The Sand Pebbles

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  • Dan McCosh
    Senior Member
    • Mar 2001
    • 16375

    The Sand Pebbles

    Ran on TV last night. Set in China in 1926, at the point when modern China was emerging, it's arguably Steve McQueen's finest role. One of those movies that seems more relevant today than when it was made in 1966. While it focuses on the pending end of 20th-century colonialism, it's a kind of prelude to what was to come. Fascinating vision of the U.S. naval efforts in China as well, plus some great insight into the ship operations.
    Last edited by Dan McCosh; 07-02-2013, 08:49 AM.
  • Monkey Butler
    Senior Member
    • Feb 2009
    • 292

    #2
    Re: The Sand Pebbles

    "Mein steem stop wow"!

    Comment

    • Gerarddm
      #RESIST
      • Feb 2010
      • 32453

      #3
      Re: The Sand Pebbles

      "What happened?"
      Gerard>
      Albuquerque, NM

      Next election, vote against EVERY Republican, for EVERY office, at EVERY level. Be patriotic, save the country.

      Comment

      • Osborne Russell
        Senior Member
        • Mar 2006
        • 27131

        #4
        Re: The Sand Pebbles

        Originally posted by Dan McCosh
        . . . it's a kind of prelude to what was to come.
        If you were a maker of strategic policy in Japan at the time, what lines of thought might you be led to by these doings?
        Do not speak of "our institutions" unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf.

        Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny (2017)​

        Comment

        • bamamick
          Senior Member
          • Nov 2003
          • 14774

          #5
          Re: The Sand Pebbles

          My father's favorite movie. He was an old China Sea hand while in the Navy (6 years in the Pacific) and he said that things weren't much different at all in the '50's from the way the movie portrayed things.

          I have always thought it was a good movie, myself.

          Mickey Lake
          'A disciple of the Norse god of aesthetically pleasing boats, Johan Anker'

          Comment

          • Ted Hoppe
            Irritant, Level 2
            • Nov 2006
            • 21933

            #6
            Re: The Sand Pebbles

            one of my favorite movies too. Growing up we had a family friend who was a far east sailor from the 20s to past ww2. He told the most amazing stories about China, Shanghai and the river patrols - saving missionaries, fighting war lords and setting up his own little trading stations.

            the film was shot in Taiwan... Over the years when I go there - I can't help but think of that movie. I understand the boat still floats/operates on the Mekong in Vietnam but is completely unrecognizable today.
            Last edited by Ted Hoppe; 07-02-2013, 12:26 PM.
            Without friends none of this is possible.

            Comment

            • andrewe
              Senior Member
              • Sep 2006
              • 1038

              #7
              Re: The Sand Pebbles

              I always liked that movie too. Mrs A's grandaddy was on the china station in the late 20s and we have loads of stuff from that era. (Her other GD was a two star, commanding the troops that crossed the bridge at Remargen in WW11).
              I even remembered the chinese for " It's my rice bowl"

              Comment

              • Tom Montgomery
                Lurking since 1997
                • Sep 1999
                • 35611

                #8
                Re: The Sand Pebbles

                I have always liked that movie.
                "They have a lot of stupid people that vote in their primaries. They really do. I'm not really supposed to say that but it's an obvious fact. But when stupid people vote, you know who they nominate? Other stupid people." -- James Carville on the plethora of low-quality GQP candidates in the mid-term election.

                Comment

                • J. Dillon
                  Senior Old Salt # 650
                  • Oct 1999
                  • 5756

                  #9
                  Re: The Sand Pebbles

                  1937 US Navy Gunboat sunk by Japanese aircraft on the Yangtze river actual combat footage here:

                  (1) Reel 1 - Nanking (2) Reel 2 - Uncensored!!! Unedited!!! The U.S.S. Panay Bombing in its entirey - exactly as photographed! (this newsreel special is 22...


