History Film / TheSandPebbles

''The Sand Pebbles'' is a film directed by Creator/RobertWise, adapted from the eponymous 1962 novel by Richard [=McKenna=] and released in 1966. It starred Creator/SteveMcQueenActor, Creator/RichardAttenborough and Candice Bergen.

''The Sand Pebbles'' is a film directed by Creator/RobertWise, adapted from the eponymous 1962 novel by Richard [=McKenna=] and released in 1966. It starred SteveMcQueen, Richard Attenborough and Candice Bergen.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/The_Sand_Pebbles_4_3968.jpg]]

* DownerEnding: Captain Collins takes ''San Pablo'' upriver to rescue the missionaries, losing lots of men in the process, only to find that [[SenselessSacrifice they don't want to be rescued]], and [[NiceJobBreakingItHero blame the American gunboat's incursion for provoking violence with the Nationalist Army]]. Jameson argues with the Captain until a platoon of Nationalist soldiers show up, and Jameson finds out the hard way that they are in a "shoot first" kind of mood. While the Sailors apparently are able to get Shirley to safety, Jameson, Captain Collins, and Holman are all killed in the gunfight.

* SwordAndGun: The boat's Captain in the battle at the river barricade. Though this, along with his [[BlingOfWar dress whites]], was actually regulation for any US Navy warship in combat in 1926.

* DownerEnding: Captain Collins takes ''San Pablo'' upriver to rescue the missionaries, losing lots of men in the process, only to find that [[SenselessSacrifice they don't want to be rescued]], and [[NiceJobBreakingItHero blame the American gunboat's incursion for provoking violence with the Nationalist Army]]. Jameson argues with the Captain until a platoon of Nationalist soldiers show up, and Jameson finds out the hard way that they are in a "shoot first" kind of mood. While the Sailors apparently are able to get Shirley to safety, Jameson, Captain Collins, and Holman are all killed in the gunfight.

* SwordAndGun: The boat's Captain in the battle at the river barricade. Though this, along with his [[BlingOfWar dress whites]], was actually regulation for any US Navy warship in combat in 1926.

* DownerEnding: Captain Collins takes ''San Pablo'' upriver to rescue the missionaries, losing lots of men in the process, only to find that [[SenselessSacrifice they don't want to be rescued]], and [[NiceJobBreakingItHero blame the American gunboat's incursion for provoking violence with the Nationalist Army]]. Jameson argues with the Captain until a platoon of Nationalist soldiers show up, and Jameson finds out the hard way that they are in a "shoot first" kind of mood. While the Sailors apparently are able to get Shirley to safety, Jameson, Captain Collins, and Holman are all killed in the gunfight.

* SwordAndGun: The boat's Captain in the battle at the river barricade.

* DownerEnding: Captain Collins takes ''San Pablo'' upriver to rescue the missionaries, losing lots of men in the process, only to find that [[SenselessSacrifice they don't want to be rescued]], and [[NiceJobBreakingItHero blame the American gunboat's incursion for provoking violence with the Nationalist Army]]. Jameson argues with the Captain until a platoon of Nationalist soldiers show up, and Jameson finds out the hard way that they are in a "shoot first" kind of mood. While the Sailors apparently are able to get Shirley to safety, Jameson, Captain Collins, and Holman are all killed in the gunfight.

* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: In keeping with Cold War politics, the Nationalists are depicted as [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned extremists]] with legitimate grievances who feel driven to violence. Less sympathetic are the DirtyCommunists, who try to goad the ''San Pablo'' into attacking them and incite [[spoiler:Po Han's death]]. Nobody [[GrayAndGreyMorality comes off well the end]].

* DownerEnding: Captain Collins takes ''San Pablo'' upriver to rescue the missionaries, losing lots of men in the process, only to find that [[SenselessSacrifice they don't want to be rescued]], and blame the American gunboat's incursion for provoking violence with the Nationalist Army. While the Sailors apparently are able to get Shirley to safety, Jameson, Captain Collins, and Holman are all killed in the gunfight.

