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:

Pearl Harbor | Naval Officer | Admiral | Para Marine | Mess Hall

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		(director of photography)

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 islands identified by Torre as Gavabutu, Levu Vana and Tokaroa are actually San Cristobal, Guadalcanal and Malaita. Pala Passage would become known as Ironbottom Sound because of the number of ships that would be sunk there in coming battles. Cape Titan probably refers to the Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain, about 650 miles from Guadalcanal. The battle for Guadalcanal began on 7 Aug., 1942 and would not end until February, 1943. Although they say that the majority of forces are with MacArthur in the Solomons, Guadalcanal, is in the eastern Solomons. The dividing line between MacArthur's area of responsibility and Nimitz's was the 159 degrees east.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the meeting in the bomb shelter, Clayton Canfil changes position between shots.

Quotes:

Captain Rockwell Torrey: Well, I'm flying under... false colors, Miss Haynes. I don't know my son. I didn't even know he was in the Navy.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Bass on Titles (1977)

"a mother lovin' gut busting navy war."

I've always felt that in these big budget all star epics, the trick is to give each of the star a role of substance as small as the part might be sometimes. That's one of the best things about In Harm's Way, Otto Preminger cast this film with a whole lot of big movie names and each one of them made their presence felt.

Case in point the three admirals played by Franchot Tone, Dana Andrews, and Henry Fonda. All three are very different type men. Tone is a man knowing he'll be sitting the war out because it was on his watch that the Pearl Harbor attack occurred. He's not bitter, he knows that's how things work in the navy. Dana Andrews is a publicity conscious admiral who employs the unctuous Patrick O'Neal in that regard. Henry Fonda plays the second commander in chief of the Pacific, Chester Nimitz in all but name. Oddly enough Fonda would play Nimitz again and by name in the film Midway a decade later. All three of these men make a deep impression on the audience despite having limited roles.

I'm sure that when Otto Preminger was casting In Harm's Way he must have seen Operation Pacific and saw the easy chemistry that John Wayne and Patricia Neal had 14 years earlier. Playing older and wiser versions of themselves from the previous film, Wayne and Neal show love ain't just for the young.

In Harm's Way has the Duke as a father figure for the first time. As Rockwell Torrey, the rock of ages as Kirk Douglas calls him, in addition to the Pacific War he takes on a whole lot of people's problems and they look to him for advice and comfort. In addition to his biological son Brandon DeWilde, the Duke also deals with Kirk Douglas and his problem concerning his tramp of a wife and the problems of young Lieutenant j.g. Tom Tryon and his wife Paula Prentiss.

One of my favorite John Wayne scenes is with Prentiss as he brings her the news about Tryon being missing in action. It is so well done from both players I'm still moved after having seen In Harm's Way a dozen times or more.

Acting honors however may go to Kirk Douglas as Wayne's chief aide who has the most complex role in the film. Douglas runs the gamut of emotions as he does in so many of his roles, from naval hero to maniacal rapist. Douglas actually hopes the war coming will help him put his personal problems on a back burner. For a while and it does, but only temporarily.

Another favorite I have here is Patrick O'Neal who if there is a villain other than the Japanese, he's it. He's a smarmy former Congressman who's looking as the war as a series of photo ops and is already planning his post war political career. O'Neal's not above jeopardizing a naval operation for the sake of a little publicity for his boss Dana Andrews. His confrontation with Kirk Douglas in the latrine is a classic.

In Harm's Way is a skilled blend of war drama and soap opera in the best sense of that term. It can be enjoyed and appreciated by fans of both.