PT 109 (1963)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Leslie H. Martinson

Writers:

Richard L. Breen (writer)
Robert J. Donovan (book)
(more)

Release Date:

19 June 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | War

Tagline:

"The Story you wouldn't believe happened...but it did!"

Plot:

Dramatization of President John F. Kennedy's war time experiences during which he captained a PT boat...

Plot Keywords:

P.t. Boat | John F Kennedy | Patrol Boat | 1940s | Military

Cast

Cliff Robertson	...	Lt. John F. Kennedy
Ty Hardin	...	Ens. Leonard J. Thom
James Gregory	...	Cmdr. C.R. Ritchie
Robert Culp	...	Ens. George 'Barney' Ross
Grant Williams	...	Lt., Alvin Cluster
Lew Gallo	...	Yeoman Rogers
Errol John	...	Benjamin Kevu
Michael Pate	...	Lt. Reginald Evans
Robert Blake	...	Charles 'Bucky' Harris
William Douglas	...	Gerald Zinser
Biff Elliot	...	Edgar E. Mauer
Norman Fell	...	Edmund Drewitch
Sam Gilman	...	Raymond Starkey
Clyde Howdy	...	Leon Drawdy
Buzz Martin	...	Maurice Kowal
James McCallion	...	Pat McMahon
Joseph Gallison	...	Harold Mamey
Sammy Reese	...	Andrew Kirksey
Glenn Sipes	...	William Johnson
John Ward	...	John Maguire
David Whorf	...	Raymond Albert (as David M. Whorf)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roger Davis	...	Radioman (uncredited)
Andrew Duggan	...	Narrator (uncredited)
Jerry Earle Kraft	...	Extra (uncredited)
George Takei	...	Helmsman on Japanese destroyer (uncredited)

Directed by
Leslie H. Martinson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard L. Breen		writer
Robert J. Donovan		book "PT 109: John F. Kennedy in WWII"
Vincent Flaherty		adaptation
Howard Sheehan		adaptation

Produced by
Bryan Foy	....	producer

Original Music by
David Buttolph
Howard Jackson
William Lava

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees

Film Editing by
Folmar Blangsted

Art Direction by
Leo K. Kuter

Set Decoration by
John P. Austin

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor
Jay Sebring	....	hair designer: Cliff Robertson

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Kissell	....	assistant director
Russell Saunders	....	second unit director

Art Department
Thomas Ragland	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Francis E. Stahl	....	sound

Special Effects by
Charles E. Dolan	....	special effects crew

Stunts
Paul Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark H. Davis	....	camera operator: second unit

Music Department
Carl Brandt	....	orchestrator
Gus Levene	....	orchestrator
David Strech	....	orchestrator

Other crew
J.E. Gibson	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1963) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:U | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Little Palm Island, Florida, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Mrs Kennedy's preference was Warren Beatty.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the air raid scene at the start of the film, one of the crewmen manning an anti-aircraft gun is black. Non-white sailors in World War II were assigned almost exclusively to mess duties at sea and menial labor on shore. The services weren't desegregated until after the war.

Quotes:

Ens. Leonard J. Thom: [reporting aboard the PT109] Mr. Kennedy? Ensign Leonard Thom, your exec.
[they exchange salutes]
Lt. John F. Kennedy: Oh, hi. Glad to meet you, Leonard.
[they shake hands]
Lt. John F. Kennedy: Welcome aboard.
Ens. Leonard J. Thom: [looking around the boat] How long did they give you to put it in shape?
Lt. John F. Kennedy: Well, we've used about half the time just talking right here.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Skydivers (#7.9)" (1994)

Based on the true story of JFK and his experiences in the Solomon Islands during WW11.

This movie has always been a great favorite of mine because I always regarded President John F. Kennedy to be one of the most influential politicians of the 20th century who championed the cause of Democracy throughout the world, particularly during the Cold War.

His service as a Naval Lieutenant in the Pacific during WW 11, in charge of a PT boat,(No. 109) which was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer during a night sortie in the Solomon Islands in August 1943 is one of heroic performance in which he paid vigilance to the safety of his disbanded crew, getting them to dry surroundings on a nearby island.

Their future looked bleak after being written off as dead by their own command,

But Australian Coast Watcher Lt. Reginald Evans (played by Michael Pate) and his loyal band of native Solomon Islanders refused to give up hope of their survival and after extensive searching discovered their whereabouts.

Kennedy sent a message to Evans carved on a coconut to confirm his presence and that of his men and they were subsequently rescued.

Kennedy's actions were very gallant on his part indeed, in order to keep his crew intact, and he did it with magnificent conduct in a role played superbly by Cliff Robertson.

Excellent supporting cast with James Gregory as local district Naval Commander Ritchie, and Ty Hardin, Robert Culp and Robert Blake making up as members of the crew.

A great well made movie of a true future leader - no wonder he became a U.S. President.

P.S. When President Kennedy paid a visit to Australia in 1962 he asked to meet once again with Lt. Evans and that was a bond of friendship renewed. I will never forget that terrible day one year later when he was assassinated in Dallas Texas on November 22nd 1963. I was 19 years old at the time.