None but the Brave

{{Short description|1965 film by Frank Sinatra}} {{Other uses}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox film | name = None but the Brave | image = None but the Brave.jpg | alt = Split artwork with a pink left background showing American soldiers and jungle foliage, and a yellow right background with Japanese soldiers, symbolizing opposing perspectives. Two women are also below the soldiers on each side. | caption = Theatrical release poster by Howard Terpning | director = {{Plainlist| * Frank Sinatra * Kazuo Inoue{{efn|Inoue is credited as a technical advisor in the American version of the film, but the ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'', film historian Stuart Galbraith IV, and Japanese sources credit him as co-director, helming the Japanese platoon scenes.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=217}}<ref name="Eiga"/><ref name="Dialogue">{{cite news |last=Gima |first=Dick |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/269346004/ |title=Japanese Dialogue Baffles Sinatra |newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |date=May 22, 1964 |page=19 |url-access=subscription |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://db.eiren.org/contents/02019650003.html |title=勇者のみ |trans-title=None but the Brave |language=ja |publisher= Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. |access-date=August 30, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kinejun.com/cinema/staff/21558 |title=「勇者のみ(1965)」のスタッフ・キャスト|trans-title=Cast and staff of ''None but the Brave'' (1965) |work=Kinema Junpo |language=ja |access-date=August 30, 2025}}</ref> Actor Toru Ibuki also said that Inoue "directed the Japanese side, and Frank Sinatra watched".<ref name="Ibuki">{{cite web|url=https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2020/04/22/tohos-man-of-action-toru-ibuki-recalls-his-adventurous-years-on-and-off-screen/|title=TOHO'S MAN OF ACTION! Toru Ibuki Recalls His Adventurous Years On- and Off-screen! |website=Vantage Point Interviews |date=22 April 2020 |access-date=August 30, 2025}}</ref> However, Galbraith claims special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya was credited as co-director in the Japanese version.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=217}}}} }} | screenplay = {{plainlist| * John Twist * Katsuya Susaki }} | story = Kikumaru Okuda | producer = {{plainlist| * Frank Sinatra * Kikumaru Okuda }} | starring = {{plainlist| * Frank Sinatra * Tatsuya Mihashi * Clint Walker * Takeshi Kato * Tommy Sands * Homare Suguro * Brad Dexter * Kenji Sahara * Tony Bill * Hisao Dazai * Sammy Jackson * Mashahiko Tanimura }} | music = {{Plainlist| * John Williams * Kenjiro Hirose }} | cinematography = {{plainlist| * William Daniels * Harold Lipstein }} | editing = Sam O'Steen | studio = {{plainlist| * Artanis Productions * Tokyo Eiga }} | distributor = {{Plainlist| * Warner Bros. Pictures * Toho (Japan) }} | released = {{Film date|1965|1|15|Japan|1965|2||U.S.}} | runtime = 105 minutes | country = {{plainlist| * United States * Japan }} | language = English<br>Japanese | budget = {{USD|4 million|long=no}} | gross = {{USD|2.5 million|long=no}}<br>{{small|(US/Canada rentals)}} }}

{{Nihongo foot|'''''None but the Brave'''''{{hsp}}|勇者のみ|Yūsha Nomi|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a 1965 anti-war film produced and directed by Frank Sinatra from a screenplay by John Twist and Katsuya Susaki. The film stars Sinatra, Clint Walker, Tommy Sands, Brad Dexter, Tony Bill, and Sammy Jackson as U.S. Marines, and Tatsuya Mihashi, Takeshi Kato, Homare Suguro, Hisao Dazai, Kenji Sahara, and Mashahiko Tanimura as Imperial Japanese soldiers. Stranded on the same uninhabited island during the Pacific War, the two opposing platoons are forced to cooperate to survive.

The film was the first American-Japanese co-production to be shot in the United States, and Sinatra's sole directorial effort. Japanese co-producer Kikumaru Okuda conceived the story. Raoul Walsh, who initially planned to direct, collaborated with Twist on the script before selling it to Sinatra in late 1963. Principal photography commenced in April 1964 on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi, and wrapped that June at Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, with a {{USD|4 million|long=no}} budget. While Sinatra directed most scenes, Kazuo Inoue helmed those featuring only the Japanese cast. During a filming break, Sinatra was saved from drowning by co-star Dexter, enabling production to proceed as scheduled. Special effects, directed by Eiji Tsuburaya, were shot between May and August 1964. John Williams composed the score, with Kenjiro Hirose advising on Japanese music.

''None but the Brave'' was released in Japan on January 15, 1965, and throughout the United States in February 1965, to mixed reviews. Critics were divided over Sinatra's direction, the screenplay, and performances; Sinatra's performance, the Japanese cast, cinematography, special effects, and musical score received praise, while Sands' acting drew criticism.<ref name="ink">{{cite magazine|date=22 April 2026|access-date=22 April 2026|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|magazine=Filmink|title=Not Quite Movie Stars: Tommy Sands|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/not-quite-movie-stars-tommy-sands/}}</ref> It was among the highest-grossing films of 1965, culminating {{USD|2.5 million|long=no}} in North American box office rentals alone. In recent years, ''None but the Brave'' has been critically re-evaluated and noted as an anti-war film predating late 1960s counterculture cinema.

