| They Were Expendable | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release insert poster | |
| Directed by | John Ford |
| Screenplay by | Frank Wead Jan Lustig (uncredited) |
| Based on | They Were Expendable 1942 book by William Lindsay White |
| Produced by | John Ford |
| Starring | Robert Montgomery John Wayne Donna Reed Jack Holt Ward Bond |
| Cinematography | Joseph H. August |
| Edited by | Douglass Biggs Frank E. Hull |
| Music by | Herbert Stothart |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Loew's Inc. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 135 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2,933,000[2][3] |
| Box office | $4,347,000 (worldwide rentals)[2][3] |
They Were Expendable is a 1945 American war film directed by John Ford, starring Robert Montgomery and John Wayne, 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 unit defending the Philippines against Japanese invasion during the Battle of the Philippines (1941–42) in World War II.
While a work of fiction, the book was based on actual events and people.[1] The characters John Brickley (Montgomery) and Rusty Ryan (Wayne) are fictionalizations of PT-Boat Squadron Three Commander John D. Bulkeley, a Medal of Honor recipient, and his executive officer Robert Kelly, respectively.[4] Both the film and the book, which was a best-seller and excerpted in Reader's Digest and Life,[5] depict certain combat-related events that were believed to have occurred during the war, alongside those which did not;[a] nonetheless, the film is noted for its relatively accurate and detailed depiction of naval combat for the era in which it was made.
- ^ a b They Were Expendable at the TCM Movie Database
- ^ a b Glancy, H. Mark (1992). "MGM film grosses, 1924-1948: The Eddie Mannix Ledger". Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. 12 (2): 127–144. doi:10.1080/01439689200260081.
- ^ a b Glancy, H. Mark (1992). "Appendix". Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. 12 (S2): 1–20. doi:10.1080/01439689208604539.
- ^ "Empire Magazine".
- ^ White, W. L. (October 26, 1942). "They Were Expendable". Life. p. 114. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
- ^ [1] "The Truth About JFK ad his PT Boat's Collision With a Japanese Destroyer in WWII", Historynet.com: "Bulkeley was a freshly minted national hero [...] earning a Medal of Honor and fame in the book They Were Expendable. Bulkeley claimed his PTs had sunk a Japanese cruiser, a troopship, and a plane tender in the struggle for the Philippines, none of which was true. He was now touring the country promoting war bonds and touting the PT fleet as the Allies’ key to victory in the Pacific."
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