Review of They Were Expendable (1945) by Jim M — 09 Sep 2009

The Philippines, 1941: Lt Rusty Ryan and John Brickley command a squadron of PT Boats believed by Command to be good for little more then messenger duty...until the Japanese strike Pearl Harbor and invade the Philippines. As the Americans mount a desperate (but doomed) defense Brickley and Ryan prove the PT Boats worth, hammering the Imperial Navy, slowing the invasion, but as casualties mount it becomes obvious that the Philipinnes are lost, forcing some tough choices. Who gets evacuated to Australia and who is expendable?

Decient John Wayne war movie about a seldom filmed part of WWII, the ill fated Defense of the Philippines after Pearl Harbor and the tough choices made and holding senior rank didn't mean you wheren't expendable next and military outsiders suddenly found there theories tested and proved making them invaluable regardless of rank. Drags at parts and time hasn't been kind but worth a look if your interested in WWII. Since Hollywood seems determined to remake every movie ever why not give this a go big shots? Trivia Robert Montgomery (Brickley) was an actual PT Boat Capt. during the Second World War.