Movie Monday Review: PT-109
- The Daily Sentiment
- Jan 4, 2021
- 7 min read
PT-109 (1963)
Starring: Cliff Robertson, Ty Hardin, James Gregory, Robert Culp, Grant Williams, Lew Gallo, Errol John, Robert Blake, Biff Elliot, Norman Fell, Clyde Howdy, James McCallion, Michael Pate
Summary
Scratching his head, Yeoman Rogers (Lew Gallo) cannot understand why Lieutenant (JG) Jack Kennedy (Cliff Robertson) wants to go overseas so badly. The son of an Ambassador, Lt. Kennedy could have enough pull to go wherever he wants. Jack explains that he doesn’t want to stay back, he wants to go where the fighting is, because that’s what he asked for. Bewildered, Rogers tells him that he is planning on going back to the states, where he can be comfortably stationed. When alarms go off aboard their vessel, Jack is the first one topside ready to help load a gun or do whatever it takes. He didn’t get into this war to sit still.
Arriving in the South Pacific, Jack meets Commander Ritchie (James Gregory), who is a fire-filled, former World War I, strictly-by-the-book military man. However, Jack is to check in with Lt. Cluster (Grant Williams) first. Cluster says he needs an engineering man, but Jack wants a boat. Finally conceding, Cluster says there’s only one boat left that he could command and that’s the PT-109. Jack says he’ll take it and goes to inspect. Quite a mess, the PT-109 will need a lot of work, but Jack is willing. Reporting back to Commander Ritchie, they’re met with an air raid. But as they come, they go, and the two gentlemen are on their way with muddy uniforms and all. Commander Ritchie is less than impressed, but nonetheless, takes a liking to Jack, if only for his eagerness to take on the PT-109.
Commander Ritchie gives Jack one week to get the PT-109 in working order. Jack immediately heads to the boat and meets his Exec, Ensign Lennie Thom (Ty Hardin). The two of them welcome their new crew, more coming in as Lennie collects them. Soon, they are working hard getting the boat in “ship-shape” to move out. During their time working on the boat, the crew learns that Jack has only their best interest at heart and would do anything for them, even willing to admit his own faults. One thing they’re missing, however, is a cook. When asking for a volunteer, Mauer says he used to cook for his kid-brother. That’s enough for Jack and he makes him their cook. The crew will get to like peanut butter sandwiches real quick, sometimes with jelly.
Passing inspection, even if having a hot meal aboard means having “peanut butter on toast”, the crew of the PT-109 are allowed to go on a test run. She runs smooth! Soon, Jack and Lennie realize that if they want to get their boat refueled, they have to race back to the dock before everyone else. However, their machinist Drewitch (Norman Fell) informs them that they should be careful so that their engines don’t jam up. Jack keeps that in mind.
Before being able to fuel up, the PT-109 is given her first assignment: to run interference while American Marines are being rescued off the beach. Jack tells Cluster he doesn’t have enough fuel, but Cluster sends him anyway with the promise of a tow.
Jack gets out there and soon they’ve got a shipload of American Marines. Just as they’re getting out of range, they run out of gas. Radioing for a tow, Jack is starting to feel desperate as his boat starts to drift back. Soon, they get a response from a tow.
The PT-109 is sent out with many other boats to arrive at Rendova. Seaman “Bucky” Harris (Robert Blake) is excited that they will be getting away from Commander Ritchie, their hopes are dashed when Ritchie says he’s traveling with them to Rendova.
Arriving at their destination, Lennie and Jack don’t want to be last in line for fuel. The race begins, Lennie warns not to overdo it so that the engines don’t stall. Just as they’re about to get to the dock, the engines stall. In panic, Jack tells everyone on the dock to abandon their station, just before they crash into the dock shed. Commander Ritchie is less than amused, but Jack takes full responsibility.
Getting briefed for their mission, the PT commanders are “dismissed” by an air raid. Racing back to their boat, Lennie and Jack split up. Jack dives for a foxhole, only to meet an old friend, Ensign Barney Ross (Robert Culp). When they’re about to leave, Barney says he’s free and is assigned to the PT-109 as a gunner…though he knows very little about it. Jack informs him that it’s an antitank gun that they found and decided to mount onto the boat. Barney says he’s a quick study.
