Gift Horse (film)

Gift Horse
UK DVD cover
Directed byCompton Bennett
Written byWilliam Fairchild
Hugh Hastings
William Rose
Produced byGeorge Pitcher
StarringTrevor Howard
Richard Attenborough
James Donald
Sonny Tufts
CinematographyHarry Waxman
Edited byAlan Osbiston
Music byClifton Parker
Production
company
Molton Films
Distributed byIndependent Film Distributors (UK)
Release date
  • 16 July 1952 (1952-07-16) (UK)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£218,784[1]

Gift Horse (released in the United States as Glory at Sea) is a 1952 British black-and-white World War II drama film. It was produced by George Pitcher, directed by Compton Bennett, and stars Trevor Howard, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, and Sonny Tufts.

The film follows the story of the fictional ship HMS Ballantrae and her crew from the time they come together in 1940 until they go on a one-way mission to destroy a German-held dry dock in France. The final mission is based on HMS Campbeltown and the St Nazaire Raid.[2] The title is a reference to the old proverb "Never look a gift horse in the mouth".

  1. ^ Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press p 358
  2. ^ The Greatest Raid of All Time: The attack on St. Nazaire [BBC - 2007]