Gift Horse backdrop
ADVENTURE . 1952 . 1h 35m . English . 6.6/10

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
6.6/10
Rating
1h 35m
Runtime
1952
Year
Updated Feb 16, 2026
Gift Horse poster

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.

WHERE TO WATCH

Prime Video P Prime Video 21 countries
Netflix N Netflix 7 countries
ALL REGIONS

DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Director
Gift Horse was directed by Compton Bennett.
Compton Bennett →
Cast
Richard Attenborough stars as Dripper Daniels in Gift Horse.
Richard Attenborough →
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
Richard Attenborough
Dripper Daniels
James Donald
James Donald
Lt. Richard Jennings, No. 1
Sonny Tufts
Sonny Tufts
Yank Flanagan
Trevor Howard
Trevor Howard
Lt. Cmdr Hugh Alginon Fraser
Bernard Lee
Bernard Lee
A.S. 'Stripey' Wood
Dora Bryan
Dora Bryan
Glad Flanagan
Hugh Williams
Hugh Williams
Captain David G. Wilson
Robin Bailey
Robin Bailey
Lt. Michael Grant, Pilot
Meredith Edwards
Meredith Edwards
Jones
John Forrest
John Forrest
Appleby the Captain's Steward
Patric Doonan
Patric Doonan
Petty Officer Martin
Sidney James
Sidney James
Ned Hardy, Landlord Golden Bull
HS
Harold Siddons
Adm. Bartlett
William Russell
William Russell
Crewman
Joan Rice
Joan Rice
June Mallory, WRNS cypher officer
PB
Peter Bathurst
Commander C.E. Spencer
Charles Lloyd Pack
Charles Lloyd Pack
Captain R. G. Bates (Board of Inquiry)
CA
Chris Adcock
Crewman (uncredited)
Tim Turner
Tim Turner
Crewman (uncredited)
GS
George Spence
Man in Pub (uncredited)

CREW

STUDIOS (1)

Molton

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
95 min (1h 35m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
6.6/10 (18 votes)
Popularity
4
IMDB

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
SHARE