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{{short description|1942 documentary film directed by John Ford}}
{{short description|1942 documentary film directed by John Ford}}
{{About|the documentary film |other uses|The Battle of Midway (disambiguation)}}
{{for|films with similar titles|Battle of Midway (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = The Battle of Midway
| name = The Battle of Midway
| image = Battle of Midway (1942 documentary) intro2.jpg
| image = Battle of Midway (1942 documentary) intro2.jpg

| image_size =
| caption =
| caption =
| director = [[John Ford]]
| director = [[John Ford]]
Line 12: Line 12:
| starring = [[Henry Fonda]]<br>[[Jane Darwell]]
| starring = [[Henry Fonda]]<br>[[Jane Darwell]]
| music = [[Alfred Newman (composer)|Alfred Newman]]
| music = [[Alfred Newman (composer)|Alfred Newman]]
| cinematography = [[John Ford]]<br>[[Jack MacKenzie]]<br>[[Kenneth M. Pier]]
| cinematography = [[John Ford]]<br>[[Jack MacKenzie (cinematographer)|Jack MacKenzie]]<br>[[Kenneth M. Pier]]
| editing = [[John Ford]]<br>[[Robert Parrish]]
| editing = [[John Ford]]<br>[[Robert Parrish]]
| studio = [[United States Navy]]
| studio = [[United States Navy]]
| distributor = [[20th Century Fox]]
| distributor = [[20th Century Fox]]
| released = September 14, 1942
| released = {{Film date|1942|09|14}}
| runtime = 18 minutes
| runtime = 18 minutes
| country = USA
| country = USA
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==Production notes==
==Production notes==
[[File:The Battle of Midway Stone Inscription.jpg|thumb|Stone inscription for ''The Battle of Midway'' at [[John Ford Statue|Ford's statue]] in [[Portland, Maine]].]]
When the United States Navy sent director [[John Ford]] to [[Midway Island]] in 1942, he believed that the military wanted him to make a documentary on life at a small, isolated military base, and filmed casual footage of the sailors and Marines there working and having fun. Two days before the battle, he learned that the Japanese planned to attack the base and that it was preparing to defend itself.<ref name="harris20140228">{{cite news | title=In the Line of Fire | work=Entertainment Weekly | date=2014-02-28 | author=Harris, Mark | pages=78}}</ref> Ford's handheld, 16mm footage of the battle was captured totally impromptu. He had been in transit on the island, roused from his bunk by the sounds of the battle, and started filming.<ref>{{cite AV media |people=[[Peter Bogdanovich|Bogdanovich, Peter (director)]] |year=1971 |title=[[Directed by John Ford]] |url= |format= |time= |publisher=American Film Institute |location= |oclc=436284884 }} See the interview of Henry Fonda.</ref> Ford was wounded by enemy fire while filming the battle.<ref name=Parrish>{{cite book |title=Growing Up in Hollywood |last=Parrish |first=Robert |location=New York |publisher=Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich |year=1976 |oclc=1659633 |isbn=9780151374731}}</ref> Acclaimed as a hero when he returned home because of the footage and the minor wound, Ford decades later incorrectly claimed to [[Peter Bogdanovich]] that he was the only cameraman; however, Jack Mackenzie Jr. and Kenneth Pier assisted Ford in filming.{{r|harris20140228}}
When the United States Navy sent director [[John Ford]] to [[Midway Island]] in 1942, he believed that the military wanted him to make a documentary on life at a small, isolated military base, and filmed casual footage of the sailors and Marines there working and having fun. Two days before the battle, he learned that the Japanese planned to attack the base and that it was preparing to defend itself.<ref name="harris20140228">{{cite magazine | title=In the Line of Fire | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | date=2014-02-28 | author=Harris, Mark | pages=78}}</ref> Ford's handheld, 16mm footage of the battle was captured totally impromptu. He had been in transit on the island, roused from his bunk by the sounds of the battle, and started filming.<ref>{{cite AV media |people=[[Peter Bogdanovich|Bogdanovich, Peter (director)]] |year=1971 |title=[[Directed by John Ford]] |url= |format= |time= |publisher=American Film Institute |location= |oclc=436284884 }} See the interview of Henry Fonda.</ref> Ford was wounded by enemy fire while filming the battle.<ref name=Parrish>{{cite book |title=Growing Up in Hollywood |last=Parrish |first=Robert |location=New York |publisher=Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich |year=1976 |oclc=1659633 |isbn=9780151374731}}</ref> Acclaimed as a hero when he returned home because of the footage and the minor wound, Ford decades later incorrectly claimed to [[Peter Bogdanovich]] that he was the only cameraman; however, Jack Mackenzie Jr. and Kenneth Pier assisted Ford in filming.{{r|harris20140228}}


