At the start of World War II, Cmdr. Ericson is assigned to convoy escort HMS Compass Rose with inexperienced officers and men just out of training. The winter seas make life miserable enough, but the men must also harden themselves to rescuing survivors of U-Boat attacks, while seldom able to strike back. Traumatic events afloat and ashore create a warm bond between the skipper and his first officer.
The Cruel Sea (1953) is a drama, history and war film directed by Charles Frend, released on February 24, 1953 with a runtime of 2h 6m. It stars Jack Hawkins, Donald Sinden, Denholm Elliott and John Stratton. Viewers rate it 6.9 out of 10 across 84 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Cruel Sea before you stream it.
Jack Hawkins
as Ericson
Donald Sinden
as Lockhart
Denholm Elliott
as Morell
John Stratton
as Ferraby
Stanley Baker
as Bennett
Liam Redmond
as Watts
Meredith Edwards
as Yeoman Wells
Bruce Seton
as Tallow
John Warner
as Baker
Barry Letts
as Raikes
Gerard Heinz
as Polish Captain
Fred Griffiths
as Gracey
Directed by Charles Frend, written by Eric Ambler and Nicholas Monsarrat, produced by Leslie Norman.
Average viewer score of 6.9/10 from 84 ratings.
This has to be one of my favourite wartime adventures that really quite powerfully illustrates not only the perils of those sailing the Atlantic during the Second World War but the courage of the ordinary folks drafted in to man these tiny ships at the mercy of the weather and the U-boats. "Ericson" (Jack Hawkins) has been put in command of an convoy escort that's staffed by a rather obnoxious former used-car…
Reviewed on August 23, 2024
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The Cruel Sea (1953) is available to stream on BFI Player Amazon Channel, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Cruel Sea (1953) includes Jack Hawkins, Donald Sinden, Denholm Elliott, John Stratton and Stanley Baker. The film was directed by Charles Frend. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Cruel Sea was released on February 24, 1953 and runs for 2h 6m.
The Cruel Sea (1953) holds an average rating of 6.9 out of 10 from 84 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama, history and war films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Cruel Sea trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
