Sea of Sand
Encyclopedia
Sea of Sand is a 1958
war film
produced by Tempean Films starring Michael Craig
, John Gregson
and Richard Attenborough
. It was directed by Guy Green and shot entirely in and around Tripolitania
, Libya
.
The film is set in North Africa
during the Second World War and tells the story of a patrol of the Long Range Desert Group
(LRDG) that drove long distances behind enemy lines to fight against Rommel
's Afrika Korps
.
, Captain Tim Cotton leads a patrol on a raid to destroy a German fuel dump located deep behind enemy lines. Captain Williams of the Royal Engineers
is posted to Cotton's patrol to deal with a minefield surrounding the German petrol dump. A regular soldier, Williams takes time to adjust to the non-regulation way the LRDG operates.
After surviving a perilous journey, they arrive and destroy the stocks of petrol, only to find that the dump also contains a large number of tanks. With their radio smashed in a German ambush, they must return to base to report the information while there is time for it to be acted upon.
During their return journey they are harassed by a German officer determined to prevent the LRDG making it back to base.
of Sea of Sand was written by noted author and screenwriter Robert Westerby
. The film's technical advisor was Bill Kennedy Shaw
, who served as the LRDG's intelligence officer during desert campaign in North Africa
.
and was performed by the Sinfonia of London
under the musical direction of Muir Mathieson
.
submachine gun
s. But these were never used by LRDG, they used either the .303 SMLE
or the Thompson submachine gun
.
Additionally, the Afrika Korps are portrayed using American half-tracks
fitted with British Bren
guns as well as Sten submachine guns. Whilst the Afrika Korps made use of captured equipment due to supply problems, American half-tracks were only available when that nation was encountered in Tunisia in 1943 after Rommel evacuated Libya.
1958 in film
The year 1958 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 16- "In the Money" by William Beaudine is released on this date. It would be the last installment of The Bowery Boys series which began back in 1946....
war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
produced by Tempean Films starring Michael Craig
Michael Craig (actor)
Michael Craig is a British actor, known for his work in film and television in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Craig was born in Poona, Maharashtra, British India, the son of Donald Gregson, a captain in the 3rd Indian Cavalry. He came to England with his family when aged three, and went to...
, John Gregson
John Gregson
John Gregson was an English actor.He was born Harold Thomas Gregson, of Irish descent, and grew up in Wavertree, Liverpool, where he was educated at Greenbank Road primary school, later St Francis Xavier School...
and Richard Attenborough
Richard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough , CBE is a British actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. As director and producer he won two Academy Awards for the 1982 film Gandhi...
. It was directed by Guy Green and shot entirely in and around Tripolitania
Tripolitania
Tripolitania or Tripolitana is a historic region and former province of Libya.Tripolitania was a separate Italian colony from 1927 to 1934...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
.
The film is set in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
during the Second World War and tells the story of a patrol of the Long Range Desert Group
Long Range Desert Group
The Long Range Desert Group was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The commander of the German Afrika Corps, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, admitted that the LRDG "caused us more damage than any other British unit of equal strength".Originally called...
(LRDG) that drove long distances behind enemy lines to fight against Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
's Afrika Korps
Afrika Korps
The German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
.
Plot
On the eve of the Battle of El AlameinSecond Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
, Captain Tim Cotton leads a patrol on a raid to destroy a German fuel dump located deep behind enemy lines. Captain Williams of the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
is posted to Cotton's patrol to deal with a minefield surrounding the German petrol dump. A regular soldier, Williams takes time to adjust to the non-regulation way the LRDG operates.
After surviving a perilous journey, they arrive and destroy the stocks of petrol, only to find that the dump also contains a large number of tanks. With their radio smashed in a German ambush, they must return to base to report the information while there is time for it to be acted upon.
During their return journey they are harassed by a German officer determined to prevent the LRDG making it back to base.
