President John F. Kennedy kept a unique inauguration gift on his desk: a plastic-encased coconut. The tale of that coconut is the heroic story of PT 109.President John F. Kennedy kept a unique inauguration gift on his desk: a plastic-encased coconut. The tale of that coconut is the heroic story of PT 109.President John F. Kennedy kept a unique inauguration gift on his desk: a plastic-encased coconut. The tale of that coconut is the heroic story of PT 109.
- Edgar E. Mauer
- (as Biff Elliott)
- Harold Marney
- (as Evan McCord)
- Andrew Kirksey
- (as Sammy Reese)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaCliff Robertson portrays John F. Kennedy during his late-20s during World War II; Robertson was 40 years old when this film was released.
- GoofsAlthough it is true that African-American sailors served as mess stewards and stevedores during the war, this did not necessarily exclude these sailors from assignment to a gun crew during general quarters aboard ship or ashore, or manning the guns when the assigned crew were killed or wounded. In those days, all sailors, regardless of rate, received basic gunnery training in boot camp.
- Quotes
Ens. Leonard J. Thom: [reporting aboard the PT109] Mr. Kennedy? Ensign Leonard Thom, your exec.
[they exchange salutes]
Lt. John F. Kennedy: Oh, hi. Glad to meet you, Leonard.
[they shake hands]
Lt. John F. Kennedy: Welcome aboard.
Ens. Leonard J. Thom: [looking around the boat] How long did they give you to put it in shape?
Lt. John F. Kennedy: Well, we've used about half the time just talking right here.
- ConnectionsFeatured in 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2012)
- Soundtracks99 Bottles of Beer
(uncredited)
Traditional
The best performance in the film is delivered by JAMES GREGORY as the hard-nosed commander of the PT squadron, with a cynical view of the young Kennedy who has had no wartime training until he arrives in the Pacific to put together a crew to work aboard a hastily repaired patrol boat.
It's a story of courage and heroism that could have been told in ninety minutes to make the drama more taut. Instead, the film is padded out to a two-hours and twenty-minutes length that makes it feel like another "Mr. Roberts," especially during the long first hour.
All of the squadron members are well played by a cast that includes TY HARDIN, GRANT WILLIAMS and ROBERT BLAKE as able seamen who form Kennedy's crew. Touches of wartime humor are present with amusing lines throughout. ("The skipper would mount a tank on a PT boat if he could find one," says a loyal crewman at one point). And when Kennedy is reminded of how idealistic he is when confronting the most unfavorable situations, he replies with a grin: "It must be a character flaw."
The only real flaw with the film is its length, which robs it of some much needed tension toward the middle. However, as a film examining the earlier life of JFK's participation as a lieutenant in WWII, it's satisfying enough as a realistic depiction of the events aboard PT 109.
Summing up: The basic story of Kennedy's efforts to bring his men back safely from a dangerous mission is effectively portrayed and manages to hold the interest despite being overlong. Worth seeing at least once.
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $4,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime2 hours 20 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1