==Plot== During the Pacific Theater of World War II, a platoon of seventeen Japanese soldiers is stationed on an island in the Solomon Archipelago. After American forces bypass their position and a storm destroys their radio, the platoon is stranded. Lieutenant Kuroki maintains discipline as he oversees the construction of a boat for their escape.

One day, an F4U Corsair escorting an R4D Skytrain to Peleliu is intercepted by an A6M Zero. Both fighters engage in a fierce dogfight, destroying each other. The Skytrain crash-lands, killing two aircrew members and stranding nineteen American survivors, including Captain Dennis Bourke, Chief Pharmacist's Mate Francis Maloney, Air Crewman Keller, 2nd Lieutenant Blair, Sergeant Bleeker, and a Marine infantry platoon. Discovering Japanese forces, Blair and Bleeker initially rally the Marines for combat but transfer command to Bourke, who urges restraint. That night, Bourke and Craddock ambush the Japanese investigating the Skytrain, wounding Lance Corporal Hirano before retreating.

The next day, the Americans spot a U.S. Navy warship searching for the lost Skytrain and try to send a smoke signal. A Japanese attack kills a Marine and a Japanese soldier. The warship, mistaking the Americans for Japanese, shells the beach and leaves. Later, Craddock, struggling to lead, tries to capture Japanese Private Okunda, but Okunda's jovial nature leads Craddock to trade with him, providing rare levity for Kuroki. After losing another Marine at a freshwater spring ambush, the Americans attempt to steal the Japanese boat for rescue. The battle destroys the boat and inflicts heavy casualties, deepening the disillusionment of both sides. Another Japanese soldier disarms, seeking peace, but is killed, prompting both sides to retreat. Hirano, desperate over his leg injury, attempts suicide, but is interrupted. Kuroki, determined to save him and tired of loss, negotiates a truce with Bourke for Maloney to amputate Hirano's leg in exchange for resources.

With the truce in effect, the Americans and Japanese split the beach between themselves. They often cross the border to cooperate or spy on each other. The truce is nearly broken when Keller, wary of Japanese intentions, wounds a Japanese soldier who approaches their secret radio post, revealing Keller's defensive instincts. Their standoff is interrupted when a major storm hits the island, destroying their camps. Forced by circumstances, the Americans and Japanese work together to build a flood wall and a shared base, demonstrating a shift from suspicion to cooperation. The next day, Kuroki finds Keller's radio post, which leads him to lose trust in the Americans and fuel his suspicion of potential betrayal. Okunda, who had been trying to provide food for his group, is killed by a shark while fishing, marking the loss of a key provider and affecting group morale.

Keller reestablishes radio contact with the U.S. Navy and arranges a rescue. Kuroki ends the truce after overhearing the plan, while Bourke and Blair suggest surrender. Both sides reluctantly resume hostilities. As USS ''Walker'' (DD-517) approaches, the eight remaining Japanese soldiers Banzai charge the eleven Americans, sparking a firefight that leaves only Maloney, Bourke, Blair, Bleeker, and Corporal Ruffino alive. Maloney finds Kuroki's journal and gives it to Bourke, who considers returning it to Kuroki's wife, Keiko. In his final journal narration, Kuroki urges Keiko not to grieve, assuring her their spirits endure beyond death.

==Cast== ===American platoon=== {{cast listing| * Frank Sinatra as Chief Pharmacist Mate Francis Maloney<ref name=":17"/> * Clint Walker as Capt. Dennis Bourke * Tommy Sands as 2nd Lt. Blair * Brad Dexter as Sgt. Bleeker * Tony Bill as Air Crewman Keller, the radioman * Sammy Jackson as Cpl. Craddock * Richard Bakalyan as Cpl. Ruffino * Rafer Johnson as Pvt. Johnson * Jimmy Griffin as Pvt. Dexter * Christopher Dark as Pvt. Searcy * Don Dorrell as Pvt. Hoxie * Phil Crosby as Pvt. Magee * Howie Young as Pvt. Waller * Roger Ewing as Pvt. Swensholm * Richard Sinatra as Pvt. Roth }}

===Japanese platoon=== {{cast listing| * Tatsuya Mihashi as Lt. Kuroki * Takeshi Katō as Sgt. Tamura * Homare Suguro as Lance Cpl. Hirano * Kenji Sahara as Cpl. Fujimoto * Mashahiko Tanimura as Lead Pvt. Ando * Toru Ibuki as Pvt. Arikawa * Ryucho Shunputei as Pvt. Okunda, the fisherman * Hisao Dazai as Pvt. Tokumaru, the Buddhist priest * Susumu Kurobe as Pvt. Goro * Takashi Inagaki as Pvt. Ishii * Kenichi Hata as Pvt. Sato }}

