The Wreck of the Mary Deare is a 1959 Metrocolor (in CinemaScope) British-American thriller film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Gary Cooper (in his penultimate film) and Charlton Heston, and featuring Michael Redgrave, Cecil Parker, Virginia McKenna, Richard Harris, and John Le Mesurier.

When the two reach land, Sands learns that the survivors among the crew, led by Second Officer Higgins, are claiming that Patch gave an unnecessary order to abandon ship.

Patch visits Captain Taggart's daughter Janet, who lets him borrow a page of a letter from her father that mentions being anchored for days beside another ship in the harbour at Rangoon.

Patch's story gradually emerges: Higgins and his allies were in a conspiracy with the shipowner in which they offloaded their most valuable cargo, American jet engines which were surplus parts from the Korean War, to the other ship at Rangoon to sell them to the Communist Chinese.

Patch explains that in its weakened condition it will be easy for one man to sink the vessel in deep water, covering up for good the conspiracy and its crimes.

Sands tells Patch he is in line for a substantial reward, which he declines, saying, all he ever wanted was to prove the truth of what had happened so he could maintain his master’s ticket and get another ship to command.

The novel was optioned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer with the intention of having Alfred Hitchcock direct the picture (under a two-picture deal), starring Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster.

The cast included Cooper as Patch, and Charlton Heston as Sands, with Richard Harris and Sir Michael Redgrave in supporting roles.