Feature1955·97m·5.9

The Cockleshell Heroes

They Called Them "Canoe Commandos"

War

During WW2, German ships are "safely" docked upriver at Bordeaux, but the British send a team of kayakers to attack them.

Play now

Cast

Trevor Howard

Captain Thompson

José Ferrer

Major Stringer

Anthony Newley

Marine Clarke

Victor Maddern

Sgt. Craig

Percy Herbert

Marine Lomas

David Lodge

Marine Ruddock

Peter Arne

Marine Stevens

Graham Stewart

Marine Booth

John Fabian

Marine Cooney

John Van Eyssen

Marine Bradley

Robert Desmond

Marine Todd

Walter Fitzgerald

Gestapo Comdt.

Karl Stepanek

Assistant Gestapo Officer

Dora Bryan

Myrtie

Beatrice Campbell

Mrs Ruddock

Sydney Tafler

Policeman

Christopher Lee

Submarine Commander Alan Grieves

Pat McGrath

Marine Bellamy (uncredited)

Jack Carter

Soldier (uncredited)

Andreas Malandrinos

French Fisherman

Details

Status
Released
Original language
English
Languages
English
Budget
Revenue
Age rating
Quality
4K UHD · HDR10 · Dolby Vision
Production
Columbia PicturesWarwick Film Productions

Crew

Director

José Ferrer

Writers

Richard Maibaum, Bryan Forbes

Ted Moore

Director of Photography

Alan Osbiston

Editor

John Wilcox

Director of Photography

Gallery

Reviews

CinemaSerf

11/14/2022

6.0

HM Royal Marines don't tend to be centre-stage in many films depicting their wartime escapades. This one recounts their exploits trying to canoe up the Garonne and attack some vital Nazi shipping. The plot is quite interesting but both José Ferrer and Trevor Howard miss their targets - both performances are as strained as their on-screen relationship purports to be. It does celebrate the valiant efforts, however, of this daring raid with great looking photography and Ferrer directs this with a true sense of the jeopardy of the whole enterprise.