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They Were Expendable (1945)

Directed by John Ford · Cinematography by Joseph H. August

Approved135 min65 frames

DramaWar

A Tribute to Those Who Did So Much... With So Little!

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Stills, screencaps & shots from They Were Expendable

16 of 65 frames — the full set is searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, color and mood with a free account.

They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: medium — A dense, leafy tropical environment provides a backdrop for two men in military gear. The central…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: medium — A sunny outdoor waterfront area with a single large palm tree in the background. Two men wearing…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: wide — A group of soldiers walks along a tropical sandy beach with tall palm trees. The soldiers are spread…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: closeup — A weather-worn canvas sign hangs outdoors, printed with the mission logs of a military squadron.…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: wide — The interior of an airplane fuselage has curved ribbed metal walls and floor. A group of men in…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: wide — A military marina features several patrol boats lined up along wooden piers. Numerous sailors in…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: medium — A sandy patch in a tropical environment contains two simple wooden crosses for graves. Coconuts…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: medium — A dimly lit room contains a table with a bottle and other indistinct objects. A man in a cap sits…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: closeup — An interior space is dimly lit by a sharp side light. A man with short dark hair is framed in a…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: medium — Four men in military uniforms stand in front of a wall-mounted map. They are gathered together,…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: medium — A man in a naval uniform stands outdoors against a bright, cloudy sky. He is looking off to the…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: medium — A dark space where three men are illuminated by a harsh, directional light source. The men stare…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: medium — A woman sits indoors at night with a vase of flowers beside her. She is knitting while casting…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: medium — A concrete bunker room with plank-formed ceiling textures and a caged wall lantern. Three men in…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: closeup — A young sailor in a white cap is framed in a close-up shot. He looks towards the side while…They Were Expendable (1945) movie still: wide — A dirt path cuts through a dense plantation of tall, leafy palm trees. A small group of uniformed…
They Were Expendable (1945) — © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

They Were Expendable — official trailer

What is They Were Expendable about?

After a demonstration of new PT boats, navy brass are still unconvinced of their viability in combat, leaving Lt. "Rusty" Ryan frustrated. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, however, Ryan and his buddy Lt. Brickley are told they can finally take their squadron into battle. The PT boats quickly prove their worth, successfully shooting down Japanese planes, relaying messages between islands, and picking off a multitude of enemy ships.

Where can you watch They Were Expendable?

US availability for They Were Expendable (1945). Data by JustWatch, listings on TMDB. Availability changes — check the provider for current listings.

Who stars in They Were Expendable?

Who made They Were Expendable?

What does the cinematography of They Were Expendable look like?

Sampled across 65 frames, the coverage of They Were Expendable leans on medium shots (48% of the sample) and close-ups (25%). Cinematographer Joseph H. August keeps 48% of it in soft, low-key light. Night and dusk account for 60% of the frames. Vintage glass shapes the frame. Focus stays shallow in 55% of the frames, isolating subjects from their surroundings. The production design places the film in the 1940s.

What is the color palette of They Were Expendable?

The dominant colors across the sampled frames of They Were Expendable (1945) are #040404, #2f2f2f, #8e8e8e, #6c6c6c, #cacaca, #4c4c4b — measured from the per-frame color data FrameThrower extracts for every film.

  • #040404
  • #2f2f2f
  • #8e8e8e
  • #6c6c6c
  • #cacaca
  • #4c4c4b

See the full They Were Expendable colour palette — every hex with its share, plus warmth, saturation and luminance.

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Techniques in this film

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