The Battle of Midway (1942)

The Japanese attack on Midway in June 1942, filmed as it happened.

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

John Ford, Dudley Nichols,

Stars:

Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, Logan Ramsey

Won 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Henry Fonda	...	Narrator (voice)
Jane Darwell	...	Narrator (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Logan Ramsey	...	Himself
James Roosevelt	...	Himself - US Army Major (as Major Roosevelt)

Storyline

On June 4-6, 1942, a large Japanese force attempted to capture Midway Island in the North Pacific, but was defeated by U.S. forces with a loss ratio of 4:1 in favor of the Americans. On hand was a crew of naval photographers directed by John Ford; their documentary footage was edited together with narration by Hollywood actors. The film covers the attack on Midway, some limited aerial footage, the search for survivors, and aftermath of the battle.

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Plot Keywords:

midway | battle | year 1942 | world war two | 1940s | 

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Genres:

Short | Documentary | War

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bitka za Midvej

Filming Locations:

Midway Islands

Company Credits

Production Co:

United States Navy, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

18 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director John Ford and cinematographer Joseph H. August were wounded by enemy fire while filming the battle.

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Connections

Edited into They Filmed the War in Color (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Onward Christian Soldiers"
(1871) (uncredited)
Music from "St. Gertrude" by Arthur Sullivan (1871)
Hymn by Sabine Baring-Gould (1865)
Sung by an offscreen chorus

User Reviews

This is the real thing here-not a re-enactment

This incredible compilation of footage won an Academy Award. It was shot by a crew of war cameramen that included John Ford, who I understand actually took some of the footage himself! While watching this, remember that you generally can effectively aim either a camera or a weapon at any one time, but not both and, as a cameraman has his eye to the lense while shooting, that means that he's exposed to all of the nasty stuff flying all around him with little or no cover! That's called "grace under pressure". They got an Oscar and deserved a medal! Highly recommended.