- Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast
| William Holden | ... |
Captain David Ross
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| Sophia Loren | ... |
Stella
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| Trevor Howard | ... |
Captain Chris Ford
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| Oscar Homolka | ... |
Captain Van Dam
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| Kieron Moore | ... |
Kane
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| Bernard Lee | ... |
Cmdr. Wadlow
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| Beatrix Lehmann | ... |
Housekeeper
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| Noel Purcell | ... |
Hotel Porter
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| Bryan Forbes | ... |
First Mate Weaver
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Sidney Vivian | ... |
Grogan
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| Rupert Davies | ... |
Baker
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Russell Waters | ... |
Sparks
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| Irene Handl | ... |
Clerk
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| John Crawford | ... |
American Captain
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| Jameson Clark | ... |
English Captain
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| Carl Möhner | ... |
Philip Westerby (in photo) (scenesDeleted)
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| James Hayter | ... |
Locksmith (scenesDeleted)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Sam Kydd | ... |
Sailor
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Bart Allison | ... |
Seaman on W88 (uncredited)
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| Belita | ... |
Canteen Hostess (uncredited)
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| Michael Caine | ... |
Seaman (uncredited)
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| Pauline Chamberlain | ... |
Woman Dancing at Forces Centre (uncredited)
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Keith Faulkner | ... |
Seaman on W88 (uncredited)
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| Renee Houston | ... |
Canteen Worker (uncredited)
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Aileen Lewis | ... |
Woman With Baby in Air Raid Shelter (uncredited)
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Richard Neller | ... |
Officer in Operations Room (uncredited)
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Ljubica Otasevic | ... |
Stella (Sophia Loren doubling) (uncredited)
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Ernie Rice | ... |
Officer in Operations Room (uncredited)
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| Robert Rietty | ... |
Dubbing (uncredited) (voice)
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| Guy Standeven | ... |
Policeman (uncredited)
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| John Tatham | ... |
Salvage Unit Captain (uncredited)
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| Reg Thomason | ... |
Soldier at Dance (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Carol Reed | ||
Written by
| Jan de Hartog | ... | (novel "Stella") |
| Carl Foreman | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
| Aubrey Baring | ... | associate producer |
| Carl Foreman | ... | producer |
Music by
| Malcolm Arnold | ||
Cinematography by
| Oswald Morris | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Bert Bates | ||
Editorial Department
| Valerie Leslie | ... | assistant editor |
Production Design by
| Wilfred Shingleton | ... | (as Wilfrid Shingleton) |
Art Direction by
| Geoffrey Drake | ||
Costume Design by
| Beatrice Dawson | ||
Makeup Department
| David Aylott | ... | makeup artist (as Dave Aylott) |
| Barbara Ritchie | ... | hairdresser |
Production Management
| Cecil F. Ford | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Gerry O'Hara | ... | assistant director |
| John Comfort | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Bill Cook | ... | boom operator |
| Peter Handford | ... | sound |
| Teddy Mason | ... | dubbing editor |
| J.B. Smith | ... | sound |
| Wally Milner | ... | sound (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
| Willis Cook | ... | special effects supervisor |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Gerry Fisher | ... | assistant camera |
| Arthur Ibbetson | ... | camera operator |
| Martin O'Connor | ... | gaffer |
| Ron Drinkwater | ... | clapper loader (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Bill Walsh | ... | wardrobe |
| Eileen Welch | ... | wardrobe |
Music Department
| Malcolm Arnold | ... | musical director |
Additional Crew
| J.E. Broome | ... | technical advisor (as Captain J. Broome R.N.) |
| Judy Humphreys | ... | production assistant |
| N. Hunter | ... | technical advisor (as Commander N. Hunter R.N.) |
| M. Paynter | ... | technical advisor (as Commander M. Paynter R.N.) |
| Peter Peake | ... | technical advisor (as Commander P. Peake R.N.) |
| Olivier Delabarre | ... | french adaptation: original version with subtitles (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Columbia Pictures Corporation (1958) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures (1958) (United States) (theatrical)
- Columbia C.E.I.A.D. (1958) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Columbia Film-Verleih (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures of Canada (1958) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Kamera Film Aktieselskap (1958) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Columbia Film-Verleih (1959) (Austria) (theatrical)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (1997) (United States) (VHS)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- Cornerstone Media (2010) (United Kingdom) (video)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Dubbing Brothers (french subtitles by)
- H.M. Tug Restive and her Master and Crew (ship)
- H.M. Tug Restive and her Master and Crew (thanks)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
During World War II, tugboats conduct what are called salvage missions, picking up disabled ships. Not well equipped with weaponry, the tugs are sitting ducks for enemy fire. As such, the crew working the tugs have precarious lives, many with deep seated emotional problems. Before the Americans join the war, ex-American military man David Ross is assigned to captain a tug for the British military. He is shown the ropes by an old friend, Captain Chris Ford. Chris currently shares a flat with a young beautiful Italian-Swiss woman named Stella, who came with the flat and who lives a reclusive life there. Chris is the latest in a long line of tugboat Captains who have lived there, each who has found another person to take over the flat and the associated looking after of Stella if anything is to happen to him. That person is given a key to the flat, the key only to be used if needed. The first in the series was Phillip Westerby, to whom Stella was to be married before Phillip was killed. Chris, who, in turn, now loves Stella and wants to marry her, asks David to be the next in line. David reluctantly agrees. As David learns the pressures associated with his work, he begins also to understand the emotional turmoil that Stella has gone through, which changes his opinion about "the key". Stella's view of the key also changes with David. Written by Huggo |
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| Taglines | He had the life expectancy of a match... See more » |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | The tug used in this movie was H.M.S. Restive (HMT W 39), a Royal Navy Rescue Tug of the Assurance class. This class of tugs was built between 1940 and 1943. With a 1,350 horsepower engine, these tugs could make fourteen knots and were powerful enough to haul just about any capital ship back to port. Five (out of twenty-one built) were lost during the war. The ship numbers used in this movie (W 83, W 86 and W 88) were not used by any ship of this class during the war. See more » |
| Goofs | Chris accidentally drenches his shirt in red wine. But in the next shot his undershirt is clean and dry, with no sign of inevitable wine stains. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in When the Applause Died (1990). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Lambeth Walk See more » |
| Quotes |
Captain Chris Ford:
I'm here! Let's have the vulgar details and I'll run along. See more » |