THE SAND PEBBLES
1966,
20th Century Fox,
182 min,
USA,
Dir: Robert Wise
This sweeping tale of gunboat diplomacy in 1920s China was a longtime passion project for director Robert Wise, who shot THE SOUND OF MUSIC during the film’s pre-production delays. In his only Oscar-nominated performance, Steve McQueen plays Jake Holman, a Navy machinist's mate plunged into simmering racial and political tensions when he is transferred to the U.S.S. San Pablo. The star-studded cast includes Richard Attenborough, Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen and Mako.