''They Were Expendable'' is a 1945 American
war film
War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...
directed by
John Ford
John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...
, starring
Robert Montgomery and
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
, and featuring
Donna Reed. The film is based on the 1942 novel of the same name by
William Lindsay White, relating the story of the exploits of
Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three, a United States
PT boat
A PT boat (short for patrol torpedo boat) was a motor torpedo boat used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, and it was valued for its maneuverability and speed. However, PT boats were hampe ...
unit defending the Philippines against Japanese invasion during the
Battle of the Philippines (1941–42) in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
While a work of fiction, the book was based on actual events and people.
The characters John Brickley (Montgomery) and Rusty Ryan (Wayne) are fictionalizations of PT-Boat Squadron Three Commander
John D. Bulkeley, a
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
recipient, and his
executive officer
An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.
In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer ...
Robert Kelly, respectively. Both the film and the book, which was a best-seller and excerpted in ''
Reader's Digest
''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...
'' and ''
LIFE
Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
'', depict certain combat-related events that were believed to have occurred during the war, alongside those which did not; nonetheless, the film is noted for its relatively accurate and detailed depiction of naval combat for the era in which it was made.
Plot
In December 1941, Lt. John "Brick" Brickley (
Robert Montgomery) commands a squadron of agile but small and unproven
U.S. Navy PT boats
A PT boat (short for patrol torpedo boat) was a motor torpedo boat used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, and it was valued for its maneuverability and speed. However, PT boats were hamper ...
based at
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
in the Philippines. He puts on a demonstration of their maneuverability and seakeeping capabilities for the senior area commander, Admiral Blackwell (
Charles Trowbridge
Charles Silas Richard Trowbridge (January 10, 1882 – October 30, 1967) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 230 films from 1915 to 1958 principally playing patrician authority figures.
Biography
Trowbridge was born in Verac ...
), who remains unimpressed by their diminutive size and lightweight construction. Lt. J. G. "Rusty" Ryan (
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
), Brick's immature
executive officer
An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.
In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer ...
(XO), is hot on getting into combat. He becomes disgusted at the admiral's close-minded dismissal, and is writing his request for transfer to destroyer duty when news of the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...
arrives by radio bulletin.
Japanese forces descend on the Philippines and wreak havoc. Bypassed by local brass, Brick's squadron is kept out of combat and marginalized to menial mail and messenger duty. Frustration, particularly with Rusty, grows and threatens to boil over. Following a devastating attack on their base, the desperate admiral relents and orders them to attack a large Japanese
cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...
shelling U.S. troop emplacements ashore. After initially choosing Rusty to skipper the second boat on the sortie, Brick discovers that his XO has
blood poisoning from a previous combat wound and orders him to sick bay, selecting another boat and crew to take his place.
After accusing his
commanding officer
The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
of glory hogging and resisting evacuation to a military hospital on
Corregidor
Corregidor (, , ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of Cavite City and thus the province of Cavite. It is located west of Manila, the nation's capi ...
, Rusty arrives there still hissing and spitting, only to reluctantly admit to the severity of his life-threatening condition. There, he meets another patient, "Ohio" (
Louis Jean Heydt), who chides him to cool off and get in line. Once he does, Rusty begins a romance with strong-willed
Army nurse Sandy Davyss (
Donna Reed), so attractive, kind, and wholesomely appealing that Ohio cracks, "Eleven-thousand men can't be wrong" about her.
Brick's attack sinks the cruiser. Rusty returns and the squadron is unleashed, achieving increasing success, though at the cost both of boats and men. Still, the Philippines falling is only a matter of time. Sandy attends a dinner in her honor at the PT base, reigniting the flame Rusty and her.
The squadron is marooned on the Philippine island of Corregidor in Manila Bay, just southeast of the large, northern-most Philippine island of Luzon after the Japanese onslaught against the doomed American defenders at the
Bataan
Bataan (, , , ; ) , officially the Province of Bataan, is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula ...
. Corregidor stands as the last American stronghold against the advancing Japanese invaders. The PT Squadron is then assigned to
evacuate the commanding general of the
Pacific Theatre,
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...