===Uncredited=== * Laraine Stephens as Lorie, Bourke's fiancée who was killed in an air raid (seen in a flashback)<ref name=pressbook>{{cite book |last=Warner Bros. |author-link=Warner Bros. |url=https://archive.org/details/pressbook-wb-none-but-the-brave |title=None But the Brave |date=1965 |pages=3–4 |publisher=Warner Bros. |type=pressbook |ref=}}</ref> * Nami Tamura as Keiko, Kuroki's wife (flashback) * James E. McLarty as Patrol member * Joe Gray<ref>{{Cite book |last=Freese |first=Gene Scott |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=10dXAwAAQBAJ |title=Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s: A Biographical Dictionary |date=2014 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0786476435 |page=112}}</ref>

==Production== === Development=== {{multiple image | total_width = 300 | direction = horizontal | align = right | footer = Raoul Walsh (left, pictured {{circa|1946}}) was initially set to direct the film in 1963 before Frank Sinatra (pictured in 1961) assumed the role. | image1 = Raoul Walsh - circa 1946.jpg | alt1 = A black-and-white photograph of Raoul Walsh | image2 = Frank Sinatra 1961.jpg | alt2 = A color picture of Frank Sinatra wearing a hat }} ''None but the Brave'' was initiated in the early 1960s by aspiring Japanese producer Kikumaru Okuda,<ref>{{cite news |last=Gima |first=Dick |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/269348648/? |title=Japanese Entertainment News Briefs |date=May 30, 1964 |page=26 |newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |access-date=September 28, 2025 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription }}</ref> who developed the original story and co-produced for Tokyo Eiga.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=217}} The film's title is taken from John Dryden's 1697 poem, ''Alexander's Feast,'' stanza 1: "None but the brave/deserves the fair".<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 27, 2016 |title=What's on TV and radio this weekend |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/whats-on-tv-and-radio-this-weekend-x9n3p7zgd |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 18, 2025 |website=The Times}}</ref> The script was co-authored by American screenwriter John Twist and Japanese writer Katsuya Susaki, a surviving ''kamikaze'' pilot. Their collaboration aimed to present balanced perspectives from both sides of the World War II conflict.{{sfn|Knight|2010|p=264}}<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Galbraith IV |first=Stuart |author-link=Stuart Galbraith IV |title=''None But the Brave'' |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review/74142 |access-date=September 10, 2025 |website=DVD Talk}}</ref>

Filmmaker Raoul Walsh worked on the script with Twist and initially expected he would direct, encouraged by friends in Japan to film there.<ref name=":14">{{Cite book |last=Moss |first=Marilyn Ann |url=https://archive.org/details/raoulwalshtruead0000moss/page/386/mode/1up?q=brave |title=Raoul Walsh: The True Adventures of Hollywood's Legendary Director |date=2011 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |isbn=978-0-8131-3394-2 |page=386}}</ref> On September 3, 1963, the ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' reported that filming was scheduled to begin in Japan within weeks under Walsh's direction.<ref name="Fanning">{{Cite news |last=Fanning |first=Win |date=September 3, 1963 |title=New Series Makes Palance Circus Buff |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/88679396/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 24, 2025 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |page=25 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> However, Twist and Walsh ultimately sold the script to Frank Sinatra.<ref name=":14" /> In October, Warner Bros. Pictures president Jack L. Warner disclosed that ''None but the Brave'' would be the first of three films in a new contract between Warner Bros. and Sinatra's production company.<ref>{{cite news |last=Parsons |first=Louella |author-link=Louella Parsons |date=October 11, 1963 |title=Sinatra set to do movie in Japan |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1108869701/ |newspaper=The Star-Ledger |page=26 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Cassyd |first=Syd |author-link=Syd Cassyd |date=October 21, 1963 |title=Hollywood Report |url=https://archive.org/details/boxofficeoctdec183boxo/page/n105/mode/1up |magazine=Boxoffice |page=16}}</ref> Although ''None but the Brave'' marked Walsh's final film involvement, he was no longer scheduled to direct by November<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 16, 1963 |title=Sinatra Has Warners Deal |url=https://archive.org/details/colorado-springs-gazette-telegraph-1963-11-16/page/n23/ |work=Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph |page=7}}</ref> and received no credit in the finished film.<ref name=":14" />

