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The Ship That Died of Shame
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Wikipedia article
'The Ship That Died of Shame', released in the United States as 'PT Raiders', is a black-and-white 1955 Ealing Studios crime film directed by Basil Dearden and starring George Baker, Richard Attenborough, Roland Culver and Bill Owen.
The film is based on a story written by Nicholas Monsarrat (better known as the author of 'The Cruel Sea'), which originally appeared in 'Lilliput' magazine in 1952. It was later published in a collection of short stories, 'The Ship That Died of Shame and other stories', in 1959.
Despite being produced by Ealing Studios, the film was shot at the film studios at Wembley Park in north-west London. It was the last feature film to be made there.
Plot
The '1087' is a British Royal Navy motor gun boat that faithfully sees its crew through the worst that World War II can throw at them. After the end of the war, George Hoskins (Richard Attenborough) convinces former skipper Bill Randall (George Baker) and Birdie (Bill Owen) to buy their beloved boat and use it for some harmless, minor smuggling of black market items like wine. But they find themselves transporting ever more sinister cargoes; counterfeit currency and weapons. Though their craft had been utterly reliable and never let them down in wartime, things start to go wrong after the crew start accepting jobs from Major Fordyce (Roland Culver). '1087' starts to break down frequently, as if ashamed of its current use. The crew revolt after they assist the escape of child murderer Raines (John Chandos), who later either falls or is pushed overboard.
Fordyce is confronted by customs officer Brewster (Bernard Lee); Brewster is shot and dies, but not before telling Birdie of the culprit. Fordyce forces the crew at gunpoint to take him to safety. Birdie is shot; in the ensuing scuffle Randall grabs the gun and kills Fordyce. Randall and Hoskins then fight on the bridge while '1087' runs out of control and onto rocks, sinking after Randall and Birdie scramble to safety.
Cast
*Richard Attenborough as George Hoskins
*George Baker as Bill Randall
*Bill Owen as Birdie
*Virginia McKenna as Helen Randall
*Roland Culver as Major Fordyce
*Bernard Lee as Customs Officer Brewster
*Ralph Truman as Sir Richard
*John Chandos as Raines
*Harold Goodwin as Customs officer
*John Longden as the Detective
*Alfie Bass as Sailor on board the '1087' (uncredited)
*John Boxer as Customs Man (uncredited)
*Stratford Johns as Garage Worker (uncredited)
*David Langton as Man in Coastal Forces Club Bar (uncredited)
*Yana, as a woman singer performing 'We'll Meet Again' in a room off the bar of the Coastal Forces Club
Critical reception
'The New York Times' wrote "the little picture...has a nice strain of sentiment running through it and becomes mildly exciting here and there"; 'Time Out' called it "A valuable record of bewildered British masculinity in the post-war years," before dismissing it as "a pretty threadbare thriller"; but 'TV Guide' noted that "With a highly original premise...this movie starts in an exciting fashion and seldom slows down to take on more fuel."
References
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