They Were Expendable

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They Were Expendable

1945,

2h 15m,

War

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91%

11 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

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.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Jun 11, 2023

... [John] Ford’s reminder to the American public that victory in the Pacific was reached at a tremendous cost in human life. It remains one of the most powerful war dramas ever made.

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Jack Moffitt

Esquire Magazine

Mar 10, 2020

The human element triumphs in almost every foot of They Were Expendable.

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Nathanael Hood

The Retro Set

Dec 28, 2018

9/10

They Were Expendable was the first time [Ford] would loose the weight of his experiences on a general audience.

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Sep 18, 2008

The real star of the film is the gorgeous, luminous, mostly outdoor black-and-white cinematography.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Jan 8, 2007

B+

The most unfortunate thing about John Ford's excellent, elegiac war film, with a strong turn from John Wayne, was its release date, December 1945, since the war was over.

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Finn G

Sep 16, 2018

Good. Should have been a little shorter

Anakin S

Dec 6, 2017

A great movie that really captures the mood of the war - the boredom, the fear, the excitement, the loneliness, the camaraderie.

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Hermione P

Aug 7, 2017

War seen from the perspective of PT boat fleet. I suppose this is what it was really alike. You meet people, you make friends with them and then your fleet is moved and you loose all contact with them and wonder what became of them. People die around you, and it all just seems quite useless and unimportant and you'd really like to be part of something important. But in the end you are just a small piece in a big picture and nobody really cares what happens to you or your fleet personally because you are only number in the list of people killed in battle. Doesn't make a very good movie as such, but definitely makes a point what war is really about compared to all those heroic action movies.

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Luke S

Mar 16, 2017

A straightforward war-time movie about Motor Torpedo Boats based in the Phillipines at the start of WW2 is given the John Ford treatment and becomes something more. The film is patriotic to be sure but the characters are not cliched and there is a real attempt for authenticity. There are some great visual touches as well. Robert Montgomery and John Wayne are both solid in the main roles and Donna Reed is effective as a dedicated nurse. Well worth a look.

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Han G

Jan 6, 2015

Too long and slow....

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John Ford

Director

Robert Montgomery

Director

Robert Montgomery

Lt. John Brickley

John Wayne

Lt. (j.g.) "Rusty" Ryan

Donna Reed

2nd Lt. Sandy Davys

Jack Holt

Gen. Martin

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Synopsis

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, Robert Montgomery
Producer: John Ford
Screenwriter: William L. White, Frank Wead
Distributor: MGM Home Entertainment
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre: War
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 20, 1945, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2009
Runtime: 2h 15m
Sound Mix: Mono

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