Editorial Reviews

Dramatization of President John F. Kennedy's WWII experiences as a young naval lieutenant during which he captained a PT boat, took it to battle and had it cut in two by a Japanese destroyer. He and the surviving crew members had to make their way to safety and signal the Navy for rescue. This Night At The Movies also includes Robert McKimson's barnyard epic, "Banty Raids," starring Foghorn Leghorn, and vintage 1963 newsreels.

Product details

Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 5.9 x 2.2 inches; 1.4 Pounds
Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 39 minutes
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ May 2, 2007
Actors ‏ : ‎ Cliff Robertson, Ty Hardin, James Gregory, Robert Culp
Studio ‏ : ‎ Warner Home Video
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000Q6E1CQ

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4.7 3,247 ratings

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4.7 out of 5

3,247 global ratings

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J

This is based on a true story

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2024

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This movie had humor and action that are not always found together in a movie. I bought this movie because I have seen it before and found it very entertaining. This way I can watch this movie when I want to and not have to scan the tv guide to see when it may be on again !

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James Campbell

Was what I ordered and not replaced with something else.

Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2024

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Was a great DVD of great quality. It was packed very well. It came super fast.

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2024

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This is a very good movie showed our teenages what could happened to them at war time

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Phred

Better than average for a 60's WWII flick, but ....

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2014

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I can remember the great anticipation I had for the release of PT 109. I had read the book: PT 109 : John F. Kennedy in World War II . I was looking forward as only a ten yearold can to `living' the heroics of a serving US president back in his romatic days as a PT boat Skipper.

Coming back to it as an adult I had lost some of my youngster romanticism and unfortunately become more critical. This is a pretty good movie. For a period Hollywood movie it does a reasonable job of being historically ... close. So bottom line first, there is at least one good viewing here and something you may want to bring back for patriotic holidays or as an inspiration for the kids. Rate this as fairly light WWII movie making but with a better than average veneer of facts.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

+++++If you do not know the story of PT109: Spoiler Alerts+++

Cliff Robertson as future president and commander of PT108 John F Kennedy was handpicked by the president for the role. Pictures of Kennedy from his Navy days are fairly close to Robertson. Acting however is uneven. We get no real sense of the man. Nothing of the marked Boston accent and little of the hot shot jockey that was typical of the Pt skippers. It was very interesting to note that the opening scene is JFK saying that strings had been pulled to get him into PTs. What was not told, and not widely known was that the young Navy Officer was deeply in love with a German woman and that relationship could have hurt the Navy man's career and absolutely would have hurt the Kennedy family future political plans. Ultimately there is little to distinguish the acting or to use it as a way to understand the man. Robertson gives us a vaguely smiling warrior but not much else.

Elsewhere in the cast we have Robert Culp, playing Robert Culp, that is the easy going nice guy he pretty much always played. Looking closer you will see a very young Robert Blake as trouble enlisted man Charles 'Bucky' Harris. If you look even harder and don't blink, the uncredited role of Helmsman on the Japanese Destroyer is Star Ship Enterprise Helmsman George Tekai.

This being a war movie part of the requirement for the script is some kind of violence every few minutes. I rather liked the one long bombing raid, except that the Japanese aircraft involved seemed to have unlimited ability to make close in bombing runs and still have something left. Wikipedia suggests that this attack was an attack by 18 Japanese planes that occurred on 1 August 1943. JFK did command missions that helped to recover a Marine unit from a bad spot. That action would come after his heroic service to his crew in the aftermath of losing PT109. This is a minor point, but serving to emphasize the apparent need for action scenes.

Ultimately this movie could be more uplifting. What Kennedy achieved in these six days was heroic. He kept his crew together, loosing no one after the initial collision. He routinely placed himself in the front of danger and worked (swam) harder to insure that the badly burned crew members were not to be left behind. He was himself injured but still placed the duties of command first.

The movie makes it very unclear how long the Crew was held together and brought to safety by the leadership and example of Kennedy. In movie time it was long enough for uniforms to become tattered but not so long as to make haircuts or beards get shaggy. Long enough to have a fair number of marks made into a board the men kept. In fact the men were ship wrecked for about 6 days.

I like this story. I mostly liked this movie. Ultimately is was a little flat and shallow. Hollywood movies of this time were famously shallow. Jack Warner intended PT 109 to be a gift for a new president. More of that spirit should have made it to the screen.

