To honor the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII, the 2025 student classic film series, presented by the Coronado Island Film Festival, continues to present a slate of Hollywood film classics made during or about WWII.
On Sunday March 16 at 1 p.m. in the Coronado Public Library’s Winn Room, there will be screening of director John Ford’s “They Were Expendable.” The film stars John Wayne, Robert Montgomery and Donna Reed.
The film screening, which is open to the community, tells the story of General Douglas MacArthur returning to the Philippines in October of 1944 after being evacuated to Australia in 1942. Less than a year later, Japan surrendered, ending WWII.
“They Were Expendable” is based on a bestselling book of the same name recounting the heroic actions of Navy officers and sailors assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three during the disastrous fall of the Philippines in the wake of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
WWII-themed screenings will continue through May. The complete student classic series schedule and reservations are available on the CIFF website under the “Year-Round” dropdown tab. All Student Classic screenings are free.
