The editing is fine too. Montgomery did so well that within a few years he began directing films. No bravura acting is apparent, and none is called for. Three outlaws on the run risk their freedom and their lives to return a newborn to civilization. 4.5 / 5 stars 73% 90%. He and his men struggle ashore through the surf. Overview of They Were Expendable, 1945, directed by John Ford, with Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed, at Turner Classic Movies This movie has always been great on a screen, but previous DVDs were unsteady in the first reel, perhaps because of film shrinkage. While a work of fiction, the book was based on actual events and people. Brick, Ryan and two ensigns are ordered to be airlifted out on the last airplane because the PT boats have proved their worth, and the officers are needed stateside as trainers. But even in defeat there is victory. Check out some of our favorite superhero stars from movies and television, before they suited up. By the end of the war the boats had reverted to a more primitive system in which the weapons were simply dumped overboard. Read Less. Link your DIRECTV account to Movies Anywhere to enjoy your digital collection in one place. John Stryker is hated and feared by his men, who see him as a cold-hearted sadist. It was a success, and for good reason.It's got about everything you'd expect in a war movie released during that year, and it's finely done. They Were Expendable, DVD, Repackaged, Special Packaging, Subtitled, Standard Screen, War-World War II, 012569798625 The last two PT boats make another attack, after which Rusty's boat is sunk. Little by little, the Philippine campaign is doomed to cave in, as comrades-in-arms perish in the sea. Troops are hopelessly outnumbered. They Were Expendable: An American Torpedo Boat Squadron in the U.S. Retreat from the Philippines (Bluejacket Books) Paperback – April 1, 1998 by W. L. White (Author) 65 … "[8], Douglas Shearer was nominated for the Oscar for Best Sound Recording, while A. Arnold Gillespie, Donald Jahraus, R. A. MacDonald and Michael Steinore were nominated for Best Effects. Description. But they weren't suitable for blue-water work and were mostly used in sheltered waters. They Were Expendable (1945) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The surviving enlisted men, led by Chief Mulcahey, are left behind to continue the fight with the remnants of the U.S. Army and Filipino guerrillas. A reverence for authority. And They Were Expendable is a good film to see this somewhat unheralded part of the war see some attention paid upon it. The extra plays the part of General Martin's driver. Overview System Requirements Related. Blown-up, wrecked, requisitioned by the Army, or just disappeared. Hemingway may have enjoyed it if he ever saw it because it is a very nice illustration of "grace under pressure." Anyone can do it. View production, box office, & company info. Well, they did during the first war, delivered by torpedo boats that were small and fast and could duck under the big guns to deliver their weapons. Watch trailers, read customer and critic reviews, and buy They Were Expendable directed by John Ford for $9.99. But Brick orders Rusty to the hospital before they sortie when it is discovered that he has blood poisoning. They Were Expendable: A Critique of John Ford's 1945 War Film by David M. Cross THEY WERE EXPENDABLE is a story of defeat. According to an Oct 1944 HR news item, They Were Expendable was taken off the "inactive" list following a revival of military action in the Philippines. title details and video sharing options. Check out the full list of winners. In 1942, after the fall of the Philippines to the Japanese, U.S. Army Col. Joseph Madden stays behind to organize the local resistance against the Japanese invaders. Montgomery is stolid as the squadron commander. She doesn't have much screen time, but good use is made of what she has, and after all, it's hard to bang a full-blown romance into this kind of film. Lots of booze. stunned, places the ladle back in the pot, HBO Max in October: David Byrne’s ‘American Utopia and Everything Else New Coming, Act Like a Man: Robert Montgomery, War Hero and Respectable Heel, Wishlist: 1940s - Essential Movies I am Yet to Watch. This soldier appears first at the dock where the Lucien P Libby is being loaded. Another patient, "Ohio" (Louis Jean Heydt) is also attracted to Sandy. They Were Expendable. This done, they resume their attacks against the Japanese, who gradually whittle down the squadron. See the fabulous presenters and gracious winners at this year's Oscars. It's pretty downbeat for Ford, when you come right down to it. Romance. In 1863, a Union outfit is sent behind Confederate lines in Mississippi to destroy enemy railroads but a captive southern belle and the unit's doctor cause frictions within ranks. But that has nothing to do with the movie except that these observations reveal the major action scenes to be what Gallagher calls a boy's matinee program. [10], 1945 film by John Ford, Robert Montgomery, For the rock group originally called They Were Expendable, see, "They Were Expendable (1945) - Notes - TCM.com", "The 18th Academy Awards (1946) Nominees and Winners", At Close Quarters – PT Boats in the United States Navy by Captain Robert J. Bulkley, Jr., USNR (Retired), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=They_Were_Expendable&oldid=1020066541, Films about the United States Navy in World War II, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 27 April 2021, at 00:19. )It's a well-done film, thoughtful and exciting. Every time I watch this movie, I wonder about an extra apperaring in at least two scenes. U.S.N., Ret"; Montgomery's onscreen credit reads: "Robert Montgomery Comdr. Rent $2.99. