MOVIE · 1945
They Were Expendable
DramaWar135 min
When the attack on Pearl Harbor pushes the Pacific war into crisis, a pair of PT-boat officers finally get the chance to prove their small, fast craft in combat during the defense of the Philippines. Robert Montgomery is squadron commander John Brickley, working alongside John Wayne’s frustrated Lt. Rusty Ryan as their crews relay messages between islands, take on Japanese ships, and keep operating with limited support. Directed by John Ford, the film follows a part of World War II often left to the margins, staying close to naval routine, improvised missions, and the strain on men asked to keep fighting as conditions worsen.
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