Movie
The Sand Pebbles
This is the heroic story of the men on the U.S.S. San Pablo who disturbed the sleeping dragon of savage China as the threatened world watched in breathless terror.
Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat USS San Pablo, assigned to patrol a tributary of the Yangtze in the middle of exploited and revolution-torn 1926 China. His iconoclasm and cynical nature soon clash with the 'rice-bowl' system which runs the ship and the uneasy symbiosis between Chinese and foreigner on the river. Hostility towards the gunboat's presence reaches a climax when the boat must crash through a river-boom and rescue missionaries upriver at China Light Mission.
Streaming, rental and purchase options
Where to watch in United States
Checked Jul 22, 2026
The Sand Pebbles is available to stream on DirecTV On Demand in United States. You can also rent or buy it from Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Google Play. Use the direct links below to open the provider.
Synopsis
Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat USS San Pablo, assigned to patrol a tributary of the Yangtze in the middle of exploited and revolution-torn 1926 China. His iconoclasm and cynical nature soon clash with the 'rice-bowl' system which runs the ship and the uneasy symbiosis between Chinese and foreigner on the river. Hostility towards the gunboat's presence reaches a climax when the boat must crash through a river-boom and rescue missionaries upriver at China Light Mission.
More about The Sand Pebbles
Cast
Steve McQueenJake Holman
Richard AttenboroughFrenchy Burgoyne
Richard CrennaCaptain Collins
Candice BergenShirley Eckert
MakoPo-han
Larry GatesJameson
Charles RobinsonEnsign Bordelles
Simon OaklandStawskiCredits
- Directed by
- Robert Wise
- Written by
- Robert Anderson, Richard McKenna
Production details
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- English
- Budget
- $12M
- Box office
- $20M
Production
- Robert Wise Productions
- Solar Productions
20th Century FoxUnited States