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Directed by John Ford, Robert Montgomery. A national bestseller when it was originally published in 1942 and the subject of a 1945 John Ford film featuring John Wayne, They Were Expendable offers an account of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three's heroic actions during the disastrous Philippine campaign early in World War II. There is a factoid circulating that this film, released in 1945 when we were about to end the war, was a flop because no one wanted to hear about a defeat in the Philippines, but Tad Gallagher's research shows this not to be true. U.S.N.R. Paperback. And one of our boys can't kill a dozen of their boys. In direct contrast to the flag-waving, jingoistic propaganda films typical of Hollywood during WWII, John Ford's They Were Expendable is a somber and moving account of America's defeat in the Philippines early in the war. The eruption of water and its finally falling on Wayne's figure couldn't have been better times if a stopwatch had been used, a fine example of technical expertise.Made as it was during the war years, it couldn't be more realistic than it is. Lt. Robert Kelly and U.S. Army Nurse "Peggy Smith" sued MGM, John Wayne and Donna Reed for their portrayal of them in the film. To see something deeper and more poignant is the real challenge. But under conditions in which maintenance was difficult or impossible, as they were here, the efficiency of the engines dropped and so did the boat's speed. Written by (The destroyer was originally meant to be a "torpedo boat destroyer.") They Were Expendable, American war film, released in 1945, that was based on a book of the same name by William L. White. To all of you Michael Moores, it takes absolutely zero talent to bitch and complain. Wayne's 34 boat is strafed and damaged by Japanese airplanes and he manages to beach it in a deserted area. In real life, as Richard Tregaskis has reported, the engines delivered about 40 knots when new -- fast, but not that fast. Naval Institute Press. 1-month free trial! This is one of John Ford's best. As he and his second-in-command, Lieutenant "Rusty" Ryan, desperately try to prove the newly-founded naval unit's worth, the enemy launches a devastating all-out attack--and despite the PT boat flotilla's undeniable success--the considerably outnumbered and outgunned American soldiers are fighting a losing battle. Sometimes this is a weakness, due not to Ford and his crew but to the strictures of the time. He turned to Montgomery, who had actually commanded a PT boat, to temporarily take over for him as director. Following the acquisition of the film rights to William L. White's They Were Expendable MGM asked Ford to direct a film based on the book; Ford repeatedly refused due to his serving in the Navy Field Photographic Unit. The enemy aren't referred to as Nips, nobody calls them names or tries to explain their motives. In WWII they served in every theater and were valuable assets. The usual technique was not to attack at full speed with flags flying, but to sneak up as quietly as possible on an enemy ship, launch the torpedoes, then get out quickly. Fast, free delivery. There, Rusty begins a romance with Army nurse Sandy Davyss (Donna Reed). They Were Expendable. During this time Ford met Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley during the preparation of the Normandy Invasion[6] and later sighted Bulkeley's former executive officer Robert Montgomery on D-Day.[7]. (1945). [1] The characters John Brickley (Montgomery) and Rusty Ryan (Wayne) are fictionalizations of the actual subjects, John D. Bulkeley (Medal of Honor recipient) and Robert Kelly, respectively. The MTBs were glamorous duty. In John Ford's 1945 war film, They Were Expendable, two 80 ft Elcos were used during filming along with four former MTBRON 14 78-foot Huckins. They Were Expendable - DVD (1945) for $12.10 from OLDIES.com War - Order by Phone 1-800-336-4627 They Were Expendable (1945) - Mr. Ryan's Guest They Were Expendable (1945) - Rather LIke Back Home They Were Expendable (1945) - Lay Down That Sacrifice They Were Expendable (1945) - … With Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed, Jack Holt. They Were Expendable: An American Torpedo Boat Squadron in the U.S. Retreat from the Philippines (Bluejacket Books) by W. L. White. When on shore, he is eager to win back his ex-wife. ( Russell Simpson ), or just disappeared directing films the weapons Were simply dumped.... 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