PT 109 (film)

PT 109 (film)
Name	PT 109
Caption	Theatrical release poster
Director	Leslie H. Martinson
Producer	Bryan Foy
Screenplay	Richard L. Breen
Based on	PT 109: John F. Kennedy in World War II, Robert J. Donovan
Starring	Cliff Robertson, Ty Hardin, James Gregory, Robert Culp
Music	William Lava, Ray Heindorf
Cinematography	Robert L. Surtees
Editing	Folmar Blangsted
Studio	Warner Bros.
Distributor	Warner Bros.
Released	1963, 06, 19
Runtime	140 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$3.5 million

PT 109 (film) is a 1963 American Warner Bros. war film dramatizing the naval service of future President John F. Kennedy during World War II. Directed by Leslie H. Martinson and starring Cliff Robertson as Kennedy, the film is based on the book PT 109: John F. Kennedy in World War II by historian Robert J. Donovan. It chronicles the events surrounding the sinking of Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 in the Solomon Islands and Kennedy's subsequent efforts to save his crew.

Plot

The narrative follows the young Lieutenant John F. Kennedy as he assumes command of the PT boat in the tumultuous Pacific Theater of World War II. After a period of routine patrols, the vessel is catastrophically rammed and cut in half by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri during the early hours of August 2, 1943, near Blackett Strait. Kennedy and his surviving crew, including Executive Officer Leonard Thom and Ensign George Ross, are stranded on the debris-strewn Ferguson Passage. The film depicts their arduous survival on the uninhabited Plum Pudding Island, Kennedy's heroic swim to seek rescue, and their eventual salvation with the aid of Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana, two coastwatcher scouts from the Royal Australian Navy. Their final rescue is facilitated by Lieutenant Reginald Evans, a New Zealand coastwatcher stationed on Kolombangara.

Cast

* Cliff Robertson as Lieutenant John F. Kennedy * Ty Hardin as Ensign Leonard J. Thom * James Gregory as Commander C.R. Ritchie * Robert Culp as Ensign George H. R. Ross * Grant Williams as Lieutenant Alvin Cluster * Lew Gallo as Radioman John Maguire * Michael Pate as Lieutenant Arthur Reginald Evans * Robert Blake as Seaman Charles "Bucky" Harris * William Douglas as Motor Machinist's Mate Patrick "Pappy" McMahon * Sam Gilman as Torpedoman's Mate Maurice Kowal * James McCallion as Quartermaster Edgar "Barney" Ross * Biff Elliot as Torpedoman's Mate Raymond Starkey * Norman Fell as Radioman Gerard Zinser * John Ward as Seaman Raymond Albert * Evan C. Kim as Biuku Gasa * Ernest F. Borgnine appears in a cameo role as a sailor in a San Francisco bar.

Production

The project was initiated by Warner Bros. president Jack L. Warner, a friend of the Kennedy family, with Bryan Foy producing and the screenplay written by Richard L. Breen. Filming took place primarily in the Florida Keys and at the Warner Bros. studio in Burbank, California, with the Caribbean Sea standing in for the South Pacific. The United States Navy provided active cooperation, including the use of a real PT boat, PT-796, which was painted to resemble PT-109. President Kennedy personally approved of Cliff Robertson's casting after viewing his screen test. The musical score was composed by William Lava and Ray Heindorf, with cinematography by the acclaimed Robert L. Surtees.

Release and reception

The film premiered on June 19, 1963, and was generally met with respectful but mixed reviews from critics. Publications like The New York Times and Variety praised its patriotic spirit and Cliff Robertson's performance but noted its lengthy runtime and conventional narrative style. Commercially, it performed modestly at the box office, failing to recoup its substantial $3.5 million budget. The film's release was notably attended by President Kennedy and members of his administration at a special Washington, D.C. screening, generating significant publicity.

Historical accuracy

While striving for authenticity, the film takes several dramatic liberties. It compresses the timeline of events and simplifies the complex naval situation in the Solomon Islands campaign. The characters of several crew members are amalgamated or altered for narrative clarity, and the depiction of the initial collision with the Amagiri is more stylized than the actual chaotic nighttime engagement. The crucial roles of the coastwatchers and native scouts are accurately portrayed, drawing directly from the accounts in Robert J. Donovan's book. President Kennedy insisted the film not depict him as a flawless hero, leading to scenes highlighting his initial inexperience and the crew's collective struggle.

Legacy

PT 109 endures as a significant piece of American political and cinematic history, released during Kennedy's presidency and serving as a unique campaign document. It cemented the PT-109 saga as a central element of the Kennedy mystique and his image as a war hero. The film is frequently studied for its portrayal of leadership and survival, and it has been broadcast on television networks like Turner Classic Movies for decades. While not considered a classic of the war film genre, it remains a culturally important artifact of the early 1960s and the Camelot era. Memorabilia from the production, including the PT-796 boat used in filming, are preserved at the Battleship Cove maritime museum in Fall River, Massachusetts.

Category:1963 films Category:American war films Category:Films about John F. Kennedy Category:Warner Bros. films