Cast
- Michael CraigMichael Craig (actor)Michael Craig is a British actor, known for his work in film and television in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Craig was born in Poona, Maharashtra, British India, the son of Donald Gregson, a captain in the 3rd Indian Cavalry. He came to England with his family when aged three, and went to...
as Captain Tim Cotton - John GregsonJohn GregsonJohn Gregson was an English actor.He was born Harold Thomas Gregson, of Irish descent, and grew up in Wavertree, Liverpool, where he was educated at Greenbank Road primary school, later St Francis Xavier School...
as Captain Bill Williams R.E. - Richard AttenboroughRichard AttenboroughRichard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough , CBE is a British actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. As director and producer he won two Academy Awards for the 1982 film Gandhi...
as Trooper Brody - Percy HerbertPercy Herbert (actor)Percy Herbert was an English character actor who often played soldiers, most notably in The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Wild Geese and Tunes of Glory. However, he was equally at home in comedies and science fiction...
as Corporal "Blanco" White - Barry FosterBarry Foster (actor)Barry Foster was a British actor who appeared in numerous film roles and is known for his leading role as a Dutch detective in the ITV drama series, Van der Valk, which spanned five series over 20 years from 1972....
as Corporal Mathieson - Vincent BallVincent BallVincent Ball is an Australian actor who has worked both in Australia and in the United Kingdom....
as Sergeant Nesbitt - Andrew FauldsAndrew FauldsAndrew Matthew William Faulds was a British actor and politician.Born in Isoko, Tanganyika , to missionary parents, Faulds married Bunty Whitfield in 1945...
as Sergeant Parker - George MurcellGeorge MurcellGeorge Murcell was a British character actor. His first wife was Josephine Tweedy whom he married in 1953, and his second was the actress Elvi Hale whom he was married to from 1960 until his death....
as Corporal Simms - Ray McAnallyRay McAnallyRay McAnally was an Irish actor famous for his performances in films such as The Mission, My Left Foot, and A Very British Coup.-Background:...
as Sergeant Hardy - Harold GoodwinHarold Goodwin (English actor)Harold Goodwin was an English actor born in Wombwell, Yorkshire, England.Goodwin trained at RADA and was a stage actor at Liverpool repertory theatre for 3 years...
as Road Watch - Tony Thawnton as Captain Tom
- Wolf Frees as German Sergeant
- George MikellGeorge MikellGeorge Mikell is an actor and writer most well known for his performances in The Guns of Navarone and The Great Escape...
as German Officer - Martin BensonMartin Benson (actor)Martin Benjamin Benson was an English character actor, who appeared in films, theatre and television. He appeared in both British and Hollywood productions.-Career:...
as German Half-track Officer (uncredited) - Dermot WalshDermot WalshDermot Walsh was an Irish stage, film and television actor, known for portraying Richard the Lionheart in the 1962 television series Richard the Lionheart.-Early life:...
as Commanding Officer (uncredited)
Writing
The screenplayScreenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
of Sea of Sand was written by noted author and screenwriter Robert Westerby
Robert Westerby
Robert Westerby , was an author of novels and screenwriter for films and television....
. The film's technical advisor was Bill Kennedy Shaw
Bill Kennedy Shaw
Major William Boyd Kennedy Shaw OBE was a British desert explorer, botanist, archaeologist and founding member of the Long Range Desert Group during World War II...
, who served as the LRDG's intelligence officer during desert campaign in North Africa
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
.
Music
The score was by Clifton ParkerClifton Parker
Clifton Parker was an English composer, particularly noted for his film scores. During his career, he composed scores for over 50 feature films, as well as numerous documentary shorts, radio and television scores, over 100 songs and music for ballet and theatre.- Life :Edward John Clifton Parker...
and was performed by the Sinfonia of London
Sinfonia of London
The Sinfonia of London is a session orchestra based in London, England. Muir Mathieson, the director of music for Rank Films, founded the ensemble in 1955 specifically for the recording of film music...
under the musical direction of Muir Mathieson
Muir Mathieson
James Muir Mathieson was a Scottish conductor and composer. Mathieson was almost always described as a "Musical Director" on a large number of British films.-Career:...
.
Historical accuracy
In the film, the British troops use StenSten
The STEN was a family of British 9 mm submachine guns used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War...
submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
s. But these were never used by LRDG, they used either the .303 SMLE
Lee-Enfield
The Lee-Enfield bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle was the main firearm used by the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century...
or the Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
.
Additionally, the Afrika Korps are portrayed using American half-tracks
M3 Half-track
The Carrier, Personnel Half-track M3 was an armored vehicle used by the United States, the British Empire and the other Allies during World War II and the Cold War. Nearly 43,000 were produced, and supplied to the U.S...
fitted with British Bren
Bren
The Bren, usually called the Bren Gun, was a series of light machine guns adopted by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1991...
guns as well as Sten submachine guns. Whilst the Afrika Korps made use of captured equipment due to supply problems, American half-tracks were only available when that nation was encountered in Tunisia in 1943 after Rommel evacuated Libya.