Frank Sinatra took a keen interest in the script after discovering it at Warner Bros. and eventually decided to helm the film himself.<ref name="pressbook" /> In February 1964, it was reported that the film would mark Sinatra's directorial debut. He and executive producer Howard W. Koch traveled to Japan that same month to collaborate with Toho, securing Japanese actors and a special effects crew. Koch emphasized that ''None but the Brave'' would be the first American film to portray Japanese soldiers sympathetically, and expressed optimism about Sinatra's directorial vision, noting that a successful outcome could lead to Sinatra directing a comedy next.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/variety-1964-02/page/n71/mode/2up?q=%22none+but+the+brave%22+sinatra |title=Can Sinatra 'Steady Down' to Direct? |magazine=Variety |date=February 12, 1964 |pages=4, 8 }}</ref><ref name=":22">{{Cite news |date=February 7, 1964 |title=Sinatra Enterprises Closing Deal For First American-Japanese Co-Production |url=https://archive.org/details/SinatraFBI/sinatra02a/page/n38/mode/1up |access-date=October 22, 2025 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |pages=1, 4 |via=the FBI}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Brien|1998|p=161}} Ultimately, the film was the sixth of nine produced by Sinatra and his sole directorial credit.<ref>{{Cite web |title=None but the Brave |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/16121/none-but-the-brave/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928160411/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/16121/None-but-the-Brave/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |access-date=2023-05-29 |website=Turner Classic Movies |language=en}}</ref><ref>Liner notes, pg. 2, ''None but the Brave'' soundtrack album, FSM Vol. 12, No. 2</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Neibaur |first1=James L |title=Frank Sinatra on the Big Screen: The Singer as Actor and Filmmaker |last2=Schneeberger |first2=Gary |date=May 23, 2022 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=9781476684505 |pages=185}}</ref>

===Casting=== [[File:Clint Walker 1956.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Clint Walker in 1956]] In April–May 1963, Clint Walker entered negotiations to star in the film, marking its initial development announcement and signaling his potential return to Warner Bros. after his seven-year contract with the studio expired.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Denton |first=Charles |date=April 21, 1963 |title=Industry-Back Rating System Eyed; Clint Walker Heads Back To Old Correl |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1208590629/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 24, 2025 |work=The Blade |page=104 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 27, 1963 |title=Clint Gets His Wish |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/619494700/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 24, 2025 |work=The Charlotte News |page=25 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Cassyd |first=Syd |author-link=Syd Cassyd |date=May 6, 1963 |title=Hollywood Report |url=https://archive.org/details/boxofficeaprjun182boxo/page/n373/ |work=Boxoffice |page=22}}</ref> When Walsh was to direct, Troy Donahue, who had recently starred in Walsh's ''A Distant Trumpet'' (released in 1964), was attached to appear.<ref name="Fanning"/> John Wayne was later reported by ''The Hollywood Reporter'' in January 1964 as slated to play Captain Dennis Bourke, but Walker ended up taking on the role.<ref name=":11" /> Rock Hudson was also considered for the role.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hopper |first=Hedda |date=February 10, 1964 |title=Sinatra to Direct ''None But the Brave'' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/374664905/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en}}</ref>

The American cast featured several actors with prior ties to Sinatra. Frank's cousin, Richard Sinatra, appeared in a minor role as a background soldier. Tommy Sands, who played a supporting role, was Sinatra's son-in-law at the time, married to Sinatra's daughter Nancy. A few actors had previously collaborated with Sinatra: Tony Bill, who portrayed a young soldier, had played the younger brother of Sinatra's character in ''Come Blow Your Horn'' (1963), while Richard Bakalyan had co-starred alongside Sinatra in ''Robin and the 7 Hoods'' (1964).<ref name=":11">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/cd_none-but-the-brave-original-motion-picture_john-williams/page/n5/mode/1up |title=None But The Brave (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |date=2009 |page=4}}</ref> Newcomer Jimmy Griffin, who later gained fame as a co-founder of the rock band Bread, had signed a recording contract with Sinatra's Reprise Records in 1962.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 14, 2005 |title=Jimmy Griffin, of the Group Bread, Dies at 61 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/14/arts/music/jimmy-griffin-of-the-group-bread-dies-at-61.html |access-date=September 12, 2025 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Other notable American cast members included Stephens, making her film debut, and she was one of only two women in the cast. Former Olympian Rafer Johnson was the only African-American actor among the ensemble.<ref name=":11" /> Larry Glenn of ''The New York Times'' noted Johnson's casting as reflective of Warner Bros.' early 1960s efforts to promote racial diversity in films not explicitly addressing racial issues.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Glenn |first=Larry |date=May 23, 1965 |title=Pioneering a New Western Trail |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/05/23/archives/pioneering-a-new-western-trail.html |access-date=September 12, 2025 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

By March 11, 1964, Walker and Sands had secured their roles, and Sinatra was attempting to convince Robert Mitchum to join the cast. Toshiro Mifune signed on, persuaded by Sinatra making Toho a partner on the production; however, Mifune ultimately did not appear in the film.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hopper |first=Hedda |author-link=Hedda Hopper |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/98685982/ |title=Debbie Fought For Role |date=March 11, 1964 |newspaper=Detroit Free Press |page=35 }}</ref> Al Silvani was also cast in the film as a U.S. Marine and present during the Hawaii shoot.<ref>{{Cite web |title=May 13, 1964, page 26 - Honolulu Star-Bulletin at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/269983925/ |access-date=2025-10-15 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref>