In 1926, as [[UsefulNotes/NoMoreEmperors China is in the throes of warlordism and anarchy]], [[TheEngineer Machinist's Mate 1st Class]] Jake Holman ([=McQueen=]) is transferred from the US Asiatic Fleet's flagship in UsefulNotes/{{Shanghai}} to the Yangtze River Patrol gunboat USS ''San Pablo'', nicknamed the ''Sand Pebble'' by its crew. On the way, he meets Jameson, an idealistic missionary, and Shirley (Bergen), a young American woman who has just signed up for a teaching position in a missionary school.

Worsening tensions between Westerners and Chinese nationalist activists result in Po-han getting lynched by an angry mob. Jameson and Shirley are reluctantly put under ''San Pablo'''s protection, and the latter develops romantic feelings for Holman. Frenchie marries Maily in a secret ceremony and, while the boat is stuck offshore from Changsha for the winter, sneaks away every night to be with her. One day, as Holman is allowed ashore to carry mail, he shows up at Maily's room, finding her pregnant and Frenchie dead from pneumonia. Nationalist soldiers burst in and, the next day, Holman finds himself accused of Maily's murder.

In 1926, as [[UsefulNotes/NoMoreEmperors China is in the throes of warlordism and anarchy]], [[TheEngineer Machinist's Mate 1st Class]] Jake Holman ([=McQueen=]) is transferred from the US Asiatic Fleet's flagship in UsefulNotes/{{Shanghai}} to the river gunboat ''San Pablo'', nicknamed the ''Sand Pebble'' by its crew. On the way, he meets Jameson, an idealistic missionary, and Shirley (Bergen), a young American woman who has just signed up for a teaching position in a missionary school.

The ''San Pablo'', it turns out, is a run-down rust bucket of a boat only used for patrolling backwaters, and currently assigned to flag-showing in Changsha. Onboard discipline is relaxed to the point of negligence: as Holman discovers, the crew have, with the captain's tacit permission, delegated all menial chores to a coolie labor gang. However, Holman makes a point of taking care of the steam engine himself, antagonizing both his crewmates and the coolies for whom doing the sailors' work is how they earn their living.

Worsening tensions between Westerners and Chinese nationalist activists result in Po-han getting lynched by an angry mob. Jameson and Shirley are reluctantly put under the ''San Pablo'''s protection, and the latter develops romantic feelings for Holman. Frenchie marries Maily in a secret ceremony and, while the boat is stuck offshore from Changsha for the winter, sneaks away every night to be with her. One day, as Holman is allowed ashore to carry mail, he shows up at Maily's room, finding her pregnant and Frenchie dead from pneumonia. Nationalist soldiers burst in and, the next day, Holman finds himself accused of Maily's murder.

An angry mob demands that the ''San Pablo'' put Holman to Chinese custody, leading to a tense stand-off and a near-mutiny from the crew. The boat's captain stands his ground, though his crew's behavior leaves him near-suicidal. The next day, he receives radioed orders to sail downriver to the coast, but ignores them and instead decides to form a rescue mission to evacuate Jameson and Shirley to safety. The ''San Pablo'' runs a Chinese blockade, and much of the crew dies in a violent boarding action. At the missionary compound, Jameson, who refuses to leave, is gunned down by Nationalist soldiers. After the Captain is killed, Holman decides to stay behind in order to cover Shirley's evacuation by his remaining crewmates. He is mortally wounded just as he was about to fall back too.

* LastStand: Holman stays behind to hold off the Chinese soldiers while the other sailors evacuate Shirley to the boat.

'''''The Sand Pebbles''''' is a film directed by Creator/RobertWise, adapted from the eponymous 1962 novel by Richard [=McKenna=] and released in 1966. It starred SteveMcQueen, Richard Attenborough and Candice Bergen.

An angry mob demands that the ''San Pablo'' put Holman to Chinese custody, leading to a tense stand-off and a near-mutiny from the crew. The boat's captain stands his ground, though his crew's behavior leaves him near-suicidal. The next day, he receives radioed orders to sail downriver to the coast, but ignores them and instead decides to form a rescue mission to evacuate Jameson and Shirley to safety. The ''San Pablo'' runs a Chinese blockade, and much of the crew dies in a violent boarding action. At the missionary compound, Jameson, who refuses to leave, is gunned down by Nationalist soldiers. Holman decides to stay behind in order to cover Shirley's evacuation by his remaining crewmates. He is critically wounded just as he was about to fall back too.

* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: In keeping with Cold War politics, the Nationalists are depicted as [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned extremists]] with legitimate grievances who are driven to violence. Less sympathetic are the DirtyCommunists, who try to goad the ''San Pablo'' into attacking them and incite [[spoiler:Po Han's death]]. Nobody [[GrayAndGreyMorality comes off well the end]].

* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: The Nationalists are depicted as [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned extremists]] occasionally driven to violence. Not to mention the DirtyCommunists who incite [[spoiler:Po Han's death]]. Nobody [[GrayAndGreyMorality comes off well the end]].

* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: The Nationalists are depicted as [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned extremists occasionally driven to violence. Not to mention the DirtyCommunists who incite [[spoiler:Po Han's death]]. Nobody [[GrayAndGreyMorality comes off well the end]].

After an accident kills the coolie in charge of the engine's mechanical maintenance, Holman is ordered to train a new one, Po-han (played by {{Mako}}), and despite his initial prejudice at the perceived stupidity of the Chinese, gradually warms to him. Meanwhile, Frenchie (Attenborough), the only crewman who gets along with Holman, meets Maily, a young Chinese woman who works as a hostess in a local brothel. With Holman's help, he buys up her debt and takes her to a room he has rented out for her.

'''''The Sand Pebbles''''' is a film directed by Robert Wise, adapted from the eponymous 1962 novel by Richard [=McKenna=] and released in 1966. It starred SteveMcQueen, Richard Attenborough and Candice Bergen.

* AsianHookerStereotype: Frenchie and Mai Ling. More generally, the sailors are fond of patronizing Chinese prostitutes and, as Holman explains to Shirley, "Most [American] China Sailors, they don't go back. They pull 20, 30 years, then they shack up with a Chinese girl and open a bar."
* TheAtoner: Mai Ling works as a hostess in order to pay back money she once stole from missionaries.

After an accident kills the coolie in charge of the engine's mechanical maintenance, Holman is ordered to train a new one, Po-han (played by {{Mako}}), and despite his initial prejudice at the perceived stupidity of the Chinese, gradually warms to him. Meanwhile, Frenchie (Attenborough), the only crewman who gets along with Holman, meets Mai Ling, a young Chinese woman who works as a hostess in a local brothel. With Holman's help, he buys up her debt and takes her to a room he has rented out for her.

Worsening tensions between Westerners and Chinese nationalist activists result in Po-han getting lynched by an angry mob. Jameson and Shirley are reluctantly put under the ''San Pablo'''s protection, and the latter develops romantic feelings for Holman. Frenchie marries Mai Ling in a secret ceremony and, while the boat is stuck offshore from Changsha for the winter, sneaks away every night to be with her. One day, as Holman is allowed ashore to carry mail, he shows up at Mai Ling's room, finding her pregnant and Frenchie dead from pneumonia. Nationalist soldiers burst in and, the next day, Holman finds himself accused of Mai Ling's murder.

* MeLoveYouLongTime: Frenchie and Mai Ling. More generally, the sailors are fond of patronizing Chinese prostitutes and, as Holman explains to Shirley, "Most [American] China Sailors, they don't go back. They pull 20, 30 years, then they shack up with a Chinese girl and open a bar."

In 1926, as [[NoMoreEmperors China is in the throes of warlordism and anarchy]], [[TheEngineer Machinist's Mate 1st Class]] Jake Holman ([=McQueen=]) is transferred from the US Asiatic Fleet's flagship in UsefulNotes/{{Shanghai}} to the river gunboat ''San Pablo'', nicknamed the ''Sand Pebble'' by its crew. On the way, he meets Jameson, an idealistic missionary, and Shirley (Bergen), a young American woman who has just signed up for a teaching position in a missionary school.