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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The Sand Pebbles is Robert Wise’s 1966 drama about an American gunboat and its crew caught amid political upheaval in China. Starring Steve McQueen as machinist Jake Holman, the film adapts Richard McKenna’s 1962 novel and runs 155 minutes, according to the American Film Institute Catalog.
What is The Sand Pebbles about?
Set in China during a period of political unrest, the film follows the crew of the USS San Pablo, an American gunboat on the Yangtze. Its focus on life aboard the vessel gives the story both a maritime setting and a view of the pressures surrounding the crew as they navigate a divided political landscape.
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Steve McQueen plays Jake Holman, the ship’s machinist. Richard Attenborough and Richard Crenna are also among the cast listed by the AFI Catalog. The film is a screen adaptation of Richard McKenna’s 1962 novel; the two works share the same underlying story, but the available sources do not establish a detailed scene-by-scene comparison.
Film details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert Wise (AFI Catalog) |
| Release | December 20, 1966 (AFI Catalog) |
| Runtime | 155 minutes (AFI Catalog) |
| Genre | Drama (AFI Catalog) |
| Lead role | Steve McQueen as Jake Holman (AFI Catalog) |
| Literary source | The Sand Pebbles by Richard McKenna, published in 1962 (AFI Catalog and production notes) |
How the film was made
Production notes describe location work in Taiwan beginning in November 1965, followed by additional filming in Hong Kong and a final studio period in Beverly Hills at 20th Century-Fox. The locations were used to represent the story’s China setting. These details come from the film’s historical production notes, rather than a current studio production page.
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The same notes report that a harbor sequence covered two square miles and used one thousand extras, one hundred sampans, and fourteen junks. Those figures are claims from the production notes and are not independently corroborated by the other sources cited here.
Academy Award recognition
The AFI Catalog records eight Academy Award nominations for the film. The categories were Best Picture; Actor for Steve McQueen; Supporting Actor for Mako; Art Direction (Color); Cinematography (Color); Film Editing; Music (Original Music Score); and Sound. The Academy’s 1967 ceremony archive provides the official awards context.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The novel behind the film
Richard McKenna’s novel, published in 1962, is the literary source for Wise’s adaptation. Readers interested in the story in its original medium can look for The Sand Pebbles by Richard McKenna. Editions and current availability vary, and the sources cited here do not verify a particular edition or current stock.
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