, his entourage, and Admiral Blackwell to the southern-most Philippine island of
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
, where they will be flown south to Australia. Rusty manages to make a last phone call to Sandy, now on Bataan, to explain he has been ordered out, but before they can say goodbye, the connection is cut off.
The small PT flotilla successfully carries the commanders across spans of open ocean to their rendezvous. It then resumes its attacks against the Japanese, who gradually whittle the squadron down until it is too small to function effectively. Crews without boats are sent to link up with the Army and fight as infantry. After Rusty's boat is damaged, the last two PTs pull into a small shipyard run by crusty "Dad" Knowland (
Russell Simpson) for repairs. As the boats leave in haste ahead of an imminent Japanese assault, Dad refuses to flee, bidding his poignant farewell with a rifle folded in his arms and a whiskey jug tucked securely at his feet.
In a final assault that destroys another threatening cruiser, Rusty's boat is sunk, after which Brick's is turned over to the US Army, once again reduced to messenger duty. Brick, Ryan, and two ensigns are ordered by Navy command to be airlifted out on the last plane, assigned stateside to train PT crews; the small, inexpensive, wood-hulled boats having proved their worth in combat. While waiting for the plane, Rusty runs into Ohio. Neither knows what happened to Sandy, trapped behind on Bataan. Each helps the other to hope she escaped to the hills rather than meet her likely dark fate. When the ensigns finally arrive late, Rusty bolts for the aircraft's exit, but is brought to heel by Brickley, who reminds him his duty comes first. Ohio is forced to give up his seat on the plane and is left behind to face certain death or capture.
The surviving enlisted men, led by Chief Mulcahey (
Ward Bond
Wardell Edwin Bond (April 9, 1903 – November 5, 1960) was an American character actor who appeared in more than 200 films and starred in the NBC television series ''Wagon Train'' from 1957 to 1960. Among his best-remembered roles are Bert th ...
), shoulder rifles and march off to
continue the resistance with the remnants of the U.S. Army and Filipino guerrillas, as expendable in the fight as their PT boats had been before them.
Cast
*
Robert Montgomery as
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
John Brickley (as Robert Montgomery
Comdr. U.S.N.R.)
*
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
as
Lieutenant (junior grade)
Lieutenant junior grade is a junior commissioned officer rank used in a number of navies.
United States
Lieutenant (junior grade), commonly abbreviated as LTJG or, historically, Lt. (j.g.) (as well as variants of both abbreviations), i ...
"Rusty" Ryan
*
Donna Reed as
2nd Lieutenant Sandy Davyss
*
Jack Holt as
Brigadier General Martin
*
Ward Bond
Wardell Edwin Bond (April 9, 1903 – November 5, 1960) was an American character actor who appeared in more than 200 films and starred in the NBC television series ''Wagon Train'' from 1957 to 1960. Among his best-remembered roles are Bert th ...
as
BMC "Boats" Mulcahey
*
Marshall Thompson as
Ensign
Ensign most often refers to:
* Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality
* Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank
Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to:
Places
* Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada
* Ensign, Ka ...
"Snake" Gardner
*
Paul Langton
Paul Langton (April 17, 1913 – April 15, 1980) was an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Leslie Harrington on the television series ''Peyton Place (TV series), Peyton Place''.
Early years
When Langton was 12 years old he mov ...
as Ensign "Andy" Andrews
*
Leon Ames
Leon Ames (born Harry Leon Wycoff;U.S. Federal Census for 1910 for Fowler, Center Township, Benton County, State of Indiana, access via Ancestry.com January 20, 1902 – October 12, 1993) was an American film and television actor. He is best rem ...
as
Major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
James Morton
*
Arthur Walsh as
Seaman
Seaman may refer to:
* Sailor, a member of a marine watercraft's crew
* Seaman (rank), a military rank in some navies
* Seaman (name) (including a list of people with the name)
* ''Seaman'' (video game), a 1999 simulation video game for the Seg ...
