Papa's Torpedo Craft.

There's something about PT-boats that I love. I think its the sleekness of their lines and the way their hulls rise up high on their wide flat sterns as they speed towards a run. There's the spray streaming against your face and the sea air lashing at your temple and the roar of those big twin screws thrusting you forward to battle. Its aquatic and equine in the same breath, a water-borne cavalry charge. Recently I came across a few historical sites, one of these, PT-King, had some great photos which Ive re-posted. For the best in Hollywood's portrayal of these plywood war machines, view John Ford's 'They were Expendable' or see Cliff Robertson in PT-109 or on a lighter note the boxed set starring those good hearted swabbies of McHales Navy makes you realise that 'ol Wally Binghampton is a comic genius.

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My good friend Federico Hill and I often discuss our favourite war movies, there's so many, but for me its usually the early 40's flicks because I love the character actors who seem to turn up in every film like William Bendix, Lionel Stander, George Tobias, Lloyd Nolan and Preston Foster and there's always a guy from Texas and the cabbie from Brooklyn and the young kid from the mid west. The best of these for me is 'Guadalcanal Diary' but for Federico its all about 'They were Expendable', a great early PT boat drama starring John Wayne and Robert Montgomery and directed by John Ford. Above is the most fantastic stylin' photo ever of John Ford on the set of this movie wearing his G-l jacket. I had to share it with you all, its a beauty!
Below is a couple of stills from the movie and under these is a rare look at some early production sketches that were done in 1942.