San Demetrio London

San Demetrio London

1943 · 97 min · ★ 7.2 · Action, Drama, War

Based on the true story of the 1940 rescue of the tanker MV San Demetrio by parts of her own crew after she had been set afire in the middle of the Atlantic by the German heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer and then had been abandoned. When one of the lifeboats drifted back to the burning tanker the day after, and found that she still hadn't exploded, they decided to board her and put out the fires. Eventually, they managed to start the engine again and decided to try to reach Britain against all odds.

Directed by Charles Frend · Written by F. Tennyson Jesse

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

Cast

Walter Fitzgerald Chief Engineer Charles Pollard - M.V. San Demetrio
Ralph Michael 2nd. Officer Hawkins - M.V. San Demetrio
Neville Mapp 3rd. Engineer Willey - M.V. San Demetrio
Barry Letts Apprentice John Jones - M.V. San Demetrio
Frederick Piper Boatswain W.E. Fletcher - M.V. San Demetrio
Gordon Jackson Messboy John Jamieson - M.V. San Demetrio
Robert Beatty 'Yank' Preston - M.V. San Demetrio
Mervyn Johns Greaser John Boyle - M.V. San Demetrio
James Donald Gunnery Officer - H.M.S. Jervis Bay
Nigel Clarke R.J.E Dodds - Shipping Manager
Arthur Young Captain George Waite - M.V. San Demetrio
Michael Allen Cadet Roy Housden - M.V. San Demetrio

Make it a double feature

3h 6m together

San Demetrio London

The Loves of Joanna Godden

Both from Charles Frend.

More from Charles FrendSee all →

The Loves of Joanna Godden

The Loves of Joanna Godden · 1947

The Loves of Joanna Godden

MovieDramaRomance

Joanna Godden falls heir to a farm when her father dies.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Goodbye, Mr. Chips · 1939

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

MovieDramaRomance

Throughout the late 19th-century and early 20th-century, Mr Arthur Chipping rises from a shy, nervous teacher to the beloved, revered headmaster of Brookfield School, with his life and career shaped by his love for his wife and his unwavering dedication to his students.

Lease of Life

Lease of Life · 1954

William Thorne, vicar of a small village, leads a modest life as a clergyman. Supporting his wife Vera and musically talented daughter Susan with his work, Thorne is also thoroughly devoted to his community. When he finds out that he doesn't have long to live, however, Thorne rethinks his staid existence and develops a more vibrant way of being, affecting all of those around him.

Danger Man

Danger Man · 1960

SeriesAction & AdventureDrama

Danger Man is a British television series which was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the programme and wrote many of the scripts. Danger Man was financed by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment.

Scott of the Antarctic

Scott of the Antarctic · 1948

Scott of the Antarctic

MovieAdventureDrama

The true story of the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and his ill-fated expedition to try to be the first man to discover the South Pole - only to find that the murderously cold weather and a rival team of Norwegian explorers conspire against him

Interpol Calling

Interpol Calling · 1959

Interpol Calling

SeriesCrimeDrama

The adventures of Interpol policemen Duval and Mornay as they fought against international drug-running, homicide, robbery and forgery.

Man in a Suitcase

Man in a Suitcase · 1967

Man in a Suitcase

SeriesAction & AdventureDrama

Accused of treason, a former U.S. intelligence officer based in London tries to clear his name, taking on freelance jobs around Europe as he searches for answers.

Man of the World

Man of the World · 1962

Man of the World

SeriesCrimeDrama

Michael Strait is a world-renowned photographer whose assignments lead him into investigating mysterious goings-on amongst the rich and glamorous and intrigue from far-flung places as Iraq, French Indochina, and Algiers.

Ryan's Daughter

Ryan's Daughter · 1970

Ryan's Daughter

MovieRomanceHistory

In the wake of the 1916 Easter Rising, a married schoolteacher in a small Irish village has an affair with a troubled British officer.

East Meets West

East Meets West · 1936

East Meets West

MovieRomanceDrama

The story of an Eastern sultan who is inordinately proud of his son. The young man bids fair to break his father's heart by conducting an affair with the wife of a notorious criminal.

Torpedo Bay

Torpedo Bay · 1963

An Italian submarine captain tries to navigate his sub through enemy waters while being stalked by a British warship. They both make it to the neutral port of Tangiers where they agree a truce.

The Cruel Sea

The Cruel Sea · 1953

MovieDramaHistory

At the start of World War II, Cmdr. Ericson is assigned to convoy escort HMS Compass Rose with inexperienced officers and men just out of training. The winter seas make life miserable enough, but the men must also harden themselves to rescuing survivors of U-Boat attacks, while seldom able to strike back. Traumatic events afloat and ashore create a warm bond between the skipper and his first officer.

The Long Arm

The Long Arm · 1956

MovieMysteryCrime

Scotland Yard detectives attempt to solve a spate of safe robberies across England beginning with clues found at the latest burglary in London. The film is notable for using a police procedural style made popular by Ealing in their 1950 film The Blue Lamp. It is known in the US as The Third Key.

A Yank at Oxford

A Yank at Oxford · 1938

A Yank at Oxford

MovieDramaRomance

A brash young American aristocrat attending Oxford University gets a chance to prove himself and win the heart of his antagonist's sister.

Major Barbara

Major Barbara · 1941

Idealistic young Barbara is the daughter of rich weapons manufacturer Andrew Undershaft. She rebels against her estranged father by joining the Salvation Army. Wooed by professor-turned-preacher Adolphus Cusins, Barbara eventually grows disillusioned with her causes and begins to see things from her father's perspective.

