Main Cast: Gregory Peck, Roger Moore, David Niven, Trevor Howard, Barbara Kellerman
Release Year: 1981
Country: UK
Run Time: 120 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Set in India during World War II, this fair action drama relies heavily on the good acting talent gathered to convey its slight, uninvolved story. Gregory Peck is Col. Lewis Pugh, backed up by Roger Moore as Capt. Gavin Stewart, David Niven as Col. Bill Grice, Patrick MacNee as Major Crossley, and several others -- all retired and past the age for active duty. At issue are three German freighters that are parked in the waters off Goa, the Portuguese coastal colony on the subcontinent of India. Since Portugal is neutral, the regular army cannot destroy the freighters, and it is up to the retired army officers and a large corps of over-the-hill volunteers to take on the mission of eliminating the German ships. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
Patrick Macnee - Maj. Yogi Crossley; Patrick Allen - Colin Mackenzie; Bernard Archard - Underhill; Allan Cuthbertson - Melborne; Kenneth Griffith - Wilton; Donald Houston - Hilliard; Glyn Houston - Peters; Percy Herbert - Dennison; Patrick Holt - Barker; Wolf Kahler - Trompeta; Michael Medwin - Radcliffe; John Standing - Finley; Graham Stark - Manners; Jack Watson - MacLean; Brook Williams - Butterworth; Marc Zuber - Ram Das Gupta; George Mikell - Capt. Rofer; Morgan Sheppard - Lovecroft; Edward Dentith - Lumsdaine; Clifford Earl - Sloane; Robert Hoffman - U-Boat Captain; Dan van Husen - 1st Officer; Mohan Agashe - Brothel Keeper; Jurgen Andersen - German First Officer; Martin Benson - Mr. Montero; Faith Brook - Mrs. Grice; Moray Watson - Broone; Scot Finch - Croupier; Martin Grace - Kruger; Terence Labrosse - Malverne; Victor Langley - Williamson; Keith Stevenson - Manuel
Credit
Maurice Cain - Art Director, Elsa Fennell - Costume Designer, Bert Batt - First Assistant Director, Andrew V. McLaglen - Director, John Glen - Editor, Roy Budd - Composer (Music Score), Sidney Cain - Production Designer, Syd Cain - Production Designer, Tony Imi - Cinematographer, Euan Lloyd - Producer, Reginald Rose - Screenwriter, Richard Addinsell - Featured Music, James Leasor - Book Author
The Sea Wolves is a 1980war film starring Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven. The film is based on the book Boarding Party by James Leasor, which itself is based on a real incident which took place in the Second World War. The incident involved The Calcutta Light Horse's covert attack against a German merchant ship which had been transmitting information to U-boats from Mormugao Harbour in neutral Portugal's territory of Goa on 9 March 1943.
During World War II, German submarines are sinking thousands of tons of Britishmerchant shipping. British intelligence, based in India, believe information is being passed to the U-Boats by a radio transmitter hidden on board one of three German ships interned in Portuguese Goa. Since Portugal is neutral, the ships cannot be attacked by conventional forces. British intelligence approach a territorial unit of ageing British expatriates to carry out the mission on their behalf.
Historical basis
The film notes in its closing credits that during the first 11 days of March 1943, the U-boats sank 12 Allied ships in the Indian Ocean. But, after the Light Horse raid on Goa, only one ship was lost in the remainder of the month.