Jones
*
Donald Curtis as Lieutenant (J.G.) "Shorty" Long/Radio Announcer
*
Cameron Mitchell as Ensign George Cross
*
Jeff York as Ensign Tony Aiken
*
Murray Alper as
TM1c "Slug" Mahan
*
Harry Tenbrook
Harry Tenbrook (born Henry Olaf Hansen, 9 October 1887 – 4 September 1960) was a Norwegian-American film actor.
Biography
Henry Olaf Hansen was born in Christiania (now Oslo), Norway. His family migrated to the United States in 1892. ...
as SC2c "Squarehead" Larsen
*
Jack Pennick as "Doc"
* Alex Havier as ST3c "Benny" Lecoco
*
Charles Trowbridge
Charles Silas Richard Trowbridge (January 10, 1882 – October 30, 1967) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 230 films from 1915 to 1958 principally playing patrician authority figures.
Biography
Trowbridge was born in Verac ...
as
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral.
Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
Blackwell
*
Robert Barrat
Robert Harriot Barrat (July 10, 1891 – January 7, 1970) was an American stage, motion picture, and television character actor.
Early years
Barratt was born on July 10, 1891 in New York City, and educated in the public schools there. He left ...
as General
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...
*
Bruce Kellogg as Elder Tompkins
MoMM2c
* Tim Murdock as Ensign Brant
*
Louis Jean Heydt as "Ohio"
*
Russell Simpson as "Dad" Knowland
*
Vernon Steele as Army Doctor
Production
Following the acquisition of the film rights to White's ''They Were Expendable,'' MGM asked Ford to direct a film based on the book; Ford repeatedly refused due to his conflicting service in the Navy Field Photographic Unit. While he was serving in the photographic unit, Ford met Lieutenant
John D. Bulkeley during the preparation of the
Normandy Invasion
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 ( D-Day) with the ...
, and later signed Bulkeley's D-Day executive officer Robert Montgomery.
According to
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...
host
Ben Mankiewicz, Ford, a notoriously tough taskmaster who had received a commission as a commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve in his late 40s during WWII, was especially hard on Wayne, who had a 3-A — family deferment — draft rating. During production, Ford fell from scaffolding and broke his leg. He turned to Montgomery, who had actually commanded a PT boat, to temporarily take over for him as director. Montgomery did so well that within a few years, he made the transition from actor to directing films.
The film, which received extensive support from the
Navy Department, was shot in
Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne () is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, located between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and sout ...
, Florida
and the
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral island, coral cay archipelago off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami a ...
. This region of sandy islands and palm trees around 25° North latitude sufficiently approximated the Philippines between roughly 10 and 15° North, where the film's action took place in the Southwest Pacific of the
Pacific theatre of World War II
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...
of World War II. Two actual U.S. Navy 80-foot
Elco PT boats (hull numbers PT-139 and 141), and four 78-foot
Higgins PT boats, (hull numbers PT-98, 100, 101, 102), were used throughout filming, given hull numbers in use in late 1941 and early 1942 for the film. Additional U.S. aircraft from nearby
naval air station
A Naval Air Station (NAS) is a military air base, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of a navy (Naval aviation). These bases are typically populated by squadron ...
s in
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
,
Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it ...
, and
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it con ...
were temporarily re-marked and used to simulate Japanese aircraft in the film.
Ford's onscreen directing credit reads, "Directed by John Ford, Captain U.S.N.R."; Frank Wead's onscreen credit reads: "Screenplay by Frank Wead Comdr. U.S.N., Ret."; Montgomery's onscreen credit reads: "Robert Montgomery Comdr. U.S.N.R."
