PT 109 (film)
PT 109 | |
---|---|
Directed by | Leslie H. Martinson Lewis Milestone |
Written by | Screenplay: Richard L. Breen Adaptation: Vincent X. Flaherty Howard Sheehan |
Based on | John F. Kennedy in World War II by Robert J. Donovan |
Produced by | Bryan Foy |
Starring | Cliff Robertson |
Narrated by | Andrew Duggan (uncredited) |
Cinematography | Robert Surtees |
Edited by | Folmar Blangsted |
Music by | David Buttolph William Lava |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 140 minutes |
Language | English |
Budget | $4 million[1] |
Box office | est. $3.5 million (US/Canada rentals)[2] |
PT 109 is a 1963 American Technicolor Panavision biographical war film depicting the actions of John F. Kennedy as an officer of the United States Navy in command of Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 in the Pacific theater of World War II. The film was adapted by Vincent Flaherty and Howard Sheehan from the book PT 109: John F. Kennedy in World War II by Robert J. Donovan, and the screenplay was written by Richard L. Breen. Cliff Robertson stars as Kennedy, and the film features performances by Ty Hardin, James Gregory, Robert Culp and Grant Williams.
PT 109 was the first commercial theatrical film about a sitting U.S. president released while he was still in office (although FDR was often depicted in small roles during his administration, most notably in Yankee Doodle Dandy). It was released domestically on June 19, 1963, five months before Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.[1]
Plot
In August 1942 the American forces are fighting the Japanese in the South Pacific during
Once there he lobbies for command and is given the well worn PT 109. Initially, Tulagi's irascible boat maintenance officer Commander C. R. Ritchie is unimpressed with the young, untested Kennedy, but the lieutenant is undaunted. With a hodge-podge crew anchored by Ensign Leonard J. Thom as executive officer and initially skeptical sailors "Bucky" Harris and Edmund Drewitch he gets the 109 seaworthy again.
Without enough fuel for the return trip, the PT 109 is dispatched on an emergency mission to evacuate
The 109 is then relocated to a base on
Towing a badly burned crew member by a life jacket strap clenched in his teeth, Kennedy leads the survivors to Plum Pudding Island. The next day the abandoned wreckage is spotted by a reconnaissance plane, and the 109's crew is presumed lost with all hands. After dark, Kennedy swims out into the channel with a signal lantern, staying out all night in the hope of flagging down a passing U.S. vessel. The next night, he sends out a friend who tagged along on the mission, Ensign George Ross.
After several fruitless days morale drops and Kennedy is forced to quell an uprising determined to surrender. Hoping for better prospects of food and water on a nearby island, he leads the crew on another three-mile swim. There two rifle-armed natives show up in a canoe and hold the men at gunpoint, confused as to their identity and affiliation. As the pair do not understand English but appear receptive, Kennedy carves a message on a coconut requesting rescue and gives it to them. They take it to Australian coastwatcher Lieutenant Reginald Evans. Evans notifies the U.S. Navy, and the men are rescued by PT boat without any further loss of life.
As a result of their ordeal Kennedy and his men are eligible for leave back in the U.S., but he and several loyal crewmembers elect to stay and continue the fight on a new combat-weathered boat.
Cast
- Cliff Robertson as Lieutenant (j.g.) John F. Kennedy, skipper of PT Boat 109.
- James Gregory as Commander C. R. Ritchie, base boat maintenance officer of Tulagi Naval Base.
- Ty Hardin as Ensign Leonard J. Thom, XO of PT Boat 109.
- Robert Culp as Ensign George "Barney" Ross
- Grant Williams as Lieutenant Alvin Cluster, Commander MTB Squadron 2.
- Michael Pate as Lieutenant Reginald Evans, RANVR.
- Lew Gallo as Yeoman Rogers
- John Ward as John Maguire, Radioman 2nd class.
- Biff Elliot as Edgar E. Mauer, Seaman 1st class.
- David Whorf as Raymond Albert, Seaman 2nd class.
- Sam Reese as Andrew Kirksey, Torpedoman's Mate 2nd class.
- Robert Blake as Charles "Bucky" Harris, Gunner's Mate 2nd class.
- Buzz Martin as Maurice Kowal, Gunner's Mate 3rd class.
- Norman Fell as Edmund Drewitch. Motor Machinist Mate 2nd class.
- Clyde Howdy as Leon Drawdy, Motor Machinist Mate 2nd class.
- Joseph Gallison as Harold Marney, Motor Machinist Mate 2nd class.
- Errol John as Benjamin Kevu
- Sam Gilmanas Raymond Starkey
- William Douglas as Gerard Zinser
- James McCallion as Pat McMahon
- Glenn Sipes as William Johnson
- Dean Smith as Lieutenant Liebenow
- Andrew Duggan as the narrator (uncredited)
- George Takei as helmsman of the Japanese destroyer (uncredited)
Production
Kennedy's father,
Among other actors considered for the lead were
Though Robertson was stockier and 13 years older than Kennedy had been in the South Pacific, having served in the Merchant Marine as a third mate during World War II, he was chosen because (as Alvin Cluster told him), "The President picked you not only because you were a fine actor but because you're young looking, yet mature enough so that the world won't get the idea the President was being played by a parking lot attendant or something."[7] This was a reference to Edd Byrnes, who played "Kookie" in that role on the then hit television series 77 Sunset Strip.
Kennedy also vetoed
The exteriors were filmed at Little Palm Island (formerly Little Munson Island), now a resort in the
At the time the film was being planned it was found that the few surviving 80-foot
U.S. Navy support included the destroyer USS Saufley, the landing ship USS Duval County and smaller vessels, such as landing craft and motor whaleboats from nearby Naval Station Key West.
After seeing the film, Kennedy called PT 109 a "good product," but worried about the two hour, 20-minute length. "It's just a question of whether there's too much of it."[10]
Accuracy
In the film the PT 109 and all other PT boats are painted in the same standard gray paint scheme used by larger warships of the U.S. Navy. Although many Higgins and Elco PT boats were likely delivered from the manufacturer (to be shipped upon oceangoing navy cargo vessels) with such a paint scheme, historical records indicate that PT 109 and the other boats in its squadron were painted dark green once in the Solmons in order to better blend into jungle backdrops at forward operating bases.[11][12]
The film also depicts PT 109 as reported missing and a search is started. According to
The scene showing the rescue of ambushed Marines actually occurred after the sinking of the PT 109, when Kennedy had been given command of
Reception
PT 109 was released to lukewarm critical response, although Robertson received good reviews.[1] As of September 2020[update], Rotten Tomatoes rates the film at 64% approval.[13] One review comments that "One of the screenplay's pluses ... is its concentration on the minor but still deadly activities that were undertaken by thousands of men during World War II. Not everyone was involved with the major assaults; many spent their time risking their lives in places and situations of which most people are totally unaware, and it's a nice change of pace to see this aspect of the war dramatized."[14]
During its initial run, prior to Kennedy's assassination, a theater marquee in Georgia showing the film declared "See how the Japs almost got Kennedy."[15]
The film earned
Canadian release
In some Canadian cities, such as Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, PT 109 premiered in theaters on November 22, 1963, the day that Kennedy was assassinated.[17]
Home media
The film has occasionally aired on
According to
Comic book adaption
See also
References
- ^ TCM.com
- ^ a b "Top Rental Films of 1963". Variety. 8 January 1964. p. 37.
- ^ Taylor, Michael (March 14, 2004). "Alvin Cluster -- close friend of JFK". SFGate. Hearst Communications, Inc. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Fonda, Peter Don't Tell Dad: A Memoir Hyperion Books (1998)
- Village Voice(August 26, 2003)
- ^ "Career" on the official website of Cliff Robertson
- ^ p. 146 Smyth, J.E. Hollywood and the American Historical Film Palgrave Macmillan, 17 Jan 2012
- ^ Hoberman, J. "The Dream Life: Movies, Media, and the Mythology of the Sixties" on "Coffee, coffee and more coffee" (July 23, 2007)
- ^ [1] 85' Rescue Boats, U.S. Crash Boats.org
- ^ Johnson, Ted (August 16, 2013). "Making of John F. Kennedy Biopic PT 109 Was Hardly Smooth Sailing". Variety. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ISBN 978-1557504968.
- ^ "The PT Boat Forum & Message Board - Early PT Boat Green- (PT-109) Some ideas".
- ^ "PT 109" on Rotten Tomatoes
- Allmovie.com
- ISBN 9780393072129. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ Arneel, Gene (8 January 1964). "Year 'Cleo' Rocked the Barge". Variety. p. 37.
- ^ Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, November 22, 1963, movie theater advertisement, pg. 4, archived at news.google.com; accessed July 5, 2014
- Daily Variety. December 28, 1982. p. 2.
- ^ Amazon.com entry for the film PT-109
- ^ Levine, Katie (November 20, 2013). "Nerdist Podcast: Oliver Stone". Retrieved May 3, 2015.
- ^ "Gold Key: PT 109". Grand Comics Database.
- ^ Gold Key: PT 109 at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
External links
- PT 109 at the American Film Institute Catalog
- PT 109 at IMDb
- PT 109 at the TCM Movie Database
- PT 109 at AllMovie
- movie trailer on Google video