                  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Panay_(PR-5)
                  Last edited by J. Dillon; 07-02-2013, 01:18 PM.
                  Senior Ole Salt # 650

                  Comment

                  • Bob Cleek
                    Senior Member
                    • Feb 2000
                    • 11970

                    #10
                    Re: The Sand Pebbles

                    Reportedly, the San Pablo was built for the movie production company by a Hong Kong shipyard for $250,000. She was diesel powered. Bought by a logging company and used to house workers under the name Nola D, she was broken up in 1975 in Singapore.

                    See: http://www.thesandpebbles.com/san_pa..._sanpablo.html

                    The engine room scenes were filmed on a sound stage in Burbank, I believe. The engine came out of a scrapped trawler in Vancouver BC and was shipped to Hollywood. It was a 1000 HP Vickers triple expansion as powered the Liberty ships. It was later purchased, restored and installed for museum display in the hold of the Victory ship, Lane Victory in San Pedro, CA, where it remains today .

                    Everything you ever wanted to know about The Sand Pebbles movie. It has quite a following: http://www.thesandpebbles.com/
                    Last edited by Bob Cleek; 07-02-2013, 04:00 PM.

                    Comment

                    • Ted Hoppe
                      Irritant, Level 2
                      • Nov 2006
                      • 21933

                      #11
                      Re: The Sand Pebbles

                      Originally posted by Bob Cleek
                      Reportedly, the San Pablo was built for the movie production company by a Hong Kong shipyard for $250,000. She was diesel powered. Bought by a logging company and used to house workers under the name Nola D, she was broken up in 1975 in Singapore.




                      Everything you ever wanted to know about The Sand Pebbles movie. It has quite a following: http://www.thesandpebbles.com/
                      thanks for the informative link - there is lots of mythology about this boat. every american sailor want to see her ply asian waters - keeping alive the most enduring engine room love story ever.
                      Without friends none of this is possible.

                      Comment

                      • wardd
                        Senior Member
                        • Sep 2009
                        • 15162

                        #12
                        Re: The Sand Pebbles

                        it's hard to find a bad mcqueen movie

                        Comment

                        • Dan McCosh
                          Senior Member
                          • Mar 2001
                          • 16375

                          #13
                          Re: The Sand Pebbles

                          Originally posted by wardd
                          it's hard to find a bad mcqueen movie
                          True, but he did a lot of one-dimensional characters. The Sand Pebbles character rings true in many ways.

                          Comment

                          • Andrew Craig-Bennett
                            Who?
                            • Aug 1999
                            • 28484

                            #14
                            Re: The Sand Pebbles

                            Those interested by the place and the period might like Captain Graham Torrible's "Yangtse Reminiscences" - but you need to be aware that it was written by an English merchant ship Captain with a very dry sense of humour.

                            He was a Master of Yangtze River trading ships. His description of getting a coal fired steamer over a rapid is a true classic. The Pilots were allowed opium; nobody else was.



                            I worked for the same company many years later and I came to know him, as he still lived in Hong Kong.

                            His final sentence (he as evaded the Japanese and got to Bangkok, walked into an hotel and sat down...

                            "The waiter came up to me and asked, "Ikky Soad?"
                            He had recognised an Empire Builder."
                            Last edited by Andrew Craig-Bennett; 07-02-2013, 05:50 PM.
                            IMAGINES VEL NON FUERINT

                            Comment

                            • Tom Montgomery
                              Lurking since 1997
                              • Sep 1999
                              • 35611

                              #15
                              Re: The Sand Pebbles

                              Steve McQueen always struck me as much like Paul Newman but with bad habits. Very bad habits.

                              McQueen never developed the Hollywood clout that Newman did. So it was much harder for him to escape typecasting.

                              Both of them loved auto sports.
                              "They have a lot of stupid people that vote in their primaries. They really do. I'm not really supposed to say that but it's an obvious fact. But when stupid people vote, you know who they nominate? Other stupid people." -- James Carville on the plethora of low-quality GQP candidates in the mid-term election.

                              Comment

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