This war drama depicts the U.S. and Japanese forces in the naval Battle of Midway, which became a turning point for Americans during World War II.
Practical Effects
Insane mix of 1976 actors with actual 1942 combat footage
Acting
Henry Fonda's quiet authority anchors the chaos
Production
Rogue Japanese fleet rebuilt with borrowed ships and desperate ambition
Director
Jack Smight
Charlton Heston
Capt. Matthew Garth
Henry Fonda
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz
James Coburn
Capt. Vinton Maddox
Glenn Ford
Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance
Hal Holbrook
Cmdr. Joseph Rochefort
Robert Mitchum
Vice Adm. William F. 'Bull' Halsey Jr.
Toshirō Mifune
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
Cliff Robertson
Cmdr. Jessop
Robert Wagner
Lt.Cmdr. Blake
Robert Webber
Admiral Jack Fletcher
James Shigeta
Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
Pat Morita
Rear Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka
John Fujioka
Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi
Ed Nelson
Admiral Harry Pearson
Christopher George
Lieutenant Commander C. Wade McClusky
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during America's post-Vietnam funk, this unapologetic patriotic epic felt like a deliberate throwback to moral clarity.
The film nearly bankrupted its studio—the massive cast salaries and location shooting devoured the budget before a single frame processed.
US
