The Sea Wolves

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The Sea Wolves
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Original film poster by Arnaldo Putzu
Directed byAndrew V. McLaglen
Screenplay byReginald Rose
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Produced byEuan Lloyd
StarringGregory Peck
Roger Moore
David Niven
Trevor Howard
Barbara Kellerman
Patrick Macnee
CinematographyTony Imi
Music byRoy Budd
Lorimar Productions
Richmond Light Horse Productions
Varius Entertainment Trading A.G.
Distributed byRank Film Distributors
Paramount Pictures
Elite Films (Switzerland)[1]
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Running time
120 minutes
Template:Pluralize from textUnited Kingdom
United States
Switzerland
Template:Pluralize from textEnglish
Budget$12 million[1]
Box office$220,181 (USA)[2]

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The Sea Wolves is a 1980 war film starring Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven. The film, which is based on the 1978 book Boarding Party by James Leasor[3], is the true story of Operation Creek during the Second World War[4]. In the covert mission, the Calcutta Light Horse, part of the Cavalry Reserve in the British Indian Army, successfully sank a German merchant ship in Mormugão Harbour in neutral Portugal's territory of Goa, India, on 9 March 1943. The ship had a secret radio which was transmitting information about Allied shipping to U-boats operating in the Indian Ocean.

The film, which starred veteran American and British actors, was produced by Euan Lloyd[5] and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen[6]; both had previously worked together on the successful 1978 British-Swiss war film The Wild Geese.[7]

Plot

During World War II, German U-boats are sinking thousands of tons of British merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean. British intelligence, based in India, believes that information is being passed to the U-boats by a radio transmitter hidden on board one of three German merchant ships interned in Goa, then a colony of Portugal. Since Portugal is neutral, the ships cannot be attacked by conventional forces.

The head of the Indian section of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) authorises attempts to kidnap and interrogate two known German agents, but these operations both fail. An approach is then made to a Territorial unit of British expatriates, the Calcutta Light Horse, to carry out the mission on its behalf. They all volunteer – all are trained in military skills and keen to 'do their bit'.

Whilst the volunteers are trained, Stewart and Cartwright travel covertly to Goa. By a mixture of blackmail and bribery, they arrange diversions on the night of the raid. A party is to be held in the Governor's palace, a brothel will offer free entry to sailors from ships in the port and a Carnival with fireworks will be held. Stewart has a brief affair with Mrs. Cromwell, a mysterious and socially well-connected woman, who turns out to be a German agent and the main conduit to the German 'Master Spy', known to the Germans and the British by the code-name Trompeta (Trumpet). She is eventually killed by Stewart after she attempts to kill him, but not before she has killed Jack Cartwright.

The raiding party sail around the coast in a decrepit and barely seaworthy barge; they set limpet mines on the hull of the German ships in Goa. They then board one which is being used to transmit signals to U-boats, catching the depleted crew off-guard. Despite Pugh's order that there be no shooting, several German sailors are killed. The ship is set alight and the party withdraws, watching as the ship sinks. The final scene shows a surfacing German U-boat which is expecting to hear a signal from the now sunken ship.

Differences from actual raid

While certain elements are faithful to the real-life raid, in reality the ships were not blown up by limpet mines but scuttled by their own crew. It is widely believed the intention was the capture of the ships rather than their destruction. Only four German crew died, with the rest swimming ashore.

The German spy known as Trumpet was in reality not a single person but a couple. Captured by Pugh and Stewart, they were interrogated by British Intelligence but all trace of them was removed from the records and their fate is unknown.

Cast

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Production

Development

The film was originally known as Boarding Party.[8] According to the documentary The Last of the Gentleman Producers, producer Euan Lloyd says that he originally planned to reunite Moore with Wild Geese co-stars Richard Burton and Richard Harris as Pugh and Grice.[9]

Fifty percent of the budget was provided by Lorimar. They fell out with United Artists, their distributor, before the film was delivered. Lorimar subsequently formed a new relationship with Paramount but producer Euan Lloyd thought that studio regarded the film as "the poor cousin" and as a result it "wasn't sold properly".[10] Part of the finance came from the Rank Organisation.[11]

Casting

The film reunited much of the cast and crew from 1978's The Wild Geese, including actors Roger Moore, Kenneth Griffith, Jack Watson, Percy Herbert, Patrick Allen, Brook Williams, Patrick Holt and Terence Longdon, writer Reginald Rose, producer Euan Lloyd, director Andrew V. McLaglen, designer Syd Cain, and composer Roy Budd.

Filming

Filming took place on location in Goa, India.[12] The Goa unit manager was the noted local journalist Mario Cabral e Sa, while Goan cartoonist Mario Miranda was the creative assistant.[13]

Soundtrack

The title music for The Sea Wolves was adapted by Roy Budd from the famous Warsaw Concerto of composer Richard Addinsell.[14] Budd had, at the time, already composed or arranged numerous other film scores, notably those of The Wild Geese and Get Carter. For The Sea Wolves, Budd added lyrics by Leslie Bricusse to his, Budd's, arrangement of the Warsaw Concerto music, the resulting song being entitled The Precious Moments,[15][16] sung by the British baritone Matt Monro, who had also sung title tracks for many other films.[citation needed]

Incidental music is from the Warsaw Concerto.[citation needed]

Release

The film had its world premiere on 3 July 1980 at the Leicester Square Theatre in London before opening to the public the following day there and at the Odeon Marble Arch.[17]

Reception

Film critic Robert Roten gave the film a "C+," and described it as "a workmanlike film told in a non-flashy, straightforward way, featuring an all-star cast."[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kindred, Jack (27 August 1980). "Euan Lloyd Preems 'Sea Wolves'; After Europe, Then U.S." Variety. p. 42. Retrieved 27 August 2023 – via Archive.org.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Sea Wolves (1981)". Box Office Mojo.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Leasor, James (25 April 2011). Boarding Party: Filmed as 'The Sea Wolves'. James Leasor Publishing. ISBN 978-1-908291-03-5.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Simpson, George (25 December 2024). "Two underrated World War 2 classic movies are on ITV4 this afternoon". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Canby, Vincent (5 June 1981). "'SEA WOLVES'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.The Sea Wolves - Apple TV. 5 June 1981. Retrieved 18 March 2026 – via tv.apple.com.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Magazine, On: Yorkshire (16 December 2025). "The Wild Geese (1978) – Film Review". On: Yorkshire Magazine. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Scripting Joan Crawford as Mom". Los Angeles Times. 17 August 1978. p. j16.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Hustling with the Best". The Irish Times. Dublin, Ireland. 22 May 1979. p. 10.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Mills, N. (9 May 1982). "MOVIES". Los Angeles Times. Template:ProQuest.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Vagg, Stephen (1 September 2025). "Forgotten British Film Studios: The Rank Organisation 1978-81". Filmink. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The day the Weekly was invited to go on location". The Australian Women's Weekly. 14 May 1980. p. 26. Retrieved 10 December 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pai Raikar, Ramnath N (18 August 2018). "The Sea Wolves: WWII adventure in Goa" (PDF).
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Sea Wolves (Original Soundtrack Recording) – Roy Budd | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."PRECIOUS MOMENTS, THE – Lyrics – International Lyrics Playground". lyricsplayground.com. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.McLaglen, Andrew V. (5 June 1981), The Sea Wolves, retrieved 16 January 2016
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Entertainment Guide". Evening Standard. 3 July 1980. p. 20.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Robert Roten. "The Sea Wolves: The Last Charge of the Calcutta Light Horse". Laramie Movie Scope. Retrieved 2 February 2022.

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