THE SAND PEBBLES is one of those historical epics that were all the rage back in the 1960s. This one was directed by the great Robert Wise and features the equally great Steve McQueen in one of his less-remembered roles. He plays a sailor stationed on the Yangtze river who gets involved with a local uprising in the 1920s. The plot is fictional but there's a certain air of authenticity to the proceedings and a refreshing lack of the usual 'yellowface' make-up that mars such films. This doesn't have a huge cast, but there are nice turns from Richards Crenna and Attenborough, and a fine performance from a youthful Mako, no less, as McQueen's young buddy. The film suffers from an exceptionally slow first half, but it picks up to a surprisingly bleak climax that pays off in spades.

Having grown up with both the awkward, squeaky voiced Walter Denton of "Our Miss Brooks" and Luke McCoy of "The Real McCoys" what astounded me most about this very impressive film was the huge professional leap that Richard Crenna took in only a few, short years as a very complex and complicated Captain Collins. I can't remember any actor who made such a significant transformation in such a short period of time. Even Sally Field didn't jump from being the "Flying Nun" to "Norma Rae" until nearly ten years later when Hollywood declared that they "really, really liked her" by granting her an Oscar. After only a few years from being the amiable Luke McCoy, Crenna's remarkable performance here was most definitely Oscar worthy, and remember that "Wait Until Dark", another stellar effort by Crenna as the thug who was slowly falling in love with his beautiful, disabled victim, Audrey Hepburn, didn't appear on the screen until a year after this.Crenna's troubled (and very troubling!) character was only part of the film's ability to remain so watchable during its long three hours. The rest of the cast, led by a very magnetic Steve McQueen and a very talented Richard Attenborough, was outstanding. The story and the setting of political unrest in China during 1926 was very compelling, and Jerry Goldsmith's stirring musical score was the icing on the cake. For some reason, I never realize how much of a Steve McQueen fan I am until I start watching his films. This ranks as one of his very best.As to the film's very disturbing ending, I think that viewers will interpret it in accordance with their already established political philosophies, if they have any. Whether Captain Collins was actually ordered to rescue the missionaries at China Light remained unclear to me. What was clear to me was that these same missionaries did not want to be rescued in spite of the very real and obvious danger to their very lives, which transcended their specific political convictions. In the end, I felt much more emotionally drawn to Frenchy's Maily than to Jake's Shirley Eckert. I'm not sure if this was due to Bergen's acting ability or to the character itself. While Maily was an involuntary victim of circumstance, Shirley not only voluntarily chose to be in a very dangerous place but apparently resisted leaving in spite of the very real danger that surrounded her and the risk that her presence imposed upon the American sailors. For me, this difference made all the difference.

I admit that my rating and my review has a lot to do with the era of the movie compared to the era in which I was born and raised. Sand Pebbles came out well before I was born and I only opted to watch it because it was mentioned in a book I was reading.I'm not sorry I watched it at all. It was interesting to see the acting, the story, the special effects and the stars of that time (1966). Shoot, I had no idea Candice Bergen was in it. I didn't even recognize her. My earliest memories of her are as Murphy Brown (1988-1998) who was a middle aged female professional.The movie was set in 1926 China and the U.S. had a naval ship stationed there. On the ship worked many Chinese--they did pretty much everything from cooking to cleaning to repairs and maintenance. It was some delicate relationship the crew set up and enjoyed until Jake Holman (Steve McQueen) came aboard and upset that balance a bit. The movie is based upon a book but admittedly I didn't understand the nature of it all. Why the U.S. was there, what was the Chinese government at that time, how the Chinese came to work aboard a U.S. vessel, who were the Chinese warlords and other things.That was the main backdrop of the movie but the story honed in more on Jake Holman and his finding a place on the ship with the structure they had set up. He wasn't exactly a hothead but he had his way of doing things.Was the movie true to the book or even to that time period? I don't know. The fascination I had was mostly in the novelty of a movie 50 years old.

Steve McQueen was rightly nominated for an Oscar, for his sterling performance in this movie. For Richard Crenna, this has to have been his finest hour. A beautifully crafted tale of American involvement in China during, I think , the Boxer rebellion. The film reunited Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough, of Great Escape fame. However, it must be said that the character of Frenchy, who Richard Attenborough plays, is a disappointment in this production, as he is totally out of place in his portrayal of a lovesick member of the crew. The film moves at an extraordinary pace throughout, with the occasional calm respite. Totally believable from start to finish, with engineering set- pieces spot on. The Sand Pebbles remains one reason why people still visit the cinema.