A young RAF pilot tests his father-in-law’s prototype supersonic aircraft to the limit, at a time of intense development in the field of aviation, just as commercial jet airliners are about to enter service.
The Sound Barrier (1952) is a drama, romance and war film directed by David Lean, released on July 22, 1952 with a runtime of 1h 57m. It stars Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick and John Justin. Viewers rate it 6.5 out of 10 across 60 ratings.
Ralph Richardson
as John Ridgefield
Ann Todd
as Susan Garthwaite
Nigel Patrick
as Tony Garthwaite
John Justin
as Philip Peel
Dinah Sheridan
as Jess Peel
Joseph Tomelty
as Will
Denholm Elliott
as Christopher Ridgefield
Jack Allen
as 'Windy'
Ralph Michael
as Fletcher
Leslie Phillips
as Controller
Donald Harron
as ATA officer
Vincent Holman
as Factor
Directed by David Lean, written by Terence Rattigan, produced by David Lean.
Average viewer score of 6.5/10 from 60 ratings.
“JR” (Sir Ralph Richardson) is a magnate determined to develop an aircraft that can break the speed of sound. This is no mean feat, and with the man becoming all but obsessed with this breakthrough, he engages “Tony” (Nigel Patrick) who just happens to be married to his daughter “Susan” (Ann Todd) to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, quite literally, “Chris” (Denholm Elliott). What this film does manage…
Reviewed on June 19, 2025
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The Sound Barrier (1952) is available to stream on fuboTV, History Vault and Xive TV Documentaries Amazon Channel, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, 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 Sound Barrier (1952) includes Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick, John Justin and Dinah Sheridan. The film was directed by David Lean. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Sound Barrier was released on July 22, 1952 and runs for 1h 57m.
The Sound Barrier (1952) holds an average rating of 6.5 out of 10 from 60 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama, romance and war films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
