The Sound Barrier
Synopsis
A young RAF pilot tests his father-in-law’s prototype supersonic aircraft to the limit, at a time of intense development in the field of aviation, just as commercial jet airliners are about to enter service.
Top Cast
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Ralph Richardson
John Ridgefield
Ann Todd
Susan Garthwaite
Nigel Patrick
Tony Garthwaite
John Justin
Philip Peel
Dinah Sheridan
Jess Peel
Joseph Tomelty
Will
Denholm Elliott
Christopher Ridgefield
Jack Allen
'Windy'
Ralph Michael
Fletcher
Leslie Phillips
Controller
Donald Harron
ATA officer
Vincent Holman
Factor
Douglas Muir
Controller
Release History & Theatrical Window
December 21, 1952
Wide Cinema Exhibition
April 11, 2016
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$275K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$235K
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.85x
-$40K deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- David Lean
- Screenplay & Story
- Terence Rattigan
- Original Score
- Malcolm Arnold
- Original Title
- The Sound Barrier
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 57m
- Production Budget
- $275K
- Worldwide Gross
- $235K
- Production Studios
- London Films Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
David Lean
Terence Rattigan
Malcolm Arnold
Jack Hildyard
Geoffrey Foot
David Lean
Department Leadership Roster
David Lean
Director
Terence Rattigan
Writer
David Lean
Producer
Malcolm Arnold
Original Music Composer
Jack Hildyard
Director of Photography
Geoffrey Foot
Editor
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Universal — Suitable for all audiences.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Sound Barrier.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Sound Barrier.
英国电影学院奖最佳影片
BAFTA Award for Best Film 英国电影学院奖（BAFTA）历届最佳影片。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
European Cinema
Auto-generated by festival-lists — do not edit by hand.
War: World War II
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
list_War
Movies categorized under War
Academy Awards - Best Sound-Sound Mixing Winners 1929-2025
Academy Awards winners archive (Best Sound-Sound Mixing Winners 1929-2025)
Best Actor Bafta (1952-Present)
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Sound Barrier
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Sound Barrier about?
A young RAF pilot tests his father-in-law’s prototype supersonic aircraft to the limit, at a time of intense development in the field of aviation, just as commercial jet airliners are about to enter service.
Who directed The Sound Barrier?
The Sound Barrier was directed by David Lean.
Who stars in The Sound Barrier?
The principal cast of The Sound Barrier includes Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick, John Justin, Dinah Sheridan.
When was The Sound Barrier released and how long is it?
The Sound Barrier was released in 1952 with a total runtime of 1h 57m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Sound Barrier?
The Sound Barrier had a reported production budget of $275K and grossed $235K at the worldwide box office (0.85 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for The Sound Barrier?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Sound Barrier was composed by Malcolm Arnold.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Sound Barrier?
The Sound Barrier holds official age classifications: FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: U (Universal — Suitable for all audiences.).