They Were Expendable (1945)
2h 15m | PG-13
After a demonstration of new PT boats, navy brass are still unconvinced of their viability in combat, leaving Lt. "Rusty" Ryan frustrated. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, however, Ryan and his buddy Lt. Brickley are told they can finally take their squadron into battle. The PT boats quickly prove their worth, successfully shooting down Japanese planes, relaying messages between islands, and picking off a multitude of enemy ships.
Director: John Ford
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre: Drama, War
Video: 720p
Cast
Robert Montgomery
as Lt. John Brickley
John Wayne
as Lt. (J.G.) 'Rusty' Ryan
Donna Reed
as Lt. Sandy Davyss
Jack Holt
as General Martin
Ward Bond
as "Boats" Mulcahey, Chief Boatswain's Mate
Marshall Thompson
as Ens. 'Snake' Gardner
Reviews
"Brick" (Robert Montgomery) is an US Navy lieutenant desperate to prove that his motorised torpedo boats can do more for the war effort than deliver the mail. Luckily, he's got "Rusty" (John Wayne) as his number two and plenty of opportunity to test their theories against the advancing Japanese as with things looking terrible for the Americans in Manila, they have their work cut out for them. Even though things are relentless and perilous, "Rusty" still finds time for a little romance with nurse "Sandy" (Donna Reed) and we've also got Ward Bond and a lively few scenes from "Dad" (Russell Simpson) to help keep the adventure focused. The film was co-written by "Spig" Wead - a man whom Wayne played in another John Ford feature "The Wings of Eagles" (1957) - so the narrative has a degree of authenticity as their forces are forced to retreat towards Australia. There are also some decent visual effects with plenty of action, (not so) near misses as Ford allows his three stars to tell this story in a far less jingoistic fashion than some of the more propagandist efforts made to bolster public support during WWII. Wayne turns on the charm here - with Reed and with the audience, and this works well.