Product Details

• Actors: Cliff Robertson, Ty Hardin, James Gregory, Robert Culp, Grant Williams
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: June 17, 1997
• Run Time: 141 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304457405
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,107 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

John F. Kennedy lived long enough to see this Hollywood account of his Navy career and his heroism following a ruthless attack by a Japanese ship on his small patrol craft. Cliff Robertson is an amiable choice to play Kennedy, though one won't find a lot of the late president's mannerisms in his performance. The key battle sequence, which finds Kennedy and his crew bloodied and battered while trying to stay alive in shark-infested waters, makes a big impression on young viewers. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BASED ON A TRUE STORY!, November 24, 2008

By 

Noel Serrano "Gala Foundation http://gfoundat... (Tampa, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pt 109 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

PT 109 is a 1963 biographical movie which shows the events of John F. Kennedy's actions in command of Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 as an officer of the United States Navy during World War II. The movie was adapted by Richard L. Breen, Vincent Flaherty and Howard Sheehan from the book PT 109: John F. Kennedy in WWII by Robert J. Donovan.

The movie stars Cliff Robertson, Ty Hardin, James Gregory, Robert Culp, Robert Blake, Andrew Duggan (the uncredited narrator), Michael Pate and George Takei (uncredited as helmsman on Japanese destroyer, best known as Sulu of Star Trek). The exteriors for the movie were filmed at Little Palm Island (formerly Little Torch Key), a resort in the Florida Keys. Power and fresh water were run out to the island for the movie, allowing the resort to be built years later. The former owner was the local Monroe county sheriff.

The most dramatic special effect is what appears to be a full-size set with live actors appearing to be crushed by the bow of a destroyer.

In the movie, the PT 109 is reported missing and a search is started. According to National Geographic, and the original book, the boat explosion was observed from other PT boats in the vicinity and it was given up as lost. A memorial service was held at the motor torpedo boat squadron's forward operating base at Rendova while the crew was still marooned on the islands in the vicinity of Japanese-held Kolombagara Island.

Solomon Islanders Biuki Gasa and Eroni Kumana were portrayed as random natives, when in fact they were dispatched by the coastwatcher, Arthur Reginald Evans, to find them. The movie holds to the Donovan book version that Kennedy first suggested the idea of using a coconut for a message, using a knife to carve it. Gasa was later interviewed as suggesting the idea and sending Eroni to pluck a fresh coconut. The actors playing Gasa and Kumana were not credited either, though the senior native is mentioned by name when the large canoe arrives.

The scene rescuing ambushed Marines is actually covered by the chapter in the book about PT 59, which Kennedy commanded after the PT 109. It was an older model Elco PT boat that was converted to a gunboat with its torpedoes removed
The White House had full approval of casting and aspects of the film. Among other actors considered for the lead were Peter Fonda who objected to having to do his screen test with an impersonation of JFK's voice, [1] Edd Byrnes, Jacqueline Kennedy's choice Warren Beatty, Jeffrey Hunter, and other stars.[2] Kennedy selected Cliff Robertson after viewing their screen tests. Robertson met with President Kennedy who set three conditions on the film; that it be historically accurate, that profits go to the survivors of PT 109 and their families and President Kennedy had the final choice of actor.[3]

Kennedy also vetoed Raoul Walsh as the director of the film after screening Walsh's Marines Let's Go and not liking it.[4] Director Lewis Milestone was replaced by Leslie Martinson a prolific experienced Warner Brothers Television director

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good movie for younger viewers, January 8, 1999

By 

[e-mail] - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pt 109 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The movie as a whole was entertaining for it's time but not very accurate about real events that actually took place. To the reviewer from Baltimore: To understand how a craft such as this got rammed you need to understand how these boats patroled ,which by the way was always done at night and usually idiling on one engine (out of three) which at times never responded very well on quick response. Take it from a Navy veteran ,its very dark at sea at night. I for one review it as a very non-violent & entertaining film for younger and older viewers alike

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars PT-109, June 14, 2011

By 

Charles Thrasher "ThrashMaster" (Kansas City, Missouri United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: PT-109 (DVD)

I give the Movie 4 Stars, Good enjoyable movie.... Why does Amazon not say this is a WB MOD DVDR not a DVD and Why did WB make it on DVDR and not Blu-Ray....They themselves Say and I quote "This Warner Archive Collection presentation of PT-109 has been sourced from a recently-created HD 1080p master, derived from newly-manufactured film elements. The feature is presented in 16x9 Letterbox format, preserving the film's original 2.40 theatrical aspect ratio." again I say why not make it on a Blu-Ray??????? and while I am in a grouchy mood...... Why does WB charge $19.99 and up for MOD DVDR's??????? I know they want to recoup their costs but hell they would probably sell more at $12-15 than at $20.......Anyway to all.... enjoy this Flic.....