Midway

Set in the Pacific during the summer of 1942, this war drama follows the American and Japanese fleets as they converge on the island of Midway, a battle that would decide the course of the war in that theatre. The Japanese, led by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, aim to draw out and destroy the remaining American carriers, while Admiral Chester W. Nimitz must commit his outnumbered forces and avoid a second disaster like Pearl Harbor. The film blends the strategic planning on both sides with the experience of officers caught up in the fighting.

Jack Smight directed, working from a screenplay by Donald S. Sanford, with Walter Mirisch producing for Universal Pictures and The Mirisch Company. It was Smight's fifth film as director, following Harper, Double Indemnity, Airport 1975 and Midway, and preceding Damnation Alley. The large credited cast of 46 includes Charlton Heston as Capt. Matthew Garth, Henry Fonda as Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, James Coburn as Capt. Vinton Maddox, Glenn Ford as Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, Hal Holbrook as Cmdr. Joseph Rochefort and Robert Mitchum as Vice Adm. William F. Halsey Jr.

Made for a modest 4 million dollars, the film took about 100 million dollars worldwide, a strong return on its budget. On IMDb it holds 6.8/10 from around 23,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.6/10 from 341 votes.