Editing In Harm's Way (section)

== Background and production ==
Wayne's low-key performance was thought to be because was seriously ill with [[lung cancer]] when the film was made. Shortly after filming ended in September 1964, he was diagnosed with the disease<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4651/in-harms-way#articles-reviews |title=In Harm's Way: Articles |work=In Harm's Way |publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]}}</ref> and a month later underwent surgery to remove his entire left lung and two ribs. Co-star [[Franchot Tone]] was soon to also develop lung cancer, and died of the disease in September 1968.
[[File:Operation Pacific-Patricia Neal & John Wayne.JPG|thumb|right|upright|John Wayne with Patricia Neal as a nurse in their earlier film together, ''[[Operation Pacific]]'' (1951)]]
Many of the non-military costumes and hairstyles worn by the women throughout the film were contemporary to the mid-1960s period during which the film was made, rather than of the early 1940s. This is particularly noticeable at the dance that opens the film. Many of the extras in this scene were, in fact, current active-duty military officers and their spouses assigned to various commands on [[Oahu]].

The film was shot in [[black-and-white]] by [[Loyal Griggs]], who composed his scenes in a wide-screen [[Panavision]] format<ref>{{cite book|title=Patricia Neal: An Unquiet Life|author=Stephen Shearer|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|page=362}}</ref> often using [[deep focus]]. Griggs was nominated for a [[Academy Awards|Best Cinematographer Academy Award]] for his work. [[Jerry Goldsmith]]'s musical score is also notable, as is the work of [[Saul Bass]] in the credit titles sequence (this sequence comes at the end of the film, a departure at the time from the norm in a major [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] production).

The film received extensive cooperation from the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]], especially the [[U.S. Navy]] and the [[U.S. Marine Corps]], with substantial filming occurring both aboard warships at sea and ashore at [[Naval Station Pearl Harbor]] (to include [[Ford Island]]) and [[Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay]].

Stanley Holloway played an Australian [[coastwatcher]]. A number of coastwatchers appeared on screen in the early 1960s in part due to increased awareness of their role in the war (President John F. Kennedy's life had been saved by a coastwatcher).<ref name="coast">{{cite magazine|magazine=Filmink|access-date=9 August 2024|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|title=Forgotten Australian TV Plays: The Coastwatchers|year=2023|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-australian-tv-plays-the-coastwatchers/}}</ref>

One of many problems encountered during production was that at the time of the filming (mid- and late 1964), very few ships then in active Navy service resembled their [[World War II]] configuration of two decades earlier.  Only one WW II-vintage [[heavy cruiser]], the {{USS|Saint Paul|CA-73|6}}, still retained most of her wartime configuration (and as a result, she stood in for a couple of unnamed cruisers during the movie), although she did not enter service until 1943, and an accompanying destroyer, {{USS|Philip|DD-498|6}}, which entered service in 1942,  took on the role of USS ''Cassiday'', and were extensively filmed on. Other U.S. Navy ships that participated included the cruiser {{USS|Boston|CA-69|6}} (though only the forward two-thirds of the ship could be shown, as she had missiles installed aft),  destroyers {{USS|Braine|DD-630|6}}, {{USS|O'Bannon|DD-450|2}}, {{USS|Renshaw|DD-499|2}}, and {{USS|Walker|DD-517|2}}, submarine {{USS|Capitaine|SS-336|2}}, and [[attack transport]] {{USS|Renville|APA-227|6}}.  All of the destroyers had to have their modern (1960s) [[antisubmarine warfare]] gear covered over with fake gun mounts or deck houses. Additional smaller vessels were provided in support, as well as an [[HU-16 Albatross]] amphibious aircraft painted in World War II markings, though said aircraft did not enter the U.S. military inventory until 1949. The HU-16 likely substitutes for a [[PBY Catalina]], of which no flyable examples were likely available for the film schedule at that time.

Another anachronism is the widespread use of the [[M151]] light utility vehicle as a World War II jeep, instead of the World War II-era [[Willys MB]] and/or [[Ford GPW]], the M151 having not even entered production until 1959. Also used were a few 1950s-vintage 63-ft [[U.S. Coast Guard]] rescue launches that were made over to resemble [[Electric Launch Company|Elco]] 80-ft [[PT boat]]s, as the few that existed were not available for use.

Reference near the start of the film is made to the "picket destroyer ''Ward''" dropping depth charges on what she believes to be a submarine near the entrance to Pearl Harbor.  This refers to {{USS|Ward}}, which dropped depth charges on what has since been established to be a Japanese two-man minisubmarine. The incident appears in the 1970 film ''[[Tora! Tora! Tora!]]''.  USS ''Ward'' was sunk by kamikaze action in December 1944.

[[George Tomasini]], one of the film's editors, died months before the film was released.<ref>{{cite news |title=In Memoriam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KA4PAQAAIAAJ |access-date=March 20, 2024 |work=The Film Daily |publisher=Wid's Films and Film Folk Incorporated |date=November 1964 |page=12 |language=en}}</ref>