16 people found this helpful

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Johnny 0

A portrait of the Cost of American Freedoms, let us not let go of them

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2017

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The first time I saw the movie PT-109, as a 20 year old Marine, aboard a MSTS Troop Ship in 1964. We were 4 decks down, no pop corn, no soda, just cold water to drink. I watched the movie, but I didn't see the movie. I missed the real story of the PT-109 and her crew. Sure I enjoyed the Naval action, the gun fire and the danger as it was portrayed. What I missed was the real story of the Skipper of the 109, and his crew. I didn't understand what these men went through, their suffering and anguish, being marooned in the midst of many thousands of Japanese military and navy personal, no food, no water burns and injuries to their bodies with no medical supplies. I read portions of the book, PT-109, it tells the real story of what happened. Given up for dead from the collision and explosion with a Japanese Destroyer. It was a miracle the crew survived long enough to be found by Islanders who were as determined to find them as the crew of the 109 were determined to survive. As that young man, I missed the real story.
Fortunately. I found the movie I video taped as broadcast on AMC in the middle 80's. I recorded it, and archived it with other movies that were fun to watch. Somewhere around 2013, I was found it again in my video cabinet and got reintroduced to the real story of the drama of the forging of a president of the USA. This time, I got it, what had been ordained in time immortal. I know the movie never was the smash hit that Jack Warner had in mind, but in, my opinion, maybe the movie going audience wasn't mature enough to appreciate what our armed forces faced and suffered. Maybe they couldn't get their minds around the tremendous cost paid by the American Servicemen for these freedoms we how hold so loosely. I'm glad the American men and women, armed with the spirit of the Armies of God, lead by David, persevered and wrenched these freedoms that we hold so loosely from hands that would have been terrible taskmasters. Their experiences of the war-fighters were difficult for them to openly discuss because none of them were prepared for the horrors of they experienced.
About 3 months ago, I decided to order the DVD. The copy I had was suffering from the advances in technology and the ravages of time on old video tape. My copy was, in places, was quite like watching events through a Dakota Snow Storm. I have watched the DVD many times since we received it, and relive the experience each time I see it. It's been said, this period of Mr Kennedy's life was the Crucible that forged hiim to make him as strong and resilient as steel. God was at work growing up an immature inexperienced untried young man into the 'man of the hour' who had been ordained to be the leader of the American Democracy.
Don't hesitate to buy the movie. Sure it was never a box-office hit, as Jack Warner had though it would be,but the real story is worth watching, again and again.

30 people found this helpful

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Dino DiPaolo

Dino D

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2023

Great movie

Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2023

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Saw this movie on vcr a few years ago and always wanted a copy but was unable to.locate one
It very interesting may not be exactly as what happened but it gives to a good idea of what did. It was

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stefano

film di guerra

Reviewed in Italy on August 13, 2023

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ottimo film sulla seconda guerra mondiale, perfetta visione

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GEOFFREY W HARRIS

Five Stars

Reviewed in Australia on July 20, 2018

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Movie received in good order and condition. A well told story about a true legend of our times.

jin

やっと手に入れた

Reviewed in Japan on December 12, 2016

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小学生の時に、映画館で見たのですが、当時の情景が浮かび上がり、タイムスリップしたようでした。

4 people found this helpful

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Papamad

John F. Kennedy en la segunda guerra mundial

Reviewed in Spain on October 12, 2013

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Esta película esta en castellano y tiene una imagen en DVD de muy alta calidad, sorprendente, me esperaba algo mucho peor. Sobre todo por este precio tan increible que me permite rescatar un clásico de mi niñez.

Es un clásico, enmarcada en las islas del Pacífico, se basa en un hecho real, ocurrido a John F Kennedy durante la segunda guerra mundial en lucha contra los japoneses. La pelicula, de 1963, es muy entretenida, el color es magnifico y el sonido es mas que aceptable, es un dolby 2.0.

Por este precio, ni pensarselo. De cabeza.

4 people found this helpful

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Robyn B. Mcgorm

Another good movie

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 18, 2012

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Cliff Robertson played a fantastic role with a bunch of great supporting cast, A movie full of excitement, action and entertainment a classic to watch over and over again and enjoy. The movie is about survivors of a P.T.Boat. Nothing can compare you for the suspense, the feeling of being there with them, seeing what they went through, Not over acted this is an brillant picture, I'm not going to spoil it and tell you everything as it would ruin the movie. It's one of a kind and unusual.I gave it an A Grade plus as one of the best movies in its time. Worth adding to your dvd collection it's a must. With munchies by my side I'm going to sit and put my feet up relax to carry on again watching it. I can't say enough about it,I strongly recommend this dvd to all.

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PT 109 (1963) - A Night at the Movies

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