The Gallant Hours 1960 Drama/History -by Classical

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The Gallant Hours 1960 Drama/History -by Classical

As he retires from the U.S. Navy, Admiral William J. Halsey (James Cagney) recalls the most daunting challenge in his career: the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. Ordered to replace a close friend as fleet admiral, Halsey faces a wily and fierce adversary in Japan’s Admiral Yamamoto, and spends the grueling months of the campaign confounding expectations of both the enemy and his own staff. Pained by the losses he knows they will endure, Halsey pushes his forces to the brink.

A semi-documentary dramatization of five weeks in the life of Vice Admiral William F. “Bull” Halsey, Jr., from his assignment to command the U.S. naval operations in the South Pacific to the Allied victory at Guadalcanal.

Director: Robert Montgomery
Writers: Beirne Lay Jr., Frank D. Gilroy
Stars: James Cagney, Dennis Weaver, Ward Costello
Classical, Public Domain Movie

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8 Replies to “The Gallant Hours 1960 Drama/History -by Classical”

  6. Thsi does not explain why Halsey was created Fleet Admiral and retired a month later. Could it be to cover up that he almost lost a fleet in a hurricane?

  7. Maybe I just don't appreciate "Chanting" enough, but, does anyone else find that the constant chanting distracts from the film far more than it adds? Otherwise, an enjoyable film. Well, guess you can't please everyone as they say.

  8. This is one of the greatest American war movies of all time. It's also one of the greatest military biographies ever filmed. This one is worth paying for, if only to see it in high resolution and with good quality audio.

    Cagney is amazing as Admiral Bull Halsey, capturing the drive, pugnacity and brilliance of the man. He's likely much more contained in this film than Halsey was in real life. Halsey's temper was (in)famous at the time. But such tidying is the nature of hagiography, and no film of a warrior's life has ever more envisioned its subject a saint than this.

    In real life, there was much of Halsey missing in the film. He fought hard against some very poor plans on the part of MacArthur (who did not understand naval warfare), something the film only hints at. The film drills down on just a few events in the early years of WW II, missing what some think were Halsey's greatest accomplishments. Nor does the film account his greatest error, falling for a Japanese feint and leaving the Philippine Island landings at Luzon with insufficient protection. But for all the portions of the Halsey story that are missing, "The Gallant Hours" is still a superb film. There was just too much life and accomplishment in Halsey to cover in two short hours.

    The cinematography is spectacular, though it's hard to maintain the standard set by the amazing opening scene. Even as the titles begin to flow, the stark image burns. The music? The Roger Wagner Chorale was in its day one of America's finest choirs. They do a flawless job singing throughout the film. Using a choir in this way was considered a very risky choice at the time, but it just works. The other actors, Dennis Weaver, Richard Jaeckel et. al., are eclipsed by Cagney, but nonetheless contribute. Weaver, a veritable lightweight becomes a superb foil as Halsey's aide, nagging and teasing in a manner needed to relieve the intensity of the film. An important aspect of casting in this film is the realism: from the dog tired, hungry and often frightened marines at Guadalcanal, to the wide collection of Admirals and General officers, both American and Japanese, there are no caricatures. They represent ordinary men called to extraordinary, and often terrible tasks, and there's barely a block jawed Hollywood hero type in evidence.

    Many years ago, when I first saw "The Gallant Hours", I thought that even at two hours, it was far too short. I wanted more of this story. Over the years, I've probably seen it 6 or 7 times, and I still feel that way today.

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