They Were Expendable (1945)

My good friend Glenn Good told me that this movie was based on the life of his old skipper in the US Navy, Admiral John Bulkeley, who won the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Phillipines.  So I found it on TCM and watched it this past Friday night.

An early "based on true events" story, Robert Montgomery is "Brick" and John Wayne is Rusty, two lieutentants in charge of a Torpedo boat squadron in the Phillipines in World War II.  Things are not going  well, and the general theme of the movie is one of Retreat, with an underlying Live to Fight Another Day theme.

So while there is heroism and brief successes, the arching story is how the sailors are dealing with orders they don't understand and a general sense of loss.  Deep thought for the time.

Directed by John Ford, one of his early collaborations with John Wayne, who would both go to great movie heights.  Also starring Donna Reed.

* * * * * 

When I woke up this Saturday, I got the news that Glenn had died at age 87.  Divine timing that I saw the movie on that same day.