Information
- BFI identifier22562
- Date1956 (Copyright)
1956-12-24 (Release) - Production countryUnited Kingdom
- Production company
- SynopsisStory of the battle between the British cruiser Commodore Harwood and the German pocket battleship Graf Spee, during the early days of World War II, in the South Atlantic. (Synopsis)
- Work historyThe opening credits include the following within the cast list: HMS Sheffield as HMS Ajax INS Delhi formerly Achilles as HMNZS Achilles HMS Jamaica as HMS Exeter HMS Cumberland as HMS Cumberland The US Heavy Cruiser Salem as the German Pocket Battleship Graf Spee The opening cast list also includes the following note between the names of April Olrich and Peter Finch: 'A cast of 100 speaking parts whom we would like to name but can only thank' The following rolling statement appears beneath the opening credits: 'There are hundreds of invisible people behind every film. Behind this one there are thousands. We would like to thank them collectively, for if we named them all there would be no room for the film. But we would like to single out for especial thanks the following: The Board of Admiralty, the Royal New Zealand Navy, the Indian Navy, the United States Navy, the Uruguayan Navy, the British Merchant Navy, the Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Station, the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, the Commander United States Sixth Fleet, Lady Harwood, Admiral Sir W. Edward Parry, K.C.B., Admiral Sir Charles Woodhouse, K.C.B., Captain F.S. Bell, C.B., Royal Navy, Captain Patrick Dove, Merchant Navy, Flag and Commanding Officers, officers and men of the Royal Navy, the Royal Dockyards, British and Uruguayan diplomats, the National Council of Government of Uruguay, the Ministries and Principal Official Uruguayan Authorities, The Friends of Uruguay Society, The River Plate Veterans Association in New Zealand, the eye-witnesses and survivors who gave their advice, parents who lost their sons, sons who lost their fathers, widows and next-of-kin, all those who helped us or gave their permission for their names to be used.' [Note: There then follows a list of names of individuals that continue to scroll beneath the opening credits and which are cut off as the credits end and the film begins]
- Genre
- Subject
- CreditsDirected by: Michael Powell
Directed by: Emeric Pressburger
©/Production Company: Arcturus Productions
view all - CastJohn Gregson (Captain Bell, HMS Exeter)
Anthony Quayle (Commodore Harwood, HMS Ajax)
Ian Hunter (Captain Woodhouse, HMS Ajax)
view full cast
Title
The Battle of the River Plate (Original)
Pursuit of Graf Spee (Alternative)
EIDR identifier
10.5240/53EF-0504-2ED2-57BE-BA45-7Category
FictionThis work is included in the BFI Filmography.
- Collections
- Film / Video
- Scripts / DocumentsScript - Script type: Post production script - SCR-4100
Script - Script type: Post production script - SCR-4101
Ephemera: publicity - PBS-22562
Battle of the River Plate - World War II drama. In the first major naval battle of WWII, the British Navy must find and destroy a powerful German warship [Based on the sinking of the Graf Spee] Written, produced and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger; director of photography: Christopher Challis; production design: Arthur Lawson; editor: Reginald Mills, Ian Hunter, Bernard Lee cast: John Gregson, Anthony Quayle, Peter Finch A reviewer in Time and Tide commented ' Battle of the River Plate is one of the better war films...I liked it as much for what it wasn't as for what it was' - MLP-1-1-67
Script - Screenplay - Second Edition Title page: "TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION present A MICHAEL POWELL & EMERIC PRESSBURGER PRODUCTION, THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE, A Cinemascope Picture in Colour, Based Upon Two Naval Occasions..." May 1955 Previous catalogue note - 'And the rest is the same as first draft except for the date'. Please note '1st draft' is not present] - MLP-1-1-67-1-1
Small pressbook held. See FILM PROGRAMMES List. For another example of publicity, see PRODUCTION & DISTRI- BUTION COMPANY MATERIAL List, under Rank Organisation
view all - StillsPhotograph: digital - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00o-58f
Photograph: digital - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00o-58e
Photograph: digital - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00o-58d
Photograph: publicity - Portrait - Black and White - SPD-9365210
Photograph: transparency - Landscape - Colour - bfi-00o-bkz
view all - Articles
- Books
- +The Battle of the River Plate
Work - 22562 - 1956 (Copyright)
United Kingdom - Film - Fiction
Hierarchy Display