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. **
Review of The Gallant Hours
