
Movie · drama, war
The Sand Pebbles
1966 · 3h 16m · PG-13
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Is it worth watching? The Sand Pebbles
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Reception
On other sites
7.2/10299 votes
What is it about? The Sand Pebbles
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.
Genres: drama, war. Themes: china, missionary, u.s. navy, chinese, battle, gunboat.
Cast and crew The Sand Pebbles
AllCreators
- Directed byRobert Wise
- ScreenplayRobert Anderson
- Based on the novel byRichard McKenna
- MusicJerry Goldsmith
- CinematographyJoseph MacDonald
- EditingWilliam Reynolds
Full cast and crew32 cast members, 33 crew
Cast:
- Steve McQueen · Jake Holman
- Richard Attenborough · Frenchy Burgoyne
- Richard Crenna · Captain Collins
- Candice Bergen · Shirley Eckert
- Mako · Po-han
- Larry Gates · Jameson
- Charles Robinson · Ensign Bordelles
- Simon Oakland · Stawski
- Ford Rainey · Harris
- Joe Turkel · Bronson
- Gavin MacLeod · Crosley
- Joe Di Reda · Shanahan
- Richard Loo · Major Chin
- Barney Phillips · Franks
- James Hong · Victor Shu
- Gus Trikonis · Restorff
- Emmanuelle Arsan · Maily
- Shepherd Sanders · Perna
- James Jeter · Farren
- Tom Middleton · Jennings
- Paul Chun Pui · Cho-jen
- Tommy Lee · Chien
- Beulah Quo · Mama Chunk
- Stephen Jahn · Haythorn
- Alan Hopkins · Wilsey
- Stephen Ferry · Lamb
- Ted Fish · Wellbeck
- Loren Janes · Coleman
- Glenn R. Wilder · Waldron
- Robert Kelly-Schleyer · Bosun's Mate (uncredited)
- Robert Emhardt · Officer on San Pablo (uncredited)
- Walter Reed · Bidder at Red Kettle Bar (uncredited)
Crew:
- Robert Wise · Director
- Richard McKenna · Novel
- Robert Anderson · Screenplay
- Renié · Costume Design
- Boris Leven · Production Design
- William Reynolds · Editor
- Joseph MacDonald · Director of Photography
- Robert Wise · Producer
- Jerry Goldsmith · Original Music Composer
- Steve McQueen · Executive Producer
Trailer The Sand Pebbles
ENThe Sand Pebbles TrailerMarch 9, 2021Movies like this The Sand Pebbles
Details The Sand Pebbles

- First theatrical release
- December 20, 1966
- Release in the US
- December 20, 1966
- Countries
- United States, Taiwan, Hong Kong
- Original language
- English
- Rating
- PG-13
- Studios
- Robert Wise Productions, Solar Productions, 20th Century Fox
Numbers and release
- Budget
- $12M
- Worldwide gross
- $20M
Frequently asked questions
How long is The Sand Pebbles?
3h 16m (196 minutes).
Who’s in The Sand Pebbles?
Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen, Mako, Larry Gates, Charles Robinson, Simon Oakland, Ford Rainey, and Joe Turkel. Directed by Robert Wise.
Sources: TMDB (title data, images). As of November 13, 2026. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB. · Ta strona po polsku





















