The Sand Pebbles (1966)

Description

Nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this "fascinating" (The New York Times) action-drama chronicles a volatile time in history and will resonate with generations to come. Directed with a "deft" (Life) hand by Oscar winner Robert Wise (The Sound Of Music), The Sand Pebbles earned Steve McQueen his only Oscar nomination and also stars Richard Attenborough and Candice Bergen. 1926 China. Engineer Jake Holman (McQueen) is transferred to the USS San Pablo, a gunboat patrolling the troubled waters of the Yangtze River. As Chinese factions battle around them, the crew has one singular mission: to protect American interests in the region... without provoking an international incident. But as hostility over the U.S. presence in the river intensifies, Holman and his sole ally (Attenborough) know their latest assignment - to save a U.S. missionary (Bergen) - could be their last!