Depiction of PT boats' effectiveness
The movie likely exaggerated the actual effectiveness of the PT boats in the war, and in at least one instance loosely referenced Commander Bulkeley's own exaggerated statements. Lt. Brickley, the character most closely based on the real Commander John Bulkeley, declares at one point in the movie that PT boats had "sunk two converted cruisers, an auxiliary aircraft carrier, a 10,000-ton tanker, a large freighter, a flock of barges, and numerous sons of Nippon!" This statement is very similar to a claim made by the real Commander Bulkeley himself during the war that "Our little half squadron sank one Jap cruiser, one plane tender, and one loaded transport, badly damaged another cruiser, set a tanker on fire, and shot down four planes". According to William Doyle, the author of ''
PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival, and the Destiny of John F. Kennedy'', "after the war, when Japanese naval loss records were examined by U. S. Naval Intelligence experts, it was learned that these claims were inaccurate and exaggerated". Contemporary historians of President John F. Kennedy, William Doyle, and Fredrik Logevall noted that some of the primary problems of the PT boats were the accuracy and relatively slow speed of their Mark 8 torpedoes. Added to the problem of inaccuracy at reaching target, as many as 50% failed to explode on contact with enemy ships due to faulty calibration by the Navy in the early years of the war.
Reception
In ''
The Nation'' in 1946, critic
James Agee
James Rufus Agee ( ; November 27, 1909 – May 16, 1955) was an American novelist, journalist, poet, screenwriter and film critic. In the 1940s, writing for ''Time'', he was one of the most influential film critics in the United States. His autob ...
wrote, "... the picture is showing nothing much newer, with no particular depth of feeling, much less idea; but, again, the whole thing is so beautifully directed and photographed, in such an abundance of vigorous open air and good raw sunlight, that I thoroughly enjoyed and admired it... Another man who evidently learned a tremendous amount through the war is Robert Montgomery, whose sober, light, sure performance is, so far as I can remember, the one perfection to turn up in movies during the year."
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, '' Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'', published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film criti ...
gave it four of four stars: "One of the finest (and most underrated) of all WW2 films... "
The movie was popular, earning $3,109,000 domestically and $1,238,000 foreign, but because of its high cost, recorded a loss of $101,000.
Awards and honors
Douglas Shearer was nominated for the
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People and fictional and mythical characters
* Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar
* Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
for
Best Sound Recording, while
A. Arnold Gillespie,
Donald Jahraus,
R. A. MacDonald, and
Michael Steinore were nominated for
Best Effects.
It was also named in the "10 Best Films of 1945" list by ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''.
In his ''Movie and Video Guide'', film critic and historian
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, '' Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'', published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film criti ...
awarded ''They Were Expendable'' a four-star rating, describing it as a "moving, exquisitely detailed production" that is "one of the finest (and most underrated) of all WW2 films."
See also
*
Battle of Corregidor
The Battle of Corregidor (; ), fought on 5–6 May 1942, was the culmination of the Empire of Japan, Japanese Philippines campaign (1941–1942), campaign for the conquest of the Commonwealth of the Philippines during World War II.
The Bat ...
*
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was the Death march, forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of around 72,000 to 78,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp ...
– the fate of many captured by the Japanese on Bataan
*
Patrol torpedo boat PT-109
*
Philippines campaign (1944–1945) Philippines campaign may refer to various military campaigns that have been fought in the Philippine Islands, including:
Spanish colonial period (1565–1898)
*Numerous revolts against Spain during the Spanish colonial period; see Philippine revo ...
*
Japanese invasion of Lingayen Gulf
The Japanese invasion of Lingayen Gulf (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Paglusob ng mga Hapones sa Golfo ng Lingayen'', Pangasinan language, Pangasinese: ''Inlusob na Hapon ed Gulpo na Lingayen'', Ilocano language, Ilocano: ''Panagraut dagiti H ...
, Background
Notes
References
Further reading
* Blank, Joan Gill. ''Key Biscayne''. Sarasota, FL: Pineapple Press, 1996. .
External links
At Close Quarters – PT Boats in the United States Navy by Captain Robert J. Bulkley, Jr., USNR (Retired)*
*
*
*
{{John Ford, state=collapsed
1945 films
1945 war films
American black-and-white films
American war films
1940s English-language films
Films scored by Herbert Stothart
Films directed by John Ford
Films set in the Philippines
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
Pacific War films
Films about the United States Navy in World War II
World War II films based on actual events
World War II films made in wartime
Films set in 1941
English-language war films