The Gallant Hours

Overview

This World War II drama depicts more cerebral jousting than actual battle scenes. Admiral Halsey (James Cagney) and Japanese Admiral Hamamoto (James T. Goto) engage in a life and death chess game in the South Pacific in the days leading up to the battle of Guadalcanal.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/23/2011
UPC:	0883904219521
Original Release:	1960
Source:	Mgm (Warner)
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[monaural]
Language:	English
Time:	1:56:00
Sales rank:	17,233

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

James Cagney	Fleet Adm. William F. Halsey, Jr.
Dennis Weaver	Lt. Cmdr. Andy Lowe
Ward Costello	Capt. Harry Black
Richard Jaeckel	Lt. Cmdr. Roy Webb
Les Tremayne	Capt. Frank Enright
Robert Burton	Maj. Gen. Roy Geiger
Raymond Bailey	Maj. Gen. Archie Vandergrift
Carl Benton Reid	Adm. Ghormley
Walter Sande	Capt. Horace Keys
Karl Swenson	Capt. Bill Bailey
Vaughn Taylor	Cmdr. Mike Pulaski
Harry Landers	Capt. Joe Foss
Richard Carlyle	Fr. Gehring
Leon Lontoc	Manuel
James T. Goto	Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto
James Yagi	Rear Adm. Jiro Kobe
John McKee	Lt. Harrison Ludlum,Lt. Harrison Ludlum
John Zaremba	Maj. Gen. Harmon
Carleton Young	Col. Evans Carlson
William Schallert	Capt. Tom Lanphier
Nelson Leigh	Adm. Callaghan
Sydney Smith	Adm. Scott
Herbert Lytton	Adm. Murray
Selmer Jackson	Adm. Chester Nimitz,Adm. Chester Nimitz
Tyler McVey	Adm. Ernest J. King
Maggie Magennis	Red Cross Girl
Robert Montgomery Jr.	Marine
Robert Montgomery	Narrator
Art Gilmore	Narrator,Narrator

Technical Credits

Robert Montgomery

Director,Producer

Editorial Reviews

An unusual war film, The Gallant Hours is notable for the restraint with which it conducts itself. As a biography of the man who turned Guadalcanal into a stunning U.S. victory, Gallant would seem a natural for epic, intense scenes of battle and for the kind of macho posturing that can sometimes be found in war films. Instead, director Robert Montgomery and writers Frank D. Gilroy and Beirne Lay, Jr. opt to exclude almost all battle footage and to focus on the behind-the-scenes drama and, in this case, the man that holds the cards in the conflict and must decide how to play them. It's a bold, brave choice, and while those expecting a typical war film will be disappointed, those who savor character development and the drama of subtle expression will be well rewarded. Despite the intentions of its director and writers, Gallant would be a much lesser film with someone other than James Cagney in the lead. His performance is a treasure, a quiet, nuanced, deeply thought out and deeply felt performance that is nevertheless powerful and moving. He builds tension and drama in the most underhanded, marvelous way, and his work here is solid gold. Gallant is not without flaws, including needless narration and a tendency to drag in places. But its assets definitely outweigh its demerits.