The Battle of the River Plate

Plot:

Widely regarded as one of the best and most intelligent British war dramas of the 1950s, The Battle of River Plate is the story of Britain's first significant naval victory in WW2. John Gregson heads the cast as Captain Bell, skipper of the Exeter, one of several vessels engaged in pursuit of the "indestructable" Geman battleship Graf Spee. Taking refuge in the neutral harbor of Montevideo, the Graf Spee is covertly protected by the Uruguayan government. Eventually, however, German captain Langsdorff (Peter Finch) is faced with a difficult decision: either stand his ground and fight a losing battle against the Exeter and its sister ships, or scuttle the Graf Spee and save the lives of his crew. Battle of the River Plate was released in the US as Pursuit of the Graf Spee.

Cast:

John Gregson as Captain Bell - H.M.S. Exeter
Anthony Quayle as Commodore Harwood - H.M.S. Ajax
Ian Hunter as Captain Woodhouse - H.M.S. Ajax
Jack Gwillim as Captain Parry - H.M.S. Achilles
Bernard Lee as Captain Dove - M.S. Africa Shell
Lionel Murton as Mike Fowler
Anthony Bushell as Mr. Millington Drake - British Minister, Montevideo
Peter Illing as Dr. Guani - Foreign Minister, Uruguay
Michael Goodliffe as Captain McCall - R.N., British Naval Attache for Buenos Aires
Patrick Macnee as Lieutenant Commander Medley - R.N.
John Chandos as Dr. Langmann - German Minister, Montevideo
Douglas Wilmer as M. Desmoulins - French Minister, Montevideo
William Squire as Ray Martin
Roger Delgado as Captain Varela - Uruguayan Navy
Andrew Cruickshank as Captain Stubbs - 'Doric Star'
Christopher Lee as Manolo
Edward Atienza as Pop
April Olrich as Dolores
Peter Finch as Captain Langsdorff 'Admiral Graff Spee'
María Mercedes as Madame X (credit only)
John Schlesinger as Prisoner on Graf Spee
John Le Mesurier as Rev. George Groves, Padre, HMS Exeter rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Farrar as Narrator
John Merivale as Cowburn - Pilot - HMS Achilles
Douglas Argent as Sub. Lieutenant, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Vincent Ball as Barnes - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Ken Barker as Marine Officer / HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Michael Barnes as Midshipman, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Raymond Barrie as Shirley - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Terence Bayler as Stoker - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Alan Beale as Capt. Pttinger, prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited)
Richard Beale as Captain Pottinger (uncredited)
David Benson as Marine Officer, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
John Britton as Navigator, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Robert Bruce as Lt. Cmdr. Smith, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Anna Burden as Madame Desmoulins, Montevideo (uncredited)
Richard Burrell as Navigator (HMS Exeter) (uncredited)
Tony Burton as Young Sailor, Aft-conning, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
David Cameron as Pilot Officer Lewin, pilot, spotter plane, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Alan Casley as Rating, Aft-conning, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Ronald Clarke as Prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited)
Michael Collins as Chief Yeoman, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
James Copeland as Chief Yeoman - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Robert Crewdson as Minor role (uncredited)
Tita Dane as  (uncredited)
Gron Davies as Chief Engineer, Trevannionion, prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited)
Denton De Gray as Observer Kearney, Spotter plane, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Maxwell Denne as Petty Officer - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Patrick Dove as Capt., Streonshalh, prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited)
Peter Dyneley as Captain, Newton Beach, prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited)
Eynon Evans as Chief Engineer, Newton Beach, prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited)
Jack Faint as Chief Officer, Ashlea, prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited)
Peter Fontaine as Gunnery Officer, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
John Forbes-Robertson as Lt. McBarnett, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Frank Forsyth as Petty Officer, Bridge, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Barry Foster as Bill Roper, Capt. Bell's messenger, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Colin Free as 2nd Messenger, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Richard George as Chief Officer, Trevannion, prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited)
Keith Grieve as Sick Bay P.O. - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Lucia Guillon as Telephone Girl, Montevideo (uncredited)
Peter Halliday as Guani's Secretary, Montevideo (uncredited)
Ken Hayward as Spotting Officer, Gunnery Control, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Patrick Horgan as Signalman - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Helen Horton as  (uncredited)
Mary Jones as Miss Shaw, Millington Drake's secretary (uncredited)
Kerry Jordan as O.S. Rogers - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Patrick Jordan as Signalman, Aft-conning, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Marvin Kane as  (uncredited)
Howard Lang as 'Guns', HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Frank Lloyd as Messenger - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Cyril Luckham as Lt. Jasper Abbot - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Kenneth Luckman as Mess P.O. - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Ivor Mairants as Guitarist accompanying Dolores in Montevideo (uncredited)
Alan Masterson as Midshipman, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Jack Mayne as  (uncredited)
Lane Meddick as P.O. Stacey - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
John Merrivale as Cowburn - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Kenneth Midwood as Petty Officer, Gunnery Control, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Donald Moffat as Swanston, Look Out, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
George Murcell as Chief Officer, Newton Beach (uncredited)
Anthony Newley as Radio Operator, Tairoa, prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited)
Joseph O'Conner as Chief Engineer, Doric Star, prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited)
David Paltenghi as Customs Officer, Montevideo (uncredited)
Conrad Phillips as Lt. Washbourne, Gunnery Officer, HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Ambrosine Phillpotts as Mrs. Millington-Drake, Montevideo (uncredited)
Columba Powell as Lost child in crowd (uncredited)
Edward Powell as Chief Officer, Huntsman, prisoner on Graf Spree (uncredited)
Irene Prador as  (uncredited)
Peter Prowse as Look Out, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Roy Purcell as Duty Officer Pennefeather, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Rive Rola as  (uncredited)
Alan Rolfe as Petty Officer, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
David Rose as Boy Dorset, HMNZS Achilles (uncredited)
Peter Scott as 1st Messenger, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Peter Smallwood as Spotting Officer, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Muriel Smith as Dolores, Montevideo (uncredited) (singing voice)
Julian Somers as Quartermaster on Graf Spee (uncredited)
Barry Steele as Midshipman, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Graham Stewart as Signalman, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Nigel Stock as Chief Officer, Tairoa, prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited)
Alan Townsend as Duty Officer, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Guy Verney as Cmdr. Graham, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Tony Wager as Look Out, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
Colin Wall as Boy Bugler, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
John Warren as Chief Yeoman Signals, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Patrick Westwood as Archer, HMS Ajax (uncredited)
George Whiting as Chief Engineer, Aft-conning, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Ian Whittaker as Messenger - Boiler Room, HMS Achilles (uncredited)
David Williams as Look Out, HMS Exeter (uncredited)
Neil Wilson as Mess P.O. - HMS Achilles (uncredited)
Brian Worth as Radio Operator, Doric Star, prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited)