Gift Horse
1952 | 95m | English
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | Compton Bennett |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Hugh Hastings, William Fairchild, Ben Roberts, Ivan Goff, William Rose |
| Staring: |
| Compton Bennett's war drama The Gift Horse follows the fortunes of ageing destroyer The Ballantrae and her crew from the time they come together in 1940 until the climactic raid on occupied St Nazaire in 1942. Trevor Howard plays Lt Cmdr Hugh Alginon Fraser, the newly appointed captain, back in service after having left the navy following a court martial. | |
| Release Date: | Jun 01, 1952 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Compton Bennett |
| Writer: | Hugh Hastings, William Fairchild, Ben Roberts, Ivan Goff, William Rose |
| Genres: | War, Adventure, Drama |
| Keywords | commando |
| Production Companies | Molton |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 29, 2026 Entered: Apr 20, 2024 |
![Gift Horse (1952) Original Trailer [FHD]](/extra_thumbs/M_rBb_jdbCE.jpg)
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Richard Attenborough | Dripper Daniels |
| James Donald | Lt. Richard Jennings, No. 1 |
| Sonny Tufts | Yank Flanagan |
| Trevor Howard | Lt. Cmdr Hugh Alginon Fraser |
| Bernard Lee | A.S. 'Stripey' Wood |
| Dora Bryan | Glad Flanagan |
| Hugh Williams | Captain David G. Wilson |
| Robin Bailey | Lt. Michael Grant, Pilot |
| Meredith Edwards | Jones |
| John Forrest | Appleby the Captain's Steward |
| Patric Doonan | Petty Officer Martin |
| Sidney James | Ned Hardy, Landlord Golden Bull |
| Harold Siddons | Adm. Bartlett |
| William Russell | Crewman |
| Joan Rice | June Mallory, WRNS cypher officer |
| Peter Bathurst | Commander C.E. Spencer |
| Charles Lloyd Pack | Captain R. G. Bates (Board of Inquiry) |
| Chris Adcock | Crewman (uncredited) |
| Tim Turner | Crewman (uncredited) |
| George Spence | Man in Pub (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Compton Bennett | Director |
| Hugh Hastings | Screenplay |
| Clifton Parker | Music |
| Harry Waxman | Director of Photography |
| Edward Carrick | Art Direction |
| Cliff Richardson | Special Effects |
| William Fairchild | Screenplay |
| Ben Roberts | Story |
| Alan Osbiston | Editor |
| James Bawden | Camera Operator |
| Ann Forsyth | Script Supervisor |
| Red Law | Sound Recordist |
| Jack Slade | Sound Editor |
| Peter Handford | Sound Recordist |
| Ivan Goff | Story |
| William Rose | Adaptation |
| Name | Title |
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| Organization | Category | Person |
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Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 2 |
| 2024 | 5 | 8 | 21 | 2 |
| 2024 | 6 | 6 | 25 | 2 |
| 2024 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 1 |
| 2024 | 8 | 5 | 17 | 2 |
| 2024 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2025 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2026 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2026 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Trending Position
Trevor Howard makes for an eminently plausible "Lt. Cdr. Fraser" in command of a dilapidated ex-USN destroyer - renamed HMS Ballantrae - whose stiff upper lip, by the book, approach to his men causes considerable resentment. Gradually, though - and not before the ship has a few mishaps - he begins t ... o turn them around before their ultimate mission to attack a Nazi-occupied French dry dock. A good ensemble cast including James Donald, Bernard Lee and Richard Attenborough help keep the pace quick and interesting. The latter part of the film is based on a real-life raid on St. Nazaire and is quite an exciting ride. I enjoyed this.