They Were Expendable

They Were Expendable (1945)

A Tribute to Those Who Did So Much... With So Little!

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.

Date of release
1945-12-07
TMDB
6.5 / 10 (140)
Runtime
2h 15m
Genres
Drama, War
Director
John Ford

Casting

  • Robert Montgomery — Lt. John Brickley
  • John Wayne — Lt. (J.G.) 'Rusty' Ryan
  • Donna Reed — Lt. Sandy Davyss
  • Jack Holt — General Martin
  • Ward Bond — "Boats" Mulcahey, Chief Boatswain's Mate
  • Marshall Thompson — Ens. 'Snake' Gardner
  • Paul Langton — Ens. 'Andy' Andrews
  • Leon Ames — Major James Morton
  • Arthur Walsh — Seaman Jones
  • Donald Curtis — Lt. (J.G.) 'Shorty' Long
  • Cameron Mitchell — Ens. George Cross
  • Louis Jean Heydt — 'Ohio'

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