The Battle of Midway (1942) on Netflix
TV-PG194218mDocumentaryWar
In June 1942 a Japanese force moves on Midway Island in the central Pacific. The Americans on the island prepare to defend it, while naval photographers film the battle as it happens.
- Netflix3.1/5
- IMDb6.1/102,462 votes
- Rotten TomatoesNot available
Plot summary
A Japanese force moves to take Midway Island in the North Pacific in June 1942, and the base prepares to meet it. Naval photographers on the island, working from the power plant at its highest point, record the sailors and Marines at their posts and then the attack itself. Narration carries the audience to Midway's position in the central Pacific, and a woman from Springfield, Ohio, picks out a boy from her home town, Army Air Force pilot William E. "Junior" Kinney, whose family appears in footage from home. Color film shot during the battle follows the defense of the island and the fighting at sea.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Battle of Midway (1942)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- John Ford and cameraman Joseph August shot handheld 16mm footage of the Battle of Midway from the island's power plant, the highest point on Midway, where the base commander had sent Ford and the sounds of battle woke him. Both men were wounded by enemy fire while filming.
- The Navy sent Commander John Ford to Midway Island in 1942 to photograph guerrillas, saboteurs and resistance outfits for the records and for intelligence. He was filming casual footage of the base's sailors and Marines when, two days before the battle, he learned the Japanese planned to attack.
