In celebration of Richard Attenborough’s centenary this year (on August 29), Studiocanal has announced the release of a newly restored version of the classic 1955 British crime drama, The Ship That Died of Shame.

Produced by the great Ealing Studios and written and directed by Ealing stalwart Basil Dearden (The Gentle Gunman, The Green Man), this lesser-seen gem Is a notable example of a grittier side to the studio’s output and a welcome antidote to the flag-waving patriotic post-war films like The Dam Busters and In Which We Serve that were so prolific at the time.

“If The Ladykillers gives us a darkly comic vision of post-war Britain struggling to escape the strictures of tradition," writes Dylan Cave, BFI curator, "The Ship That Died of Shame is a gritty noir-shaded flipside, confirming that the joy of the immediate post-war years – Britain’s (and Ealing’s) finest moments – are long past.”

Based on a short story by Nicholas Monsarrat (The Cruel Sea) and starring Richard Attenborough (Brighton Rock, The Angry Silence), George Baker (I Claudius, DCI Wrexford in Ruth Rendell Mysteries), Bill Owen (Georgy Girl, Last of the Summer Wine) and Roland Culver (To Each His Own, The Teckman Mystery), The Ship That Died of Shame is a rare document of a bewildered British masculinity in the post-war years.

The ‘1087’ is a British Royal Navy boat that navigates its crew through the worst that World War II can throw at them. With war over, George Hoskins (Richard Attenborough) convinces former skipper Bill Randall (George Baker) and Birdie (Bill Owen) to buy their old boat and use it for what he persuades them is some ‘harmless’ smuggling to supply the black market. Soon, however, the crew find themselves mixed up with the corrupt Major Fordyce (Roland Culver) who leads them to transport ever-more sinister cargoes, including counterfeit currency and weapons. As the jobs become more nefarious, the once robust and reliable 1087 begins to protest and frequently breaks down, seemingly mirroring the crew’s descent into the criminal underworld…

The Ship That Died of Shame will be released on Blu-ray, DVD and digital platforms by Studiocanal as part of its Vintage Classic Collection on 11 September 2023.

BLU-RAY & DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:

• NEW Interview with Author/Professor of Film Neil Sinyard
• Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery