---
title: 'They Were Expendable (1945)'
type: 'film'
director: 'Robert Montgomery'
released: '1945-01-01'
runtime_minutes: 135
genres:
  - 'Drama'
  - 'War'
  - 'Action'
countries:
  - 'United States'
canonical: 'https://cinepixo.com/movies/they-were-expendable-1945'
review_count: 0
imdb: 'https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038160/'
publisher: 'CinePixo'
---

# They Were Expendable (1945)

1945 · 135 min · Drama, War, Action · United States


## Synopsis

They Were Expendable is a 1945 American war film directed by John Ford, starring Robert Montgomery and John Wayne, and featuring Donna Reed. The film is based on the 1942 novel of the same name by William Lindsay White, relating the story of the exploits of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three, a United States PT boat unit defending the Philippines against Japanese invasion during the Battle of the Philippines (1941–42) in World War II.

## Credits

- **Director:** [Robert Montgomery](https://cinepixo.com/people/robert-montgomery), [John Ford](https://cinepixo.com/people/john-ford)
- **Producer:** [John Ford](https://cinepixo.com/people/john-ford)
- **Screenplay:** [Norman Corwin](https://cinepixo.com/people/norman-corwin), [Frank Wead](https://cinepixo.com/people/frank-wead)
- **Original Music Composer:** [Herbert Stothart](https://cinepixo.com/people/herbert-stothart)
- **Director of Photography:** [Joseph H. August](https://cinepixo.com/people/joseph-h-august)

## Cast

- [Ward Bond](https://cinepixo.com/people/ward-bond)
- [Robert Montgomery](https://cinepixo.com/people/robert-montgomery)
- [Jack Mower](https://cinepixo.com/people/jack-mower)
- [Harry Tenbrook](https://cinepixo.com/people/harry-tenbrook)
- [Louis Jean Heydt](https://cinepixo.com/people/louis-jean-heydt)
- [Jack Pennick](https://cinepixo.com/people/jack-pennick)
- [John Wayne](https://cinepixo.com/people/john-wayne)
- [Kermit Maynard](https://cinepixo.com/people/kermit-maynard)
- [Marshall Thompson](https://cinepixo.com/people/marshall-thompson)
- [William B. Davidson](https://cinepixo.com/people/william-b-davidson)
- [Wallace Ford](https://cinepixo.com/people/wallace-ford)
- [Donald Curtis](https://cinepixo.com/people/donald-curtis)
- [Steve Barclay](https://cinepixo.com/people/steve-barclay)
- [Leon Ames](https://cinepixo.com/people/leon-ames)
- [Cameron Mitchell](https://cinepixo.com/people/cameron-mitchell)

## Criticism on CinePixo

No reviews published yet.

Source: https://cinepixo.com/movies/they-were-expendable-1945
Film facts: Wikidata (Q1548954); synopsis from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Reviews, themes and notes are the work of this site's members.