Ford was worried that military censors would prevent the footage from being shown in public. After returning to Los Angeles, he gave the footage to [[Robert Parrish]], who had worked with him on ''[[How Green Was My Valley]]'', to edit in secret. Ford spliced in footage of [[James Roosevelt]], President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s son and a Marine Corps officer; when the president saw the film in the White House, he told [[William D. Leahy|William Leahy]]: "I want every mother in America to see this film", thus protecting Ford from censorship.{{r|harris20140228}} Parrish wrote an in-depth account of the making of ''The Battle of Midway'' in his autobiography, ''Growing Up in Hollywood'' (1976).<ref name=Parrish /><!--Not available online. Needs page #'s.--> The film runs for 18 minutes, was distributed by [[20th Century Fox]], and was one of four winners of the inaugural, 1942 Academy Award for [[Academy Award for Documentary Feature|Best Documentary]].
Ford was worried that military censors would prevent the footage from being shown in public. After returning to Los Angeles, he gave the footage to [[Robert Parrish]], who had worked with him on ''[[How Green Was My Valley (film)|How Green Was My Valley]]'', to edit in secret. Ford spliced in footage of [[James Roosevelt]], President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s son and a Marine Corps officer; when the president saw the film in the White House, he told [[William D. Leahy|William Leahy]]: "I want every mother in America to see this film", thus protecting Ford from censorship.{{r|harris20140228}} Parrish wrote an in-depth account of the making of ''The Battle of Midway'' in his autobiography, ''Growing Up in Hollywood'' (1976).<ref name=Parrish /><!--Not available online. Needs page #'s.--> The film runs for 18 minutes, was distributed by [[20th Century Fox]], and was one of four winners of the inaugural, 1942 Academy Award for [[Academy Award for Documentary Feature|Best Documentary]].


Seeing men he had met and filmed die horrified Ford, who said, "I am really a coward" compared to those who fought. He had spent time with [[Torpedo Squadron 8]], and 29 of 30 men of the unit died or were missing after the battle. Ford assembled the footage he had taken of the squadron into an eight-minute film, adding titles praising the squadron for having "written the most brilliant pages in the glowing history of our Naval Air Forces" and identifying each man as he appeared. He printed the result, ''Torpedo Squadron 8'', to [[Standard 8 mm film|8mm film]] suitable for [[home movies|home projector]]s and sent copies to the men's families.{{r|harris20140228}}
Seeing men he had met and filmed die horrified Ford, who said, "I am really a coward" compared to those who fought. He had spent time with [[Torpedo Squadron 8]], and 29 of 30 men of the unit died or were missing after the battle. Ford assembled the footage he had taken of the squadron into an eight-minute film, adding titles praising the squadron for having "written the most brilliant pages in the glowing history of our Naval Air Forces" and identifying each man as he appeared. He printed the result, ''Torpedo Squadron 8'', to [[Standard 8 mm film|8mm film]] suitable for [[home movies|home projector]]s and sent copies to the men's families.{{r|harris20140228}}

==Cast==
* [[Donald Crisp]] as Main Narrator (voice)
* [[Henry Fonda]] as Narrator (voice)
* [[Jane Darwell]] as Narrator (voice)


==Archive==
==Archive==
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==External links==
==External links==
* {{commonscat-inline|The Battle of Midway (1942 documentary)|''The Battle of Midway'' (1942 documentary)}}
* {{commons category-inline|The Battle of Midway (1942 documentary)|''The Battle of Midway'' (1942 documentary)}}
* {{wikisource-inline|The Battle of Midway|''The Battle of Midway''|single=true}}
* {{wikisource-inline|The Battle of Midway|''The Battle of Midway''|single=true}}
* {{Internet Archive short film|id=BattleOfMidway|name=The Battle of Midway}}
* {{Internet Archive short film|id=BattleOfMidway|name=The Battle of Midway}}
*[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12870 ''The Battle of Midway''] at the [[National Archives and Records Administration]]
* {{IMDb title|0034498}}
* {{IMDb title|0034498}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=509032}}
* [http://www.c-span.org/video/?319822-1/reel-america-battle-midway-john-ford Reel America: The Battle of Midway and John Ford] on [[C-SPAN]] (June 8, 2014)
* [http://www.c-span.org/video/?319822-1/reel-america-battle-midway-john-ford Reel America: The Battle of Midway and John Ford] on [[C-SPAN]] (June 8, 2014)


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{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Midway, The}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Midway (film), The}}
[[Category:1942 short films]]
[[Category:1942 short films]]
⚫
[[Category:American short films]]
[[Category:American World War II propaganda shorts]]
[[Category:American World War II propaganda shorts]]
[[Category:Films about the Battle of Midway]]
[[Category:Films about the Battle of Midway]]
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[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Documentary films about military aviation]]
[[Category:Documentary films about military aviation]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:Short films directed by John Ford]]
[[Category:Films directed by John Ford]]
[[Category:Films scored by Alfred Newman]]
[[Category:Films scored by Alfred Newman]]
[[Category:World War II aviation films]]
[[Category:World War II aviation films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Dudley Nichols]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Dudley Nichols]]
[[Category:American documentary films]]
[[Category:American short documentary films]]
[[Category:1942 documentary films]]
[[Category:1942 documentary films]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox short films]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox short films]]
[[Category:1940s English-language films]]
[[Category:English-language short documentary films]]
⚫
[[Category:English-language war films]]