Sinatra traveled to Japan to cast Japanese actors. Toru Ibuki recounted meeting Sinatra at the Hotel Okura, also being hired as one of Sinatra's bodyguards, working for around five years.<ref name="Ibuki"/> Mihashi, making his Hollywood debut, had joined the cast by March 18.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gima |first=Dick |date=March 18, 1964 |title=Japan's Toho to Make Two Films Here |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/270504072/ |url-access=subscription |work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |page=18 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Casting had been completed by April 16, 1964.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 16, 1964 |title=Sinatra Names Cast For Film Set for Kauai |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/270580945/ |access-date=September 17, 2025 |work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |page=32}}</ref>

=== Pre-production === On February 24, 1964, Frank Sinatra arrived in Honolulu, en route to Japan to cast Japanese actors, and announced filming would begin on either the Hawaiian Islands of Maui or Kauaʻi on April 15.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 25, 1964 |title=Sinatra To Film Movie in Isles |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/556036517/ |url-access=subscription |work=Hawaii Tribune-Herald |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Sinatra, Koch, and William Daniels were scheduled to travel to Maui for location scouting on March 1.<ref name=":22" /> After ten days of searching across Hawaii, the production team chose Pilaa Beach on Kauaʻi. However, heavy rainfall during pre-production damaged the beach, forcing the team to revise their filming plans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Krauss |first=Bob |date=March 26, 1964 |title=In one ear |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/260116732/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 22, 2025 |website=The Honolulu Advertiser |page=17 |language=en |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

On March 11, Sinatra moved to Warner Bros. Studios to take on his role as special assistant to Jack L. Warner, while finalizing preparations for ''None'' ''but the Brave''. Having recently returned from talks with Toho in Tokyo, he set filming to start on April 21, with three weeks of location shooting in Hawaii, followed by studio work in Burbank. A dedicated office for his production team was being built at the studio at that time, set for completion by April 30.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 11, 1964 |title=Frank Sinatra Moves Into WB Headquarters |url=https://archive.org/details/SinatraFBI/sinatra09b/page/n42/mode/1up |work=The Hollywood Reporter |via=the FBI}}</ref>

On March 12, the production faced delays due to the kidnapping trial of Sinatra's son, pushing the start date to later in April. Despite these setbacks, with many technicians and actors already on payroll, Sinatra pressed forward with preparations. At that time, according to Louella Parsons, he was focused on casting an unknown actress to star opposite him, requiring extensive interviews and screen tests.<ref>{{cite news |last=Parsons |first=Louella |author-link=Louella Parsons |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/458306221/ |title=Frank's New Film Waits |date=March 12, 1964 |newspaper=The San Francisco Examiner |page=23}}</ref>

=== Filming ===

====Principal photography==== [[File:Behind the Scenes of None but the Brave 1965.jpg|thumb|Sinatra (center) talking with Eiji Tsuburaya (far left, wearing glasses) and other Japanese crew members on location in Hawaii.]] Principal photography began on April 27, 1964, on Kauaʻi, with the scene of the American platoon evacuating their crashed plane filmed on a beach near Kīlauea.<ref name=":12">{{Cite news |last=Buchwach |first=Buck |date=April 28, 1964 |title=Novice Director Sinatra Begins Filming On Kauai |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/260226362/ |access-date=September 17, 2025 |work=The Honolulu Advertiser |page=1}}</ref> The day's shoot was scheduled to start at 9 a.m., and the Japanese cast and crew arrived by 8:30 a.m., but director Frank Sinatra arrived late, landing by helicopter on the beach.<ref name=":21">{{Cite web |last=Homenick |first=Brett |date=2017-04-27 |title=SHINE BRIGHT! Kenji Sahara on His Motion Picture Career! |url=https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2017/04/27/shine-bright-kenji-sahara-on-his-motion-picture-career/ |access-date=2025-09-17 |website=Vantage Point Interviews |language=en}}</ref> The initial budget was reported as {{US dollar|3 million}},<ref name=":10">{{Cite news |last=Arakaki |first=Joe |date=April 24, 1964 |title=Sinatra Arrives to Begin Film |url=http://newspapers.com/image/270590866/ |work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |page=4}}</ref> but the final budget was reported as {{USD|4 million|long=no}}.<ref name="Costly">{{cite news|date=July 12, 1964 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/260490952/ |title=Film Wars Costly |url-access=subscription |work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=July 21, 2025}}</ref> Sinatra had arrived in Hawaii on April 23, via private plane<ref name=":10" /> and stayed at a retreat across from Coco Palms Resort for five weeks, with 61 additional rooms rented for the cast and crew.<ref name=":12" /> Approximately 75% of the film was shot on location on Kauaʻi.<ref name=":10" />

