Hey Otterites!
(Original film poster by Howard Terpning, fair use.)
In the midst of my grieving for PJ I listened to our Steve McQueen episode recently and realized we left out an important entry in his oeuvre, The Sand Peebles. Released in 1966 and based on a novel of the same name, today it might be termed a “tedious melodrama”. However, when it was released, it was viewed as a serious critical success and a real achievement for McQueen, showcasing his range as an actor.
The film is set in China in the 1920s in an era of “gunboat diplomacy” and Western powers trying their best to either convert the Chinese or exploit them. McQueen plays a sailor who primarily wants to just do his job, but all the hard work on his ship is done by hired “coolies” who are ridiculed and exploited by the crew. McQueen’s sailor is also the romantic lead opposite Candace Bergen as a missionary’s assistant. In addition to Bergen, the film co-stars Richard Crenna and Sir Richard Attenborough. It is a departure from his previous action hero style roles, combining the romance story with some action and on ship conflict in a backdrop of culture clash. The release just as Vietnam is ramping up did not escape critical notice. McQueen’s sailor is still a rebel, bristling at authority. Yet he comes to respect the commander and his rebelliousness is understandable in the quagmire that is 1920’s colonial politics.
With an acclaimed performance from McQueen and support from Attenborough, The Sand Peebles should be a slam dunk film for frequent appearances on TV. Yet the run time is something like 3 hours, and it just feels like it moves in slow motion in spots. It pops up from time to time on TMC, but that’s about it. It was the 4th highest grossing film of 1966 but is largely forgotten today.
As you know Otterites, if we goof something up in an episode, we like to get that correction or omission out there front and center, hence today’s McQueen post. Check out our episode on the King of Cool, and keep in mind we missed mentioning a biggie in his career that showed range and ability.
