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Cast
Walter Fitzgerald
as Chief Engineer Charles Pollard - M.V. San Demetrio
Ralph Michael
as 2nd. Officer Hawkins - M.V. San Demetrio
Neville Mapp
as 3rd. Engineer Willey - M.V. San Demetrio
Barry Letts
as Apprentice John Jones - M.V. San Demetrio
Frederick Piper
as Boatswain W.E. Fletcher - M.V. San Demetrio
Gordon Jackson
as Messboy John Jamieson - M.V. San Demetrio
Robert Beatty
as 'Yank' Preston - M.V. San Demetrio
Mervyn Johns
as Greaser John Boyle - M.V. San Demetrio
James Donald
as Gunnery Officer - H.M.S. Jervis Bay
Nigel Clarke
as R.J.E Dodds - Shipping Manager
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1943
Runtime1h 37m
LanguageEnglish
CertificationU
GenresAction, Drama, War
Votes15
DirectorCharles Frend
WritersCharles Frend, F. Tennyson Jesse, Robert Hamer
TypeFeature Film
Rating7.2 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsSan Demetrio London
About San Demetrio London
Based on the true story of the 1940 rescue of the tanker MV San Demetrio by parts of her own crew after she had been set afire in the middle of the Atlantic by the German heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer and then had been abandoned. When one of the lifeboats drifted back to the burning tanker the day after, and found that she still hadn't exploded, they decided to board her and put out the fires. Eventually, they managed to start the engine again and decided to try to reach Britain against all odds.
Directed by Charles Frend, San Demetrio London leans on a strong ensemble — Walter Fitzgerald, Ralph Michael, Neville Mapp — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about action titles of 1943.
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