The Cruel Sea (1953)
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- Approved
- 2h 6min
- Drama, War
- 19 Aug 1953 (USA)
- Movie
- Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
Jack Hawkins | ... |
Ericson
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Donald Sinden | ... |
Lockhart
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John Stratton | ... |
Ferraby
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Denholm Elliott | ... |
Morell
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John Warner | ... |
Baker
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Stanley Baker | ... |
Bennett
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Bruce Seton | ... |
Tallow
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Liam Redmond | ... |
Watts
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Virginia McKenna | ... |
Julie Hallam
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Moira Lister | ... |
Elaine Morell
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June Thorburn | ... |
Doris Ferraby
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Megs Jenkins | ... |
Tallow's Sister
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Meredith Edwards | ... |
Yeoman Wells
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Glyn Houston | ... |
Phillips
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Alec McCowen | ... |
Tonbridge
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Leo Phillips | ... |
Wainwright
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Dafydd Havard | ... |
Signalman Rose
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Fred Griffiths | ... |
Gracey
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Laurence Hardy | ... |
Sellars
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Sam Kydd | ... |
Carslake
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John Singer | ... |
Gray
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Barry Steele | ... |
Broughton
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Gerard Heinz | ... |
Polish Captain
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Gerik Schjelderup | ... |
Norwegian Captain
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Gaston Richer | ... |
French Captain
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Andrew Cruickshank | ... |
Scott Brown
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Barry Letts | ... |
Raikes
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Kenn Kennedy | ... |
Allingham
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Harold Goodwin | ... |
ASDIC Operator
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George Curzon | ... |
Admiral At Party
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Anthony Snell | ... |
R.N. Lieutenant
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Ronald Simpson | ... |
R.N.Captain
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Don Sharp | ... |
Lieutenant-Commander
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Herbert C. Walton | ... |
The Waiter
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Jack Howard | ... |
A Survivor
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Russell Waters | ... |
A.R.P. Warden
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Harold Jamieson | ... |
A.R.P. Warden
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Warwick Ashton | ... |
Petty Officer Instructor
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Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
William Baskiville | ... |
Briefing Room Officer (uncredited)
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Arthur Bentley | ... |
Radar Operator (uncredited)
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Jim Brady | ... |
Sailor in Water (uncredited)
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Jack Dearlove | ... |
Seaman (uncredited)
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Walter Fitzgerald | ... |
Warden (uncredited)
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Joan Ingram | ... |
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Paddy Joyce | ... |
Sonar Operator (uncredited)
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Richard Leech | ... |
Sailor (uncredited)
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Aileen Lewis | ... |
Lady at Party (uncredited)
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Fred Machon | ... |
Briefing Room Officer (uncredited)
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Jack Mandeville | ... |
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Paddy Smith | ... |
Officer (uncredited)
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David Gideon Thomson | ... |
A.S.D.I.C. Officer (uncredited)
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Alan Webb | ... |
Admiral Murray-Forbes (uncredited)
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Directed by
Charles Frend |
Written by
Nicholas Monsarrat | ... | (by) |
Eric Ambler | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
Michael Balcon | ... | executive producer |
Leslie Norman | ... | producer |
Music by
Alan Rawsthorne |
Cinematography by
Gordon Dines | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
Peter Tanner |
Editorial Department
Roy Baker | ... | second assistant editor (uncredited) |
Barbara Bennett | ... | assembly cutter (uncredited) |
Alastair McIntyre | ... | assistant editor (uncredited) |
Casting By
Margaret Harper Nelson | ... | (uncredited) (casting) |
Art Direction by
Jim Morahan |
Makeup Department
Barbara Barnard | ... | hairstylist |
Sidney Turner | ... | makeup artist |
Production Management
Hal Mason | ... | production supervisor |
L.C. Rudkin | ... | unit production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Norman Priggen | ... | assistant director |
