Middleton ...
Jennings (as Tom Middleton)
...
Cho-jen (as Paul Chinpae)
...
Chien
Beulah Quo ...
Mama Chunk
...
Victor Shu
Stephen Jahn ...
Haythorn
Alan Hopkins ...
Wilsey (as Jay Allan Hopkins)
Stephen Ferry ...
Lamb (as Steve Ferry)
Ted Fish ...
Wellbeck
...
Coleman
...
Waldron (as Glenn Wilder)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Garrett Cassell ...
Commander (uncredited)
...
Bald Bespectacled Man at Red Kettle Bar (uncredited)
...
Missionary child (uncredited)
...
Brawler at Red Kettle Bar (uncredited)
...
Officer on San Pablo (uncredited)
...
Bosun's Mate (uncredited)
...
Hamilton (uncredited)
Ko Pa ...
Boy Selling Birds (uncredited)
...
Customer at Red Kettle Bar (uncredited)
...
Bidder at Red Kettle Bar (uncredited)
Henry Wang ...
Lop-eye Shing (uncredited)
...
Englishman (uncredited)

Directed by

Edit
Robert Wise

Written by

Edit
Richard McKenna ... (novel)
 
Robert Anderson ... (screenplay)

Produced by

Edit
Charles H. Maguire ... associate producer (as Charles Maguire)
Steve McQueen ... executive producer (uncredited)
Robert Wise ... A Robert Wise Production

Music by

Edit
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by

Edit
Joseph MacDonald ... director of photography

Editing by

Edit
William Reynolds

Editorial Department

Edit
David Bernstein ... colorist: digitally restored version (uncredited)

Production Design by

Edit
Boris Leven

Set Decoration by

Edit
William Kiernan ... (set decorations)
Walter M. Scott ... (set decorations)
John Sturtevant ... (set decorations)

Costume Design by

Edit
Renié ... (costumes designed by) (as Renie)

Makeup Department

Edit
Del Acevedo ... makeup artist
Margaret Donovan ... hair styles
Ben Nye ... makeup artist
William Turner ... makeup artist (as Bill Turner)
Sharleen Rassi ... hair stylist (uncredited)
Jay Sebring ... hair designer: Steve McQueen (uncredited)

Production Management

Edit
Saul Wurtzel ... unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

Edit
Ridgeway Callow ... assistant director
Charles H. Maguire ... second unit director (as Charles Maguire)
Robert F. Liu ... first assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department

Edit
Herbert Cheek ... location construction supervisor
Howard Terpning ... poster artist
Tom Jung ... graphic designer (uncredited)
Robert W. King ... craft service (uncredited)
Dong Kingman ... watercolor artist (uncredited)
Dennis J. Parrish ... assistant property master (uncredited)

Sound Department

Edit
Bernard Freericks ... sound
Murray Spivack ... sound
Douglas O. Williams ... sound

Special Effects by

Edit
Gerald Endler ... special effects (as Jerry Endler)
Johnny Borgese ... special effects (uncredited)
Paul Wurtzel ... special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

Edit
L.B. Abbott ... special photographic effects
Travis Dutch ... digital restoration scanning
Emil Kosa Jr. ... special photographic effects

Stunts

Edit
Larry Duran ... stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes ... stunt double: Steve McQueen (uncredited) / stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins ... stunts (uncredited)
Bill Saito ... stunts (uncredited)
Glenn R. Wilder ... stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

Edit
Dick Johnson ... second unit photography (as Richard Johnson)
Thomas Del Ruth ... second assistant camera (uncredited)
Dave Friedman ... assistant camera (uncredited)
John R. Hamilton ... still photographer (uncredited)
Clyde Taylor ... gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

Edit
Ed Wynigear ... wardrobe

Music Department

Edit
Lionel Newman ... conductor
David Tamkin ... orchestrations
Larry Bunker ... musician: percussion (uncredited)
Vince De Rosa ... musician: french horn (uncredited)
The Hollywood Studio Symphony ... music performed by (uncredited)
Artie Kane ... musician: piano (uncredited)
Arthur Morton ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Richard Nash ... musician: trombone (uncredited)
Emil Richards ... musician: percussion (uncredited)
Frederick Seykora ... musician: cello (uncredited)
Paul Shure ... musician: violin (uncredited)
Murray Spivack ... music engineer (uncredited)
Douglas Williams ... music engineer (uncredited)

Additional Crew

Edit
Harley Misiner ... technical adviser (as Harley Misiner MMC. USN {Ret.})
Irving Schwartz ... diversions
Maurice Zuberano ... production associate
Alan Callow ... production assistant (uncredited)
Larry Leverett ... public relations assistant (uncredited)
Richard D. Zanuck ... studio executive (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

Edit

Distributors

Edit

Special Effects

Edit

Other Companies

Edit

Storyline

Edit
Plot Summary

Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat U.S.S. 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. Written by Martin H. Booda

Plot Keywords
Taglines THE STORY OF MEN...men who disturbed the sleeping dragon of China as the world watched in terror! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

Edit
Also Known As
  • La canonnière du Yang-Tsé (France)
  • Kanonenboot am Yangtse-Kiang (Germany)
  • El Yang-Tsé en llamas (Spain)
  • El Iangtsé en flames (Spain, Catalan title)
  • El Yangtsé en llamas (Spain)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 182 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $12,000,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

Edit
Trivia Director Robert Wise was so proud of this movie that he held yearly parties with surviving cast members to celebrate it. See more »
Goofs The Machinist Mate First Class (MM1c) rate patch that Holman wears on his left shoulder is a post 1941-type where the "crow" faces to its right side. In 1926 when the movie is set, the crow on a Machinist Mate's rate patch faced left, looking away from the wearer's face. After 1941, all USN petty officer rate patch "crows" faced forward, like their wearer, to "face the enemy". See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Slaying the Dragon (1988). See more »
Soundtracks Sleepy Time Gal See more »
Crazy Credits There is a credit for 'Diversions by Irving Schwartz' in tribute to a mysterious, unknown correspondent whose letters proved a morale booster to cast and crew during trying location work in Hong Kong and Taiwan. See more »
Quotes Frenchy Burgoyne: [exchanging marriage vows; slowly and with feeling] We're mixing our lives together, Maily, and we'll never be able to unmix them again, and we'll never want to. I take you for what you are, and all that you are, and mix you with all of me, and I don't hold back nothing. When you're cold, and hungry, and afraid, so am I. I'm going to stay with you all that I can, take the best care of you that I can, and love you 'til I die.
Maily: I will always love you and honor you and serve you, and stay as near to you as I can, and do everything for you, and live for you. I won't have *any* life except our life together. I will just love you, Frenchy, all of me, loving you forever.
See more »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page


Clear your history

Recently Viewed