Latest revision as of 23:53, 22 December 2024

For films with similar titles, see Battle of Midway (disambiguation).
The Battle of Midway
Directed byJohn Ford
Written byDudley Nichols
James Kevin McGuinness
Produced byJohn Ford
StarringHenry Fonda
Jane Darwell
Narrated byDonald Crisp
CinematographyJohn Ford
Jack MacKenzie
Kenneth M. Pier
Edited byJohn Ford
Robert Parrish
Music byAlfred Newman
Production
company
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • September 14, 1942 (1942-09-14)
Running time
18 minutes
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish
Full film

The Battle of Midway is a 1942 American short documentary film directed by John Ford. It is a montage of color footage of the Battle of Midway with voice overs of various narrators, including Johnny Governali, Donald Crisp, Henry Fonda, and Jane Darwell.

Plot

[edit]

The film begins with a male narrator (Donald Crisp) explaining where Midway Island is and its strategic importance. About five minutes into the film the format changes somewhat, with more leisurely pictures of the G.I.s at work on the island, and then a female voice over. The female voice over (Jane Darwell) takes the personality of a middle aged woman from Springfield, Ohio, who is a mother-type figure pointing out how she recognizes a boy from her home town. The boy is Army Air Force pilot William E. "Junior" Kinney. Then stock footage of the Kinney family back home is introduced.

Abruptly the narrative (spoken by Henry Fonda) turns to the battle itself with approximately five minutes dedicated to the defense of the island, the naval battle, and the aftermath. At the end the various known Japanese losses are shown (four aircraft carriers, as well as battleships, aircraft, and men) and then brushed over with red or black paint.

Production notes

[edit]
Stone inscription for The Battle of Midway at Ford's statue in Portland, Maine.

When the United States Navy sent director John Ford to Midway Island in 1942, he believed that the military wanted him to make a documentary on life at a small, isolated military base, and filmed casual footage of the sailors and Marines there working and having fun. Two days before the battle, he learned that the Japanese planned to attack the base and that it was preparing to defend itself.[1] Ford's handheld, 16mm footage of the battle was captured totally impromptu. He had been in transit on the island, roused from his bunk by the sounds of the battle, and started filming.[2] Ford was wounded by enemy fire while filming the battle.[3] Acclaimed as a hero when he returned home because of the footage and the minor wound, Ford decades later incorrectly claimed to Peter Bogdanovich that he was the only cameraman; however, Jack Mackenzie Jr. and Kenneth Pier assisted Ford in filming.[1]

Ford was worried that military censors would prevent the footage from being shown in public. After returning to Los Angeles, he gave the footage to Robert Parrish, who had worked with him on How Green Was My Valley, to edit in secret. Ford spliced in footage of James Roosevelt, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's son and a Marine Corps officer; when the president saw the film in the White House, he told William Leahy: "I want every mother in America to see this film", thus protecting Ford from censorship.[1] Parrish wrote an in-depth account of the making of The Battle of Midway in his autobiography, Growing Up in Hollywood (1976).[3] The film runs for 18 minutes, was distributed by 20th Century Fox, and was one of four winners of the inaugural, 1942 Academy Award for Best Documentary.

Seeing men he had met and filmed die horrified Ford, who said, "I am really a coward" compared to those who fought. He had spent time with Torpedo Squadron 8, and 29 of 30 men of the unit died or were missing after the battle. Ford assembled the footage he had taken of the squadron into an eight-minute film, adding titles praising the squadron for having "written the most brilliant pages in the glowing history of our Naval Air Forces" and identifying each man as he appeared. He printed the result, Torpedo Squadron 8, to 8mm film suitable for home projectors and sent copies to the men's families.[1]

Cast

[edit]

Archive

[edit]

The Academy Film Archive preserved The Battle of Midway in 2006.[4] The film is part of the Academy War Film Collection, one of the largest collections of World War II era short films held outside government archives.[5]

[edit]
  • USAAF B-17E taking off
    USAAF B-17E taking off
  • A PT boat off Sand Island
    A PT boat off Sand Island
  • An SB2U-3 of VMSB-241 taking off
    An SB2U-3 of VMSB-241 taking off
  • Marines firing a machine gun
    Marines firing a machine gun
  • Japanese planes under fire
    Japanese planes under fire
  • Seaplane hangar on Sand Island burning
    Seaplane hangar on Sand Island burning
  • Bomb damage after the raid
    Bomb damage after the raid

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Harris, Mark (2014-02-28). "In the Line of Fire". Entertainment Weekly. p. 78.
  2. ^ Bogdanovich, Peter (director) (1971). Directed by John Ford. American Film Institute. OCLC 436284884. See the interview of Henry Fonda.
  3. ^ a b Parrish, Robert (1976). Growing Up in Hollywood. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich. ISBN 9780151374731. OCLC 1659633.
  4. ^ "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.
  5. ^ "Academy War Film Collection". Academy Film Archive.
[edit]
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