Gift Horse_
Compton Bennett's war drama The Gift Horse follows the fortunes of ageing destroyer The Ballantrae and her crew from the time they come together in 1940 until the climactic raid on occupied St Nazaire in 1942. Trevor Howard plays Lt Cmdr Hugh Alginon Fraser, the newly appointed captain, back in service after having left the navy following a court martial.
Director
Compton Bennett
Starring
Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Sonny Tufts
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Year context
Gift Horse was released 74 years ago in 1952.
Gift Horse is a Adventure, War, Drama film with a runtime of 1h 35m.
CAST (20)
Richard Attenborough
Dripper Daniels
James Donald
Lt. Richard Jennings, No. 1
Sonny Tufts
Yank Flanagan
Trevor Howard
Lt. Cmdr Hugh Alginon Fraser
Bernard Lee
A.S. 'Stripey' Wood
Dora Bryan
Glad Flanagan
Hugh Williams
Captain David G. Wilson
Robin Bailey
Lt. Michael Grant, Pilot
Meredith Edwards
Jones
John Forrest
Appleby the Captain's Steward
Patric Doonan
Petty Officer Martin
Sidney James
Ned Hardy, Landlord Golden Bull
HS
Harold Siddons
Adm. Bartlett
William Russell
Crewman
Joan Rice
June Mallory, WRNS cypher officer
PB
Peter Bathurst
Commander C.E. Spencer
Charles Lloyd Pack
Captain R. G. Bates (Board of Inquiry)
CA
Chris Adcock
Crewman (uncredited)
Tim Turner
Crewman (uncredited)
GS
George Spence
Man in Pub (uncredited)
CREW
Director
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
STUDIOS (1)
Molton
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
95 min (1h 35m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
6.6/10 (18 votes)
Popularity
4
IMDB
Trailer
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Gift Horse about?
Compton Bennett's war drama The Gift Horse follows the fortunes of ageing destroyer The Ballantrae and her crew from the time they come together in 1940 until the climactic raid on occupied St Nazaire in 1942. Trevor Howard plays Lt Cmdr Hugh Alginon Fraser, the newly appointed captain, back in service after having left the navy following a court martial.
How long is Gift Horse?
Gift Horse has a runtime of 95 minutes (1h 35m).
Who directed Gift Horse?
Gift Horse was directed by Compton Bennett.
Who stars in Gift Horse?
The cast of Gift Horse includes Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Sonny Tufts, Trevor Howard, Bernard Lee.
What is the rating of Gift Horse?
Gift Horse has a rating of 6.6 out of 10 based on 18 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (3)
Adventure
War
Drama
KEYWORDS (1)
commando