''None but the Brave'' was the first American-Japanese co-production filmed in the United States.<ref name="pressbook" />{{sfn|''Boxoffice''|1965|p=C-1}}<ref name=":18" /> It was co-produced by Tokyo Eiga (a Toho subsidiary) and Sinatra's Artanis Productions, with Warner Bros. providing financing.<ref name=":20" /> 24 Japanese crew members participated in the Hawaii shoot.<ref name="Dialogue" /><ref name=":23">{{Cite news |last=Black |first=Cobey |date=May 21, 1964 |title=Who's News with Cobey Black |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/269345872/ |work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |page=52}}</ref> Producer Okuda viewed the project as an opportunity to foster international collaborations between Japanese and American film industries.<ref name=":1" /> During production, Okuda met ''James Bond'' producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli, leading to his involvement in ''You Only Live Twice'' (1967).<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Dodds |first1=Klaus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m_h3EQAAQBAJ |title=Global James Bond: (Re)Imagining and Transplanting a Popular Culture Icon |last2=Funnell |first2=Lisa |date=2023 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=979-8-216-28324-9 |pages=111 |language=en |via=Google Books}}</ref> By July 1964, Okuda had signed Jayne Mansfield for a Japan-based film and was developing a project for Marlon Brando.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 20, 1964 |title=Side Show |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/260578889/ |access-date=October 20, 2025 |website=The Honolulu Advertiser |language=en}}</ref> Sinatra invited the Japanese cast and crew to Las Vegas post-filming, but Toho declined due to safety concerns.<ref name=":21" /> This led Okuda to ultimately establish a connection with Caesars Palace through Sinatra; Okuda was later arrested in 1975 for extorting participants in Las Vegas gambling tours he organized.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 3, 1975 |title=Las Vegas Gambling Tours |url=https://archive.org/details/independent-press-telegram-1975-08-03/mode/2up?q=%22Kikumaru+Okuda%22 |access-date=October 20, 2025 |work=Press-Telegram |page=8}}</ref>

The director of photography was Harold Lipstein, a veteran who had previously worked with Sinatra on ''Pal Joey'' (1957).{{sfn|O'Brien|1998|p=162}} Warner Bros. camera chief<ref name=":12" /> William Daniels was credited as an associate producer, and sources conflict on whether he was also involved in the cinematography.{{sfn|O'Brien|1998|p=162}}{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=217}} The film was shot in Technicolor and Panavision.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=217}}

A set for the film was constructed at Pilaa Bay for the Japanese platoon's base, built by 12 Japanese technicians and set decorator Joe Butterworth. Features included a mess table used in the amputation scene, a sweet potato garden, a clothesline with authentic Japanese pillows, and a privy. U.S.-sourced guns and bayonets were used due to Japanese export restrictions.<ref name=":23" />

Howie Young, who was making his film debut, quickly gained a reputation on set for his rugged persona and ongoing struggles with alcoholism. During production, he narrowly avoided an accident while riding a rented motorcycle, after which Koch ordered him not to use another motorcycle until filming wrapped.<ref name=":1" /> At the wrap party for the Hawaiian shoot aboard Sinatra's yacht, a heavily intoxicated Young allegedly grabbed Sinatra and threw him overboard into the Pacific, dislodging Sinatra's toupée in the process, according to accounts from Young's teammate and friend Jim McKenny; Sinatra's associates then beat Young and dumped him onto a nearby beach, leaving him with $200 and amnesia of the incident.<ref>{{cite book |last=Henderson |first=Paul |url=https://archive.org/details/howhockeyexplain0000hend/page/163/mode/1up?q=sinatra |title=How Hockey Explains Canada: The Sport That Defines a Country |publisher=Triumph Books |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-63319-085-6 |pages=163 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="TRW">{{cite book |last=Allan |first=Kevin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G1qSBAAAQBAJ&dq=Howie+Young+threw+sinatra+overboard&pg=PA6 |title=100 Things Red Wings Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die |publisher=Triumph Books |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-6236-8982-7 |page=6}}</ref>

Additional filming took place at Warner Bros. Studios Burbank and Japan,{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=217}} completed by late June.<ref>{{cite news |last=Thomas |first=Bob |author-link=Bob Thomas (reporter) |date=June 29, 1964 |title=Lavish Party for ''None but the Brave'' |url=https://archive.org/details/gettysburg-times-1964-06-29/page/n7/mode/1up?q=%22none+but+the+brave%22+sinatra |newspaper=The Gettysburg Times}}</ref> During this period, Sinatra balanced shooting with preparations for his album ''It Might as Well Be Swing'' (1964). The album's arranger Quincy Jones recalled: "I moved in at Warner Bros. in Dean Martin's dressing room while Frank was next door, shooting the picture every day and editing and so forth. So I used to stay there, I locked myself there for a week and just kept writing. I fell asleep late Sunday night, and then on Monday morning I looked up and there's Frank in a military uniform [costume from the film], asking me how I wanted my eggs. He was cooking breakfast!"<ref>{{cite book |last=Friedwald |first=Will |url=https://archive.org/details/sinatrasongisyou00frie_0/page/410/mode/2up?q=brave |title=Sinatra! The Song is You: A Singer's Art |date=1997 |publisher=Da Capo Press |isbn=0306807424 |location=New York |pages=410 |url-access=registration}}</ref>

