They Were Expendable (1945)
"A Tribute to Those Who Did So Much... With So Little!"
ThumbScore
👍 79%audience score Estimated from TMDB user ratings and critic scores, calibrated to Google's former audience score. Google stopped publishing it in 2026.
Critics Score
🎬 89%
(RT: 92%, MC: 86) RT = Rotten Tomatoes (critic reviews). MC = Metacritic (weighted critic average). Critics Score is the average of both.
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Cast
Robert Montgomery as Lt. John Brickley
Jack Holt as General Martin
Marshall Thompson as Ens. 'Snake' Gardner
Paul Langton as Ens. 'Andy' Andrews
Leon Ames as Major James Morton
Is They Were Expendable good?
Most people think so. 79% audience score, estimated from 140 TMDB ratings. Critics agree, scoring it 89%.
Overview
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. Wikipedia ↗
