The Japanese attack on Midway in June 1942, filmed as it happened. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive, in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, in 2006.
The Battle of Midway (1942) is a documentary and war film directed by John Ford, released on September 14, 1942 with a runtime of 18m. It stars Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, Donald Crisp and Irving Pichel. Viewers rate it 5.9 out of 10 across 85 ratings.
Henry Fonda
as Narrator (voice)
Jane Darwell
as Narrator (voice)
Donald Crisp
as Main Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Irving Pichel
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Directed by John Ford, written by Dudley Nichols, James Kevin McGuinness and John Ford, produced by John Ford.
Average viewer score of 5.9/10 from 85 ratings.
Were it not for the fact that this comes with Adm. John Ford’s provenance attached to it, this short feature really wouldn’t amount to much more than a collection of newsreel-style actuality as the battle of Midway took place in the summer of 1942. It’s interesting that he chose enthusiastic Briton Donald Crisp to lead the narration with the likes of Henry Fonda, and there is a plethora of real-time action…
Reviewed on February 8, 2026
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The Battle of Midway (1942) is available to stream on IndieFlix and IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Battle of Midway (1942) includes Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, Donald Crisp and Irving Pichel. The film was directed by John Ford. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Battle of Midway was released on September 14, 1942 and runs for 18m.
The Battle of Midway (1942) holds an average rating of 5.9 out of 10 from 85 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy documentary and war films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
