They Were Expendable
“A Tribute to Those Who Did So Much... With So Little!”
Synopsis
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.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2020-04-03
Top Cast
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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'
Jeff York
Ens. Tony Aiken
Murray Alper
'Slug' Mahan T.M. 1c
Harry Tenbrook
'Squarehead' Larsen SC 2c
Jack Pennick
'Doc'
Alex Havier
'Benny' Lecoco ST 3c
Charles Trowbridge
Admiral Blackwell
Release History & Theatrical Window
Washington, D.C.
Festival / Special Debut
December 20, 1945
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John Ford
- Screenplay & Story
- Frank Wead, Christina Stead
- Original Score
- Herbert Stothart
- Original Title
- They Were Expendable
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 15m
- Production Studios
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John Ford
Frank Wead, Christina Stead, William L. White
Herbert Stothart
Joseph H. August
Douglass Biggs , Frank E. Hull
John Ford
Department Leadership Roster
John Ford
Director
Frank Wead
Screenplay
John Ford
Producer
Douglass Biggs
Editor
Frank E. Hull
Editor
Joseph H. August
Director of Photography
Herbert Stothart
Original Music Composer
Yvonne Wood
Costume Design
Christina Stead
Screenplay
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for They Were Expendable.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring They Were Expendable.
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:33:14 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About They Were Expendable
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is They Were Expendable about?
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.
Who directed They Were Expendable?
They Were Expendable was directed by John Ford.
Who stars in They Were Expendable?
The principal cast of They Were Expendable includes Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed, Jack Holt, Ward Bond.
When was They Were Expendable released and how long is it?
They Were Expendable was released in 1945 with a total runtime of 2h 15m.
Who composed the musical score for They Were Expendable?
The original motion picture soundtrack for They Were Expendable was composed by Herbert Stothart.
Is They Were Expendable based on a book or true story?
They Were Expendable is adapted from the following source material: Book: "William L. White".
What is the age rating and content advisory for They Were Expendable?
They Were Expendable holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).