==== Direction ==== Sinatra showed a forbearing style as a director, in contrast to his acting approach, which typically involved requesting only one take and displaying impatience. The film was Sinatra's first and only directing credit, a role he had sought for about five years. However, some filmmakers who directed him previously challenged the claim that it was his true directing debut. One noted that Sinatra rarely dictated how scenes were filmed but often made suggestions, adding, "A Sinatra suggestion is more than a suggestion. It's an implied command."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bacon |first=James |author-link=James Bacon (author) |date=September 6, 1964 |title=Sinatra Turns Director, Shows Surprising Patience |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1246852690/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 6, 2025 |work=Connecticut Post |page=40 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Some Sinatra biographers also claim Gordon Douglas, who directed Sinatra's previous film ''Robin and the 7 Hoods'', aided Sinatra or co-directed ''None but the Brave'', albeit uncredited.{{Sfn|Kaplan|2015|p=582}} According to Walker, however, Sinatra directed part of the film before executive producer Howard W. Koch took over, as Sinatra seemed to lose interest.<ref name="a">{{Cite book |last=Aaker |first=Everett |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ILcuEQAAQBAJ |title=Television Western Players of the Fifties: A Biographical Encyclopedia of All Regular Cast Members in Western Series, 1949-1959 |date=2024 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9781476606354 |pages=509 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

During filming, Sinatra said directing was his favorite medium and considered it and ''From Here to Eternity'' (1953) turning points in my film career, noting that were both filmed in Hawaii.<ref name=":23"/> He was drawn to the film's anti-war narrative, which aligned with his strong opposition to war. He noted that the story's poignant, small-scale focus—avoiding large battle scenes—suited his first directorial effort.<ref name=":23"/>

Japanese filmmaker Kazuo Inoue directed the scenes featuring only Japanese soldiers on Sinatra’s behalf, ensuring alignment with cultural sensitivities while Sinatra observed.<ref name="Ibuki2">{{cite web |title=TOHO'S MAN OF ACTION! Toru Ibuki Recalls His Adventurous Years On- and Off-screen! |url=https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2020/04/22/tohos-man-of-action-toru-ibuki-recalls-his-adventurous-years-on-and-off-screen/ |access-date=August 30, 2025 |website=Vantage Point Interviews |date=22 April 2020 }}</ref> He is credited as a technical advisor in the American version of the film, but the ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'', film historian Stuart Galbraith IV, and Japanese sources credit him as co-director.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=217}}<ref name="Dialogue2">{{cite news |last=Gima |first=Dick |date=May 22, 1964 |title=Japanese Dialogue Baffles Sinatra |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/269346004/ |url-access=subscription |newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=勇者のみ |trans-title=None but the Brave |url=http://db.eiren.org/contents/02019650003.html |access-date=August 30, 2025 |publisher=Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=「勇者のみ(1965)」のスタッフ・キャスト |trans-title=Cast and staff of ''None but the Brave'' (1965) |url=https://www.kinejun.com/cinema/staff/21558 |access-date=August 30, 2025 |work=Kinema Junpo |language=ja}}</ref>

==== Near-drowning incident ==== thumb|upright|Sinatra on the beach near where he almost drowned a few days earlier|left During a filming break on May 10, 1964, Sinatra hosted a party at his rented beachfront house in Wailua, Kauaʻi County, Hawaii. Attendees included Howard Koch and his wife Ruth, Brad Dexter, Richard Bakalyan, Jilly Rizzo, and Sinatra's valet, George Jacobs. Most guests headed to the beach, while Howard remained inside reviewing the schedule. Ruth, disregarding warnings about a strong undertow, swam in the surf in front of the house. Noticing this, Sinatra entered the water after her to shield her, but both were quickly swept up by a rip current. Brad Dexter and others then plunged into the water to rescue Sinatra and Ruth. Sinatra biographer James Kaplan remarked that the incident provoked a "''Rashomon''-like array of recollections" among observers and participants, with disputes over who exactly rescued Sinatra and how dire the ordeal was; nevertheless, most accounts acknowledge that Dexter was among those who saved the singer's life.<ref name=":17">{{cite book |last=Kaplan |first=James |author-link=James Kaplan |url=https://archive.org/details/sinatrachairman0000kapl/ |title=Sinatra: The Chairman |publisher=Doubleday |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-385-53539-7 |pages=582–589}}</ref>

