The Japanese attack on Midway in June 1942, filmed as it happened.
Jeffrey Wright shares how he began working with veterans, and the healing power of art.
Related News
-
The Best War Movies Ever Made — IndieWire Critics Survey
24 July 2017 | Indiewire -
13 Rare WWII Documentaries Now Streaming Thanks to ‘Five Came Back’
06 April 2017 | The Wrap -
‘Five Came Back’: How the Story of Hollywood Directors In World War II Became a Great Netflix Series
03 April 2017 | Thompson on Hollywood
Share this Rating
Title: The Battle of Midway (1942)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Won
1
Oscar.
See more awards »
Learn more
More Like This
Documentary
|
History
|
War
Director:
William Wyler
Stars:
Stanley Wray,
Robert Morgan,
James A. Verinis
Prelude to War
(1942)
Documentary
|
War
Directors:
Frank Capra,
Anatole Litvak
Stars:
Walter Huston,
Victor Bulwer-Lytton,
Kai-Shek Chiang
San Pietro
(1945)
Documentary
|
Short
|
War
Director:
John Huston
Stars:
Mark W. Clark,
John Huston
Tunisian Victory
(1944)
Documentary
|
War
Directors:
Frank Capra,
Hugh Stewart, and 1 more credit »
Stars:
Leo Genn,
Burgess Meredith,
Bernard Miles
Report from the Aleutians
(1943)
Documentary
|
History
|
War
Director:
John Huston
Stars:
John Huston,
Walter Huston,
Milton Ashkin
Thunderbolt
(1947)
Documentary
|
Short
|
History
Directors:
John Sturges,
William Wyler
Stars:
James Stewart,
Lloyd Bridges,
Eugene Kern
The Negro Soldier
(1944)
Documentary
|
Drama
|
War
Director:
Stuart Heisler
Stars:
Gertrude Elise Ayer,
Richard Barthe,
Erich Borchmeyer
The Battle of Russia
(1943)
Documentary
|
History
|
War
Directors:
Frank Capra,
Anatole Litvak
Stars:
Anthony Veiller,
Ion Antonescu,
Nikolay Cherkasov
Drama
|
War
Director:
John Ford
Stars:
John Ford,
Eddie Foster,
Martin Garralaga
Know Your Enemy - Japan
(1945)
Documentary
|
History
|
War
Directors:
Frank Capra,
Joris Ivens
Stars:
John Beal,
Howard Duff,
Walter Huston
Five Came Back
(2017)
Documentary
|
Biography
|
History
Stars:
Francis Ford Coppola,
Guillermo del Toro,
Paul Greengrass
Edit
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) |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
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. Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
14 September 1942 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
A Batalha de Midway See more »Filming Locations:
Midway IslandsCompany Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
See more »
(ca. 1755) (uncredited)
Traditional music of English origin
Played in the score
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
On the opening credit screen that reads "Photographed by the U.S. Navy...", above is shown the rating badge of a Photographer's Mate, Second Class. See more »Quotes
Main Narrator: Midway Island. Not much land right enough, but it's our outpost. Your front yard.See more »
Soundtracks
Yankee Doodle(ca. 1755) (uncredited)
Traditional music of English origin
Played in the score
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.Contribute to This Page
Explore popular action and adventure titles available to stream with Prime Video.
This short piece of film shows parts of, as the title already tells us, of the battle of Midway, and some moments after it. The director is John Ford and what he creates with this short documentary is pure Hollywood war propaganda. There is a storyline that even includes the women at home waiting for the fighters. During some scenes a dialogue between Jane Darwell and the great Henry Fonda is heard on the background.
The images of the battle, shot in color, have historic value and are pretty exciting. The heroic tone is easy to understand, although now it is easy to see past that. Everything, including its Oscar win, seems to be there for propaganda purposes, making the people at home feel good enough about the war that is going on. In the end 'The Battle of Midway' is an interesting little film, but not that much more.