Battle of the River Plate, The

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THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE

Also known as "Pursuit of the Graf See"

Arcturus Productions, 1956. Directed by Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger. Camera: Christopher Challis. With John Gregson, Anthony Quayle, Ian Hunter, Jack Gwillim, Bernard Lee, Lionel Murton, Anthony Bushell, Peter Illing, Michael Goodliffe, Patrick Macnee, John Chandos, Douglas Wilmer, William Squire, Roger Delgado, Andrew Cruickshank, Christopher Lee, Edward Atienza, April Olrich, Peter Finch, Maria Mercedes, John Schlesinger, John Le Mesurier, David Farrar, John Merivale, Douglas Argent, Vincent Ball, Ken Barker, Michael Barnes, Raymond Barrie, Terence Bayler, Alan Beale, Richard Beale, David Benson, John Britton, Robert Bruce, Anna Burden, Richard Burrell, Tony Burton, David Cameron, Alan Casley, Ronald Clarke, Michael Collins, James Copeland, Tita Dane, Gron Davies, Denton De Gray, Maxwell Denne, Captain Patrick Dove, Peter Dyneley, Eynon Evans, Jack Faint, Peter Fontaine, John Forbes-Robinson, Frank Forsyth, Barry Foster, Colin Free.

Widely regarded as one of the best and most intelligent British war dramas of the 1950s, The Battle of River Plate is the story of Britain's first significant naval victory in WW2. John Gregson heads the cast as Captain Bell, skipper of the Exeter, one of several vessels engaged in pursuit of the "indestructible" Geman battleship Graf Spee.

Taking refuge in the neutral harbor of Montevideo, the Graf Spee is covertly protected by the Uruguayan government. Eventually, however, German captain Langsdorff (Peter Finch) is faced with a difficult decision: either stand his ground and fight a losing battle against the Exeter and its sister ships, or scuttle the Graf Spee and save the lives of his crew. The Battle of the River Plate was released in the U.S. as Pursuit of the Graf Spee.

Poster artwork courtesy of Dieter. Additional photos courtesy of Trevor.