Character mistake: Following McQueen's viewing of Naval Shipmate Attenborough's corpse, he then fails to recover the decedents dogtag; a United States Military Protocol.
The Sand Pebbles (1966)
1 character mistake - chronological order
Directed by: Robert Wise
Starring: Richard Attenborough, Steve McQueen, Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen
Factual error: The uniforms worn by the engineering force are from the wrong era. Prior to 1941 the left arm rates had the head of the eagle pointing to the wearer's rear. Steve McQueen and the rest of the Engineering force rate eagle head is pointing forward, which is from WW2.
Frenchy Burgoyne: If they obey orders then the Navy takes care of them. It's a way of life that appeals to a certain kind of man.
Trivia: Steve McQueen received his only Oscar nomination for his performance as Jake Holman in this film.
Question: Why was the movie called "The Sand Pebbles?
Chosen answer: It's a pun on the name of the boat which features in the film: the fictional U. S. Navy ship USS San Pablo. The sailors on the San Pablo call themselves the sand pebbles.
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