Cone of Silence

Cone of Silence · 1960

Cone of Silence

MovieDramaThriller

A seasoned pilot is condemned for an error which causes a crash. The pilot later dies in a crash with similar circumstances and an examiner looks for scientific reasons for the crashes.

More Like This

JFK

MovieDramaThriller

Follows the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison.

The Three Faces of Eve

The Three Faces of Eve · 1957

The Three Faces of Eve

A doctor treats a woman suffering from multiple personality disorder.

Walker

MovieDramaHistory

William Walker and his mercenary corps enter Nicaragua in the middle of the 19th century in order to install a new government by a coup d'etat.

Farha

MovieDramaHistory

Palestine, 1948. After the withdrawal of the British occupiers, tensions rise between Arabs and Jews. Meanwhile, Farha, the smart daughter of the mayor of a small village, unaware of the coming tragedy, dreams of going to study in the big city.

The Gathering Storm

The Gathering Storm · 2002

The Gathering Storm

MovieDramaHistory

A love story offering an intimate look inside the marriage of Winston and Clementine Churchill during a particularly troubled, though little-known, moment in their lives.

Into the Storm

Into the Storm · 2009

MovieDramaHistory

This powerful follow-up to “The Gathering Storm” follows Churchill from 1940 to 1945 as he guided his beleaguered nation through the crucible of the war years--even as his marriage was encountering its own struggles.

Radioactive

Radioactive · 2020

MovieDramaRomance

The story of Nobel Prize winner Maria Skłodowska-Curie and her extraordinary scientific discoveries—through the prism of her marriage to husband Pierre—and the seismic and transformative effects their discovery of radium had on the 20th century.

More on NetflixSee all →

Animals

Animals · 2026

MovieThrillerDrama

When the son of an L.A. mayoral candidate is kidnapped, he and his wife have a few hours to come up with the ransom payment. With most of their money spent on his political campaign, they have to get their hands dirty and expose a side of their lives they never intended to see the light of day.

Reporting Live

Reporting Live · 2026

MovieCrimeThriller

A young reporter and her reluctant cameraman chase a story, only to get entangled in an illegal sand-mining racket run by a ruthless syndicate.

The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot · 2024

MovieFamilyAnimation

After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.

Spirited Away

Spirited Away · 2001

MovieAnimationFamily

A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home · 2021

Spider-Man: No Way Home

MovieActionAdventure

Peter Parker is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a super-hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.

The Godfather

The Godfather · 1972

MovieDramaCrime

Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs · 2009

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

MovieAnimationComedy

Times are changing for Manny the moody mammoth, Sid the motor mouthed sloth and Diego the crafty saber-toothed tiger. Life heats up for our heroes when they meet some new and none-too-friendly neighbors – the mighty dinosaurs.

Gladiator II

Gladiator II · 2024

MovieActionAdventure

Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle · 2004

Howl's Moving Castle

MovieFantasyAnimation

Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.

Transformers One

Transformers One · 2024

Transformers One

MovieAnimationScience Fiction

The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle · 2025

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle

MovieAnimationAction

The Demon Slayer Corps are drawn into the Infinity Castle, where Tanjiro, Nezuko, and the Hashira face terrifying Upper Rank demons in a desperate fight as the final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji begins.

Facing El Chapo

Facing El Chapo · 2026

Facing El Chapo

MovieCrimeAction

Two Mexican officers must survive the final hours of their shift after crossing a ruthless cartel boss.

Ice Age: Continental Drift

Ice Age: Continental Drift · 2012

Ice Age: Continental Drift

MovieAnimationComedy

Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.

Shrek Forever After

Shrek Forever After · 2010

Shrek Forever After

MovieComedyAdventure

A midlife-crisis burdened Shrek, longing for the days of when he felt like a real ogre, makes a pact with magic deal-maker Rumpelstiltskin. But when he's duped and sent to a twisted version of Far Far Away—where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona have never met—he sets out to restore his world and reclaim his true love.

KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters · 2025

KPop Demon Hunters

MovieFantasyMusic

When K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey aren't selling out stadiums, they're using their secret powers to protect their fans from supernatural threats.

White Chicks

White Chicks · 2004

MovieComedyCrime

Two FBI agent brothers, Marcus and Kevin Copeland, accidentally foil a drug bust. To avoid being fired they accept a mission escorting a pair of socialites to the Hamptons--but when the girls are disfigured in a car accident, they refuse to go. Left without options, Marcus and Kevin decide to pose as the sisters, transforming themselves from black men into rich white women.

War Machine

War Machine · 2026

MovieActionScience Fiction

On one last grueling mission during Army Ranger training, a combat engineer must lead his unit in a fight against a giant otherworldly killing machine.

Shrek the Third

Shrek the Third · 2007

Shrek the Third

MovieFantasyAdventure

After the King of Far Far Away dies, Shrek and Fiona are to succede. However, Shrek wants to return to his cozy swamp and live in peace and quiet, so when he finds out there is another heir to the throne, he and Donkey set off to bring him back to rule the kingdom.

28 Years Later

28 Years Later · 2025

MovieHorrorThriller

Twenty-eight years after the Rage virus outbreak, a heavily-defended island survives connected to the mainland by a single causeway. When one of the group leaves the island into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.

Swapped

Swapped · 2026

MovieAdventureAnimation

A small woodland creature and a majestic bird, two natural sworn enemies of the Valley, magically trade places and set off on an adventure of a lifetime to switch back. Their journey soon uncovers a greater threat—one that could endanger not only their species, but the entire valley they call home.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter