The Gallant Hours (1960)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Robert Montgomery

Writers:

Frank D. Gilroy (writer)
Beirne Lay Jr. (writer)

Release Date:

13 June 1960 (Sweden)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | War

Plot:

A semi-documentary dramatization of five weeks in the life of Vice Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey...

Plot Keywords:

Navy | Naval Battle

Cast

James Cagney	...	Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.
Dennis Weaver	...	Lt. Commander Andy Lowe
Ward Costello	...	Captain Harry Black
Vaughn Taylor	...	Commander Mike Pulaski
Richard Jaeckel	...	Lieutenant Commander Roy Webb
Les Tremayne	...	Captain Frank Enright
Walter Sande	...	Captain Horace Keys
Karl Swenson	...	Captain Bill Bailey
Leon Lontoc	...	Manuel
Robert Burton	...	Major General Roy Geiger
Carleton Young	...	Colonel Evans Carlson
Raymond Bailey	...	Majpr General Archie Vandergrift
Harry Landers	...	Captain Joseph Foss
Richard Carlyle	...	Father
James Yagi	...	Rear Admiral Jiro Kobe

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

San Diego, California, USA

Company:

Cagney-Montgomery Production

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Near the end of the film the Battle of Cape Esperance is taking place. At the same time as the ambush of Japanese Admiral Yamamoto. In fact, the battle took place on the night of October 11-12, 1942. The death of Yamamoto was April 18, 1943, six months later.

Quotes:

Fleet Admiral William F. 'Bull' Halsey Jr.: Half a carrier is better than none.

Soundtrack:

The Gallant Hours Theme

Respectful look at Admiral Halsey in documentary style technique...

The decision not to show any battle scenes is what prevents THE GALLANT HOURS from really coming to life as a war drama. All of the scenes showing the men in command who have to make the big decisions are extremely well done, but when the film is over there's a feeling that something was lacking. At least at some point in the story, some footage of men during battle would have made the Halsey story more gripping.

It's presented almost like a history lesson. The factual account of events following the Japanese successful attack on Pearl Harbor and leading up to events at Guadalcanal, borders on being dry but is saved by the crisp performances of the male cast and especially JAMES CAGNEY as Admiral "Bull" Halsey. Cagney puts aside all his famed mannerisms and plays the role with feeling and intensity, getting across the notion that being a commander during wartime is an extremely harrowing experience when so many lives are at stake.

The cast is mostly unfamiliar to me, with RICHARD JAECKEL and DENNIS WEAVER being the sole exceptions. Jaeckel is highly effective in a brief role as a man who is losing his fighting spirit until he gets a pep talk from Halsey and Weaver is pleasantly cast as Halsey's pilot and aide.

A thinking man's war film, it's a bit overlong at one hour and 55 minutes and without any actual battle footage. It's directed in competent style by Robert Montgomery but the Roger Wagner chorale music is a bit overdone in an attempt to heighten the drama.