In Harm's Way (1965)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Otto Preminger

Writers:

James Bassett (novel)
Wendell Mayes (writer)

Release Date:

6 April 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

Stripped of everything - they lived and loved and fought as if there were no tomorrow...

Plot:

A naval officer reprimanded after Pearl Harbor is later promoted to rear admiral and gets a second chance to prove himself against the Japanese.

Plot Keywords:

Naval Officer | Pearl Harbor | Admiral | Nurse | Symbolic Castration

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

John Wayne	...	Capt. Rockwell Torrey
Kirk Douglas	...	Commander Paul Eddington Jr.
Patricia Neal	...	Lt. Maggie Haynes
Tom Tryon	...	Mac McConnell
Paula Prentiss	...	Beverly McConnell
Brandon De Wilde	...	Ens. Jeremiah 'Jere' Torrey
Jill Haworth	...	Ens. Annalee Dorne
Dana Andrews	...	Admiral Broderick
Stanley Holloway	...	Clayton Canfil
Burgess Meredith	...	Commander Egan Powell
Franchot Tone	...	Admiral Kimmel
Patrick O'Neal	...	Commander Neal Owynn
Carroll O'Connor	...	Lt. Commander Burke
Slim Pickens	...	C.P.O Culpepper
James Mitchum	...	Ensign Griggs
George Kennedy	...	Colonel Gregory
Bruce Cabot	...	Quartermaster Quoddy
Barbara Bouchet	...	Liz Eddington
Tod Andrews	...	Captain Tuthill
Larry Hagman	...	Lt. J.G. Cline
Stewart Moss	...	Ensign Balch
Richard LePore	...	Lt. J.G. Tom Agar (as Richard Le Pore)
Chet Stratton	...	Ship's doctor
Soo Yong	...	Tearful woman
Dort Clark	...	Boston
Phil Mattingly	...	PT Boat skipper
Henry Fonda	...	Admiral Nimitz
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yankee Chang	...	Mortuary clerk (uncredited)
Christopher George	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Jerry Goldsmith	...	Piano player (uncredited)
Christian Haren	...	(uncredited)
Don McCurry	...	Extra (uncredited)
Hugh O'Brian	...	U.S. Army Air Corps major (Liz Eddington's lover) (uncredited)
Otto Preminger	...	Trailer Host / Narrator (uncredited)

Directed by
Otto Preminger

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
James Bassett		novel "Harm's Way"
Wendell Mayes		writer

Produced by
Otto Preminger	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Loyal Griggs

Film Editing by
Hugh S. Fowler
George Tomasini

Casting by
Bill Barnes

Production Design by
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Morris Hoffman

Makeup Department
Del Armstrong	....	makeup artist
Naomi Cavin	....	hair stylist
Dave Grayson	....	makeup artist
Frederic Jones	....	hair stylist
Web Overlander	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Stanley Goldsmith	....	production manager (as Stanley H. Goldsmith)
Jim Henderling	....	production manager (as James Henderling)
Eva Monley	....	production manager
Henry Weinberger	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Daves	....	second assistant director
Howard Joslin	....	assistant director
Daniel McCauley	....	assistant director

Art Department
Eugene Acker	....	painter
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator
Wallace Oliver	....	property master
Al Roelofs	....	associate art director
Elmer C. Rogers	....	construction

Sound Department
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound
Don Hall	....	sound effects editor (as Don Hall Jr.)
Harold Lewis	....	sound
Glenn E. Anderson	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Lawrence W. Butler	....	special effects
Farciot Edouart	....	special photography

Stunts
Paula Dell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Indrisano	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hal Needham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Ziker	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Carl Gibson	....	key grip
Philip H. Lathrop	....	camera operator: second unit (as Philip Lathrop)
George Gordon Nogle	....	camera operator (as George Nogle)
Homer Plannette	....	chief gaffer
Morris Rosen	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hope Bryce	....	costume coordinator
Gordon T. Dawson	....	wardrobe (as Gordon Dawson)
Grace Harris	....	wardrobe (as Grace M. Harris)
Alan Levine	....	wardrobe
Gildo Scarano	....	wardrobe
Eric Seelig	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Connie Roese	....	negative cutter
James D. Wells	....	assistant editor (as James Wells)

Music Department
Richard Carruth	....	music editor
Bob Bain	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)
Jerry Goldsmith	....	musician (uncredited)
Elfi von Dassanowsky	....	vocal coach (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Lonnie Leroy Hawk Jr.	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	title designer
Kathleen Fagan	....	script supervisor
Nat Rudich	....	executive assistant to producer
Max Slater	....	dialogue coach

Production Companies

• Otto Preminger Films (as Sigma Productions)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1965) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1971) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Paramount Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Film Effects of Hollywood

Runtime:

165 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Norway:16 | USA:Approved | West Germany:12 (f) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Hawaii, USA

Company:

Otto Preminger Films

Trivia:

The escape of a destroyer from the Pearl Harbor attack with only junior officers aboard is based on the action of the USS Aylwin (DD-355).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The "Powell-Hyde" cable car prominently featured is the present day Powell Street style of car that was running on the route in the 1960s when the film was made, but not in the 1940s at the time of the story. At that time both the style of the cars and the routing was different. California Street RR Company style cars ran on Hyde via the O'Farrell and Jones Street route.

Quotes:

Admiral Nimitz: Now, Grant didn't give a damn about organization, but neither was he afflicted with the virus. Admiral Torrey, you're going to be my Grant!

Movie Connections:

Edited into Bass on Titles (1977)

War done as melodrama

In Harm's Way (1965) - Director: Otto Preminger A more drama-driven war flick than most that focuses on how the war affected the personal lives of the men and women in and around Pearl Harbor before and after the infamous attack. John Wayne delivers one of his best performances as a Captain near the end of his career learning to communicate with a son (played by the ever young Brandon DeWildez) he's only recenlty reunited with, and handling a later-in -life romance with whiskey voiced Patricia Neal.

Kirk Douglas is around as a commander who just can't seem to get his personal life in order but who valiantly tries to redeem himself by heroically undertaking a no-win spy plane mission. Two old pros, Burgess Meredith and Dana Andrews fill out the major supporting roles while throw-away roles are notable for stars-of-tomorrows' Larry Hagman and Christopher George, to name a couple.

Quality melodrama with enough action to keep the guys interested and enough sexual tension to keep, well everybody interested. Oh and a personal favorite, unfortunately underused in the movie in the lovely heady shape of Paula Prentiss.