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Movies / On DVD / The Sand Pebbles
The Sand Pebbles

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The Sand Pebbles (1966)

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86 %
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Reviews Counted: 14

Fresh: 12

Rotten:2

Average Rating: 6.8/10

Runtime: 3 hrs 5 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: One of the most exciting and heart-wrenching epics ever made, THE SAND PEBBLES is a masterpiece of storytelling, with exceptional performances by a stellar cast. The complex tale begins simply enough in 1926 China, where a group of... One of the most exciting and heart-wrenching epics ever made, THE SAND PEBBLES is a masterpiece of storytelling, with exceptional performances by a stellar cast. The complex tale begins simply enough in 1926 China, where a group of American soldiers are patrolling the Yangtze River on a gunboat called the San Pablo. The crew members, who call themselves Sand Pebbles, includes Jake Holman (Steve McQueen), a dispassionate but capable navy machinist, and his only friend, Frenchy (Richard Attenborough), a sailor in love with an English-educated Chinese girl, Maily (Marayat Andriane), who has been sold into prostitution. Strong feelings of nationalism have been sweeping through China, however, and when Chiang Kai-shek moves against the feudal warlords, the United States decides to treat the upheaval as a civil war, and the San Pablo is ordered to confine its function to protection of American civilians in the area. Included among them are Mr. Jameson (Larry Gates), a missionary, and Shirley Eckert (Candice Bergen), a schoolteacher with whom Jake falls in love. Soon Jake finds himself in the middle of an international military crisis when his native assistant, Po-han (Mako), is brutally tortured in an attempt to draw the San Pablo's fire, and the boat's inexperienced and prideful captain (Richard Crenna) wants to give his humiliated ship and disgraced crew a chance for glory. THE SAND PEBBLES--with its expert cinematography, moving score, and riveting locations--is a memorable viewing experience brought to life by the multitalented director Robert Wise. [More]

Starring: Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen

Starring: Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen, Marayat Andriane, Larry Gates, Charles Robinson, Mako, Simon Oakland

Director: Robert Wise

Director: Robert Wise
Screenwriter: Robert Anderson
Producer: Robert Wise
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jun 3, 2008

[DVD Details]
 
 

Blu-ray Disc Features:

  • Keep Case
  • Widescreen - 2.35

Audio:

  • Mono - French, Spanish
  • Dolby Digital 4.0 - English
  • 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio - English
  • Subtitles - English, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean - Optional

Additional Release Material:

  • Alternate Scenes - Deleted "Road Show" Scenes (13)
  • Audio Commentaries - Robert Wise - Director; Candice Bergen, Mako, Richard Crenna - Stars
  • Behind the Scenes - "The Making of THE SAND PEBBLES"
  • Documentaries - 1. Narrated by Richard Attenborough: "Changsha Bund and The Streets of Taipei" (audio)
  • 2. Narrated by Richard Attenborough: "A Ship Called San Pablo" (audio)
  • Featurettes - 1. "Steve McQueen Remembered"
  • 2. "Bob Wise in Command"
  • 3. "China 1926"
  • 4. "A Ship Called San Pablo" (1966)
  • 5. "The Secret of the San Pablo" (1966)
  • Isolated Audio Track - Musical Score (w/ Commentary by Nick Redman - Music Producer; Jon Burnlingame - Film Music Historian; Lem Dobbs - Film Historian
  • Trailers - 1. 20th Century Fox High Definition Previews
  • 2. Theatrical Trailer

Interactive Features:

  • Trivia - Trivia Track

Reviews for The Sand Pebbles

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1 - 17 (sorted by date)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
07/30/08
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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A fine old-school picture...elevated further by its progressive themes. [Blu-Ray]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
06/02/08
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews
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No review available.

comment Comment
03/01/08
David Kaplan
Kaplan vs. Kaplan
Ratings Image

Steve McQueen is great, and Candace Bergen is breathtakingly beautiful.

comment Comment
01/17/08
Beth Accomando
KPBS.org
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There are hints and parallels in this period drama set in 1926 with what was still happening in Vietnam, but writer Richard Anderson and director Robert Wise weren't sure what kind of message they wanted to send; Steve McQueen is good, though.

Full Review Source: Screendaily | comment 1 Comment
12/20/06
Emanuel Levy
Screendaily
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Derek Adams
Time Out
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No review available.

comment Comment
06/25/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/09/05
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

No review available.

comment Comment
07/16/04
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
Ratings Image

No review available.

comment Comment
04/16/04
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
03/30/04
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com
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Steve McQueen Rocks!!!!!!!!!

comment Comment
12/12/03
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette
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No review available.

comment Comment
03/10/03
Rebecca Murray
About.com
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No review available.

comment Comment
02/09/03
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)
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Overlong, moderately entertaining "epic"

comment Comment
08/14/02
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
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No review available.

comment Comment
08/07/02
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
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Classic war tale suffers from unwieldly running time.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
09/11/01
Scott Weinberg
Apollo Guide
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Latest News for The Sand Pebbles

September 15, 2005: Hollywood Giant Robert Wise Passes Away at 91
Master filmmaker and 4-time Oscar winner Robert Wise has died at the age of 91. Probably best known as the director of films like "The Sound of Music," "West Side... More...

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