$13.46  Operation Pacific - DVD |
$11.99  In Harm's Way - DVD |
$15.98  Back to Bataan - DVD |
$15.98  Flying Leathernecks - DVD |
$13.48  The Fighting Seabees - DVD |
 [Larger view] | They Were Expendable
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 A tribute to the PT boats of WW2 | |
| John Ford's 1945 "They Were Expendable" is a somber account of the genesis of the PT boat as an effective tool in naval warfare. The movie, based on a true story, follows the exploits of a PT boat squadron based in the Philippines in the early stages of the Pacific campaign. The Japanese are gradually pushing the Allied forces out of this large island chain.
Robert Montgomery and John Wayne respectively play lieutenants Brickley and Ryan, two dedicated PT boat commanders. Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor they are endeavoring to prove the worthiness of these boats as fighting machines. The admirality and naval brass prefer the more heavily armed destroyers and battleships in this kind of conflict. At the onset of war, Montgomery, Wayne and their squadron of boats prove their mettle in many confrontations against the advancing foe. Ford does a realistic job of authenticating his movie through the eyes of co-star, the alluring Donna Reed. In her prequel to her Oscar winning role in the wartime epic "From Her to Eternity", she plays an Iowa born Navy nurse, Lt. Davyss. She helps Wayne rehabilitate from an injury suffered in battle and they become romantically involved. Through her we see both the fear and hope felt by the men and women that served as the Japanese conquered more and more territory. The movie chronicles the retreat from the Philippines by General Mac Arthur followed by his mantra "we shall return". Ford, a former navy man ably aided by Montgomery uncharacteristically heralded in his flick a military defeat, which validated it more so than if it had been a typical propagandized piece. Strong acting performances were turned in by Montgomery, Wayne and Reed. The pugnacious character actor Ward Bond was excellent, as usual, as chief boatswain "Boats" Mulcahey | |
| Home is the sailor, home from the sea | |
| John Ford's THEY WERE EXPENDABLE tells the story of the fledgling PT (patrol torpedo) boat branch of the US Navy and its valiant, and futile, defense of Manila immediately following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Few directors possess the passionate affection Ford has for his subjects. Ford idolizes and idealizes his soldiers and sailors. As a consequence, his movies usually aren't very plot driven. Rather, they are tone poems, love letters to the warriors he so deeply admires. Not that TWE doesn't hit a major note or two - the PT boat role as a fighting arm is established, battles are fought and boats are sunk. Yet Ford never seems all that interested in serving plot points. He wants to paint Heroes. In any other director this romantic treatment would seem trite and contrived, but Ford practically built the cliché, so I suppose if anyone has the right to use it, it's Ford. Ford's heroes die talking. Rare is the mortally wound Ford warrior who is not borne from the noisy cauldron of battle to a quiet corner and allowed a passing speech. I don't mean to mock this, but I've never experienced the well of grief such scenes are meant to evoke. It happens a brief time or two in TWE, but the moments are over quickly enough. If Ford's choice and treatment of material is romantic and sentimental, it's fortunate that his actors usually aren't. Robert Montgomery and John Wayne star and both give restrained performances as PT boat commanders. Ford surrounds them with his usual cast of highly competent character actors - Ward Bond, Jack Holt, et al - and seamlessly integrates shots of real combat in battle scenes. There's a scene where two PT boats attack a Japanese cruiser that is one of the best action sequences I've ever seen. THEY WERE EXPENDABLE is a great war movie. | |
 ANCHORS AWEIGH! | |
| This movie is great for military, especially navy, great for the true veteran war movie types; however, I don't come from a military family. It seemed to me to be a lot of hop in your PT boat and go, over and over again, with a lot of smoke, fire, and the real fireworks. The movie lacks subplots, just a lot of anchors aweigh. I watched this after Preminger's In Harm's Way which kept my interest the whole time unlike this one. However, from other reviews, the depiction of battles, etc. is much like the real thing, understandable if you realize that most of the cast and production crew were all WWII veterans. And I think the important point was to commemorate what our soldiers had just completed in the Pacific, since the movie was made in 1945. John Wayne holds the record for being the leading actor in 142 films; no wonder they call him the "Duke". |