Peter Dixon | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
Tom Pevsner | ... | third assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
Bert Davey | ... | assistant art director (uncredited) |
Norman Dorme | ... | draughtsman (uncredited) |
Andrew Low | ... | set dresser (uncredited) |
Tony Rimmington | ... | junior draughtsman (uncredited) |
Jack Shampan | ... | draughtsman (uncredited) |
Sound Department
Stephen Dalby | ... | sound supervisor |
Leo Wilkins | ... | recordist |
Jim Clark | ... | assistant sound editor (uncredited) |
Mary Habberfield | ... | dubbing editor (uncredited) |
Norman King | ... | chief sound engineer (uncredited) |
Paul Lecker | ... | assistant boom operator (uncredited) |
Ray Palmer | ... | sound assistant (uncredited) |
Eric Stockl | ... | sound assistant (uncredited) |
Don Wortham | ... | sound assistant (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
Sydney Pearson | ... | special effects |
Visual Effects by
Geoffrey Dickinson | ... | special processes |
Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Beeson | ... | second unit photography |
Jo Jago | ... | second unit photography |
John R.F. Stewart | ... | radar photography (as John R.F. Stewart A.R.P.S.) |
Chic Waterson | ... | camera operator |
Brian Elvin | ... | clapper loader: model unit (uncredited) |
Bob Penn | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
Herbert Smith | ... | focus puller (uncredited) |
Ken Westbury | ... | clapper loader (uncredited) |
Hugh Wilson | ... | focus puller: second unit (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anthony Mendleson | ... | wardrobe |
Music Department
Ernest Irving | ... | conductor: the Philharmonia Orchestra |
The Philharmonia Orchestra | ... | music played by |
Gerard Schurmann | ... | composer: additional music (uncredited) / orchestrator (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
Jean Graham | ... | continuity |
Additional Crew
R.S. Abram | ... | technical adviser (as Commander R.S. Abram D.S.C. R.N. {Retd}) |
J.E. Broome | ... | technical adviser (as Captain J.E. Broome D.S.C. R.N. {Retd}) |
Paddy Girdlestone | ... | production secretary (uncredited) |
Yvonne Homan | ... | publicity secretary (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- General Film Distributors (GFD) (1953) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (as General Film Distributors Limited) (released through)
- J.Arthur Rank-Film (1953) (Austria) (theatrical)
- Parvisfilmi (1953) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Rank Film (1953) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Uitenbroek Film (1953) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Universal Pictures (1953) (United States) (theatrical) (as Universal-International)
- Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1953) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Telewizja Polska (TVP) - I Program (1955) (Poland) (tv)
- American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1956) (United States) (tv)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (1964) (Finland) (tv)
- Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1978) (Finland) (tv)
- Thorn EMI Video Australia (1984) (Australia) (VHS)
- Thorn EMI Video (1984) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1988) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Republic Pictures Home Video (1994) (United States) (VHS)
- Anchor Bay Entertainment (2005) (United States) (DVD)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (tv)
- Intergroove Media (2013) (Germany) (DVD) (Der zweite Weltkrieg - Classic Edition)
- PolarFilm (2019) (Germany) (DVD)
- Netflix (2021) (Non-US) (video) (VOD) (several territories in Europe)
- 9Gem (2023) (Australia) (tv)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Polyphony Digital (archive)
- The Admiralty (the producers acknowledge with gratitude the co-operation of)
- The Philharmonia Orchestra (music played by)
Storyline
Plot Summary |
At the start of World War II, Cmdr. Ericson is assigned to convoy escort HMS Compass Rose with inexperienced officers and men just out of training. The winter seas make life miserable enough, but the men must also harden themselves to rescuing survivors of U-Boat attacks, while seldom able to strike back. Traumatic events afloat and ashore create a warm bond between the skipper and his first officer. Atmospheric sea footage.
Written by Rod Crawford |
Plot Keywords | |
Taglines | Surging to Life on the Screen! See more » |
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Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Did You Know?
Trivia | Jack Hawkins wrote in his 1973 autobiography "Anything for a Quiet Life" regarding this film, "All of us in the film were sure that we were making something quite unusual, and a long way removed from the Errol Flynn-taking-Burma-single-handed syndrome. This was the period of some very indifferent American war movies, whereas 'The Cruel Sea' contained no false heroics. That is why we all felt that we were making a genuine example of the way in which a group of men went to war." See more » |
Goofs | Some depth charges are clearly labelled "INERT FILLED." See more » |
Movie Connections | Featured in Sharks and Little Fish (1957). See more » |
Soundtracks | The Chestnut Tree See more » |
Quotes |
Watts:
[repairing the engine]
Come to see the fun, sir? It won't be long now. Morell: Fine, chief, but the captain's a little worried about the noise. Could you do anything to... tone it down a bit? Watts: Pretty well finished now, sir. We're just flabbin' up the nuts. Could you hear the hammerin' up top? Morell: Hear it? There were U-boats popping up from miles around complaining about the racket. See more » |