Play Things

Midway (released in the United Kingdom as Battle of Midway) is a 1976 American war film that chronicles the Battle of Midway, a turning point in the Pacific War of World War II. It was directed by Jack Smight from a screenplay by Donald S. Sanford, and produced by Walter Mirisch. Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, and Toshiro Mifune lead a large ensemble cast, which also features Edward Albert, James Coburn, Glenn Ford, Ed Nelson, Hal Holbrook, Robert Webber, Robert Mitchum, Cliff Robertson, Robert Wagner, James Shigeta, Pat Morita, Dabney Coleman, Erik Estrada, and Tom Selleck in an early role. The film was made using Technicolor, and its soundtrack used Sensurround to augment the physical sensation of engine noise, explosions, crashes and gunfire. Midway was released by Universal Pictures on June 18, 1976. Despite mixed reviews, particularly involving the use of stock footage and an unnecessary romance subplot, the music score by John Williams and the cinematography by Harry Stradling Jr. were highly regarded; as evidenced when Midway became the 10th-most popular movie at the box office in 1976.