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Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

To my knowledge - I had not seen this movie before this weekend. I was doing some housekeeping, and accidentally changed to this movie for some background noise (was trying to get a news channel). The clarity of the broadcast image, the subject matter and the high-profile list of actors kept my attention and the housework suffered considerably as I was hooked after about 30 seconds! I found it a refreshing look at the basic facts (with some liberties), a compelling performance by Cagney, and an interesting study in set design and filmmaking.The most interesting thing to me was that this was made only 15 years after the war was over. That is not a very long time (the Belin Wall has been down 25 years now) - and having WWII veterans involved in the production contributed to the air of realism that is present throughout the film. The "Chorus" was interesting the first few times it showed up, but eventually I was able to tune it out and enjoy the rest of the movie!This film tells a compelling story and should be watched at least once by everyone, and seen more often on TV.

My first viewing was a surprise. I had no idea that serious documentary style film-making occurred before the 1970s. The second surprise was during the credits. James Gagney provided funding for this film.Despite Admiral Halsey's reputation, this film paints him as a reasoned thoughtful man who respected his subordinate officers and their men. Highly accurate the film paints the struggle to hold Guadalcanal against almost impossible odds.If you, as a film lover, are looking for a high action film, you might want to pass. This is more the study of the man who won the battle of Guadalcanal with thought, foresight, and more than a touch of daring. In fact there is not one single battle scene with the only real violence taking place when "Washing Machine Charlie" bombs a land base that Halsey happens to be on.The film chronicles the short span of time (five weeks) between Halsey taking over the command of South Pacific forces and the victory over Yamamoto at Guadalcanal.The film is also interesting in that Halsey is never once depicted as bloodthirsty or violent, only that he is determined to rise to the challenge of the Japanese Navy's superior numbers and hold a hard won beachhead on the aforementioned island.Admiral Halsey is quoted as saying: "There are no great men, only great challenges that ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet." This film matches that sentiment in its script, direction, and production values.The only thing I found the least bit annoying about the film was the chorus in the background. Beyond that this film stands up well even today, some fifty years after it was made.A must see for anyone interested in Halsey, the U.S. Navy during World War II, logistics, and/or strategy.

From the many stories of World War Two and from the archives of the Navy, comes this sentimental story of William Halsey. It purports to relay the finally months of the distinguished admiral. Told in semi-documentary style, the admiral recalls his most important memories of the war. Despite the fact that he dwells on the famous battle of Guadalcanal, it depicts how straining his command really was and the toll it took on him. However, the movie unfortunately centered on the admiral and not on the tremendous suffering of his men and his staff. True it mentioned their participation, but not on their combined loss. Further, the movie could have used it cinematic power to reveal the over all sacrifices the men made. The selection of James Cagney as Admiral William Halsey was a stroke of good fortune as were the selection of the other members of the cast. Here we have Dennis Weaver, Ward Costello and Richard Jaeckel as Commander Webb. Overall, this is a fine film, but reservation is made concerning the naval tribute given to Halsey, when such honor belongs to the departed. **

I just love this movie. I am a huge fan of Adm. Halsey. Am also a Navy vet. I wish they would put it out on DVD. Since it is out of print it is very hard to find a copy, there are some used ones thru Amazon.com, but am a little leery of buying one thru this method. Cagney does a terrific job as Halsey, the resemblance is uncanny. I think John Wayne's portrayal of Adm. Torrey in "In Harms Way" is somewhat based on Adm. Halsey, at least that is how it makes me feel. Any fan of WWII movies, particularly Pacific naval ones, would love this movie. I noticed one of the posters stated he had served with Halsey, I truly envy you! Guess it would've been hard since I wasn't born yet!