The 1945 war film They Were Expendable, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, was shot on location on Key Biscayne, Florida. The production utilized the location's palm trees and sandy landscape to replicate the Philippines during World War II.
Key Facts About the ProductionRelease Date: December 31, 1945
Location Use: Key Biscayne's tropical scenery and beaches substituted for the Southwest Pacific.
Military Authenticity: The U.S. Navy supplied actual 80-foot Elco and 78-foot Higgins PT boats for the film.
Local Background: Much of the site work and base camp was situated in the area that would later become Key Biscayne's Hurricane Harbor.
Robert Montgomery was able to draw on his activity as an actual PT commander (at Guadalcanal and Normandy), as could Jim Havens, one of the second unit directors and the film's explosives expert. Perhaps due to his cumulative experiences in the war, Ford poured a lot of himself into the filming. John Wayne said Ford "was awfully intense on that picture and working with more concentration than I had ever seen. I think he was really out to achieve something."
Ford was quick to show newcomers to his set who was in control. Robert Montgomery would later direct some fine films, but he received an amusing rebuke from Ford early in the shooting for They Were Expendable after suggesting a different way to compose a shot. Ford listened, then made the shot Montgomery's way. Asking if he thought it went well, Montgomery replied that the shot went fine. Ford asked, "Did you really like it?" and Montgomery replied that he did. Ford then opened the camera, yanked the film out, and handed it to his actor, saying, "Here - take it home with you."
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