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They Were Expendable

They Were Expendable

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They Were Expendable

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

1945

2h 15m

6.5(138 votes)

Drama

War

Overview

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.

Links & Resources

Social & External

Production Companies

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

The people behind it

Cast & crew

10 featured cast members

Starring

Robert Montgomery

Robert Montgomery

Lt. John Brickley

John Wayne

John Wayne

Lt. (J.G.) 'Rusty' Ryan

Donna Reed

Donna Reed

Lt. Sandy Davyss

Jack Holt

Jack Holt

General Martin

Ward Bond

Ward Bond

"Boats" Mulcahey, Chief Boatswain's Mate

Marshall Thompson

Marshall Thompson

Ens. 'Snake' Gardner

Paul Langton

Paul Langton

Ens. 'Andy' Andrews

Leon Ames

Leon Ames

Major James Morton

Arthur Walsh

Arthur Walsh

Seaman Jones

Donald Curtis

Donald Curtis

Lt. (J.G.) 'Shorty' Long

Creative team

Directed by: John Ford
Written by: Frank Wead
Christina Stead
Produced by: John Ford

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