They take off and before long they are in the deep darkness of the open sea. Having lost radio contact, they drift around waiting for communication. Before too long, however, the silence is interrupted by the call that a Japanese destroyer is coming. Too late, the Japanese destroyer cuts the PT-109 in two. Fire is everywhere, the sea is a liquid fire. Jack comes-to and is soon swimming to find his crew, despite his own injuries.
Getting them all aboard, except for two who died, Jack tries to get oriented. Pappy (James McCallion) is burned very badly and can barely move. Several others are burned or injured in some way, making things look very grim. Sitting on the remaining half of the PT-109, Jack soon determines that they need to swim to an island in the distance, hopefully one that’s not Japanese owned. Lennie knows it will be three to four miles swim, which could take hours. Open to suggestions, but knowing there aren’t any others, Jack gets the crew going to start swimming. Taking a strap in his teeth, Jack tows Pappy, who is too burnt to move himself. Getting off the boat, they swim awhile only to watch the leftover boat to capsize.
Finally making it to the island, the crew is exhausted and collapse on the shore. Hiding from a Japanese patrolling boat, they settle in as best as they can. As it nears nightfall, Jack tells his men that he’s going out to hopefully find an American patrol boat, using his signal light to track them down.
The men are doubtful, but don’t know what else to do. Lennie tries to keep everyone going and begins to work on their wounds. The next morning, Jack returns, exhausted and without any success. Before collapsing into slumber, Jack tells Barney that he has to go out tonight to try and find something. Barney thinks it’s a waste of time, there’s no point to it. Some of the men want to surrender to the Japanese, because at least they’d get food and water, they think. Nevertheless, Barney goes out that night while Jack sleeps.
The next day, Jack is nervous, but excited when Barney returns. However, Barney wasn’t successful either. Jack won’t give up and says they must move to another island, to avoid being spotted by the Japanese and hopefully to find food and water. The men aren’t taking that and start to throw a fit. Jack puts his foot down…he’s not going to give up anyone and won’t let them give up either.
Arriving at another island, they rest there awhile. The men are still discontent, some wanting to give up, others saying no. They are interrupted when two natives arrive, carrying Japanese guns. Saying nothing, Jack sees them as his only chance. Carving a message into a coconut, he gives it to them and asks them to take it to their friends. Without saying a word, the natives take the coconut and set out. Barney fears that they won’t help them, but might end up turning them in.
Before too long, however, a boat filled with natives arrives calling for Kennedy. Jack runs up and is given a message that reads that an Australian coast watcher got his coconut message and is ready to enact a rescue plan. Jack will need to go with the natives and return for his men later. Climbing into their canoe, Jack goes with the natives.
Meeting up with the Australian coast watcher, Evans (Michael Pate), he’s instructed how the rescue will take place. Cluster’s PT meets the natives and Jack, taking Jack back to the island where his men are. Upon navigating the reefs, Jack calls for his men, slightly worried when a response isn’t immediate. However, Jack soon sees them emerging from the trees and is so overjoyed, he jumps into the water and swims to meet them!
Eleven of the thirteen crew members aboard the PT-109 are now safe at home again. Jack’s men have more confidence in him, indeed would do anything for him now. Because the boat was lost, they’re all given leave, however Jack doesn’t want it. He fought so hard to get out there, he doesn’t want to give it up. Jack is assigned a new boat and Lennie is promoted to command of his own vessel. Jack teases Lennie by telling him to “watch out for Jap destroyers”.
Ready to take off again, Jack is content that he did his best and got his men out. Now, he’s ready to face anything with his men who wanted to return and serve alongside him again.
Review
A very interesting look at the war years of President John F. Kennedy. Although many know about his political career, few know about his military experience. The movie seems fairly accurate, according to history. A good book to read about Kennedy’s war experiences would be “PT-109” by William Doyle. Interestingly enough, Kennedy himself wanted the movie to be as accurate as possible and supervised a lot of the production, including choosing Cliff Robertson to play himself.
The movie does a good job of telling the story of brave men, willing to do what it takes to save each other and keep the will to move on. It also shows how charismatic Kennedy was and a view as to why he succeeded so well in politics. People couldn’t help but like him and he was a strong leader.
A song was written to tell the story of Kennedy and the PT-109 by Jimmy Dean, worth a listen.
Warning: This movie does have light language and does not have closed captioning that can take out the language.
Enjoy this movie and, for families, use it as an opportunity to learn more about an American President and a major side of the war, that in the Pacific.
Ellen Nolan
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