# They Were Expendable (1945)

> John Ford’s sober Pacific War drama follows a pioneering PT boat squadron fighting with courage against an overwhelming Japanese advance.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/11325

## Facts

- Runtime: 135 min
- Genres: Drama, War
- Director: John Ford
- Cast: Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed, Jack Holt, Ward Bond, Marshall Thompson, Paul Langton, Leon Ames
- TMDB rating: 6.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038160/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Mood: sober, stoic, elegiac, classic cinema night, military history viewing

## Synopsis

A gripping portrayal of courage and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds during World War II.

## Movies like They Were Expendable

- [Rio Grande (1950)](https://ember.film/movie/6580)
- [Mister Roberts (1955)](https://ember.film/movie/23740)
- [Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)](https://ember.film/movie/11336)
- [The High and the Mighty (1954)](https://ember.film/movie/10680)
- [Fort Apache (1948)](https://ember.film/movie/23344)
- [She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)](https://ember.film/movie/8136)
- [Sands of Iwo Jima (1950)](https://ember.film/movie/11292)
- [The Horse Soldiers (1959)](https://ember.film/movie/10631)
- [In Harm's Way (1965)](https://ember.film/movie/23798)
- [Operation Pacific (1951)](https://ember.film/movie/25908)

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