Jacobs called the offshore waters shallow with low danger, noting a local surfer on a board quickly aided them with Dexter. Nancy Sinatra, though not an eyewitness, credited locals with saving her father, omitting Dexter. Dexter told biographer Kitty Kelley he spotted the riptide and heard guest Murray Wolf shout about Sinatra struggling. He reached Ruth first, who urged him to save Sinatra, and then aided Sinatra alongside a surfer.<ref name=":17" /> During the incident, Sinatra suffered from hypoxia and, according to Dexter, expressed despair, repeatedly saying, "I'm going to die [...] Please take care of my kids." He described slapping Sinatra and verbally challenging him to fight for his life, noting that Sinatra appeared "limp and lifeless" and lacked the will to survive.<ref name=":17" /> Dexter recalled thinking amid the ordeal of the irony of Sinatra's near-death experience, given his close ties to John F. Kennedy, who had recently died. After rescuing Sinatra, Dexter noted that he was left alone in the water, exhausted, and struggled to reach the shore, an experience that continued to frighten him.<ref name=":20">{{Cite news |last=Sherman |first=Eddie |date=May 13, 1964 |title=Location Vist |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/261090029/ |url-access=subscription |work=The Honolulu Advertiser |page=15}}</ref> News reports also conflicted: UPI described a huge wave, while the Associated Press noted Dexter swam to Sinatra but required surfers to complete the rescue, aligning with Dexter’s account.<ref name=":17" />

According to ''The Kauaʻi Movie Book'' author Chris Cook, as the drama unfolded, a large wave carried Ruth around 75 yards offshore, with Sinatra in pursuit; a second wave returned her near shore but pulled Sinatra around 200 yards out. She called for help. Sinatra struggled for 20 minutes, his face turning blue; Kapaʻa Fire Lieutenant George Keawe said five more minutes could have been fatal. According to Cook, rescuers included neighbor A. O. Giles on a surfboard, County Supervisor Louis Gonsalves, Coco Palms manager Harold Jim, an ambulance from Wilcox Memorial Hospital, and a fire team; Dexter and locals were key. Waves stalled them 150 feet (46 m) offshore until Keawe's rope pulled them in; a firefighter saved Ruth.<ref name=":19">{{Cite book |last=Cook |first=Chris |url=https://archive.org/details/kauaimoviebook0000cook/ |title=The Kauaʻi Movie Book |date=1996 |isbn=9781566471411 |pages=43 |publisher=Mutual Pub. |url-access=limited}}</ref>

After the rescue, according to ''Time'' magazine, Sinatra was unconscious by the time he had been brought back to shore, and got artificial respiration and was stretchered home, diagnosed as exhausted but okay. He rested the rest of the day and filming resumed at Pīlaʻa Beach the next.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=May 22, 1964 |title=Movies: King of the Birds |url=https://ia802304.us.archive.org/BookReader/BookReaderImages.php?zip=/31/items/time-1964-11-13/Time%201964-05-22_jp2.zip&file=Time%201964-05-22_jp2/Time%201964-05-22_0071.jp2&id=time-1964-11-13&scale=1&rotate=0 |magazine=Time |page=48}}</ref> Cook added that Nancy made Sinatra eggs and peppers later on the day of the incident; they watched TV until he slept.<ref name=":19" /> Following his doctor's medical advice to rest after the incident, Frank Sinatra took a day off, with Howard Koch directing the film on his behalf on May 11, 1964; Sinatra resumed directing on May 12.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 12, 1964 |title=Sinatra To Resume Directing |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/261089164/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 20, 2025 |website=The Honolulu Advertiser |page=5 |language=en |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> By May 13, the Kauaʻi filming was reported to be two weeks ahead of schedule, originally planned to conclude there in early June but now expected to wrap by May 21.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 13, 1964 |title=''None But Brave'' Ahead of Schedule |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/269983875 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-10-20 |website=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |page=25 |language=en |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

The incident was widely publicized internationally, with several inquiries including a phone call from actor Yul Brynner.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Sherman |first=Eddie |date=May 14, 1964 |title=Kauai Leftovers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/261091080/ |url-access=subscription |website=The Honolulu Advertiser |page=23 |via=Newspaper.com}}</ref> On May 25, Dexter and six Kauaʻi locals involved in saving Sinatra's life were each awarded a Red Cross medal for their bravery.<ref name=":16">{{Cite news |date=May 26, 1965 |title=Rescue Boat Rites Off Until Swap |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/260544291/ |work=The Honolulu Advertiser |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Sinatra later downplayed the near-drowning publicly, though privately he acknowledged how close he came to death.<ref name=":2" /> To show his gratitude, he donated money to Kauaʻi County officials for a new lifeboat<ref name=":16" /> and grew close to Dexter, later securing him a significant role in his next film ''Von Ryan's Express'' (1965).<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=None but the Brave |url=http://prod.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/16121/none-but-the-brave |access-date=2025-08-25 |website=prod.tcm.com |language=en}}{{dead link|date=December 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Sinatra suffered nightmares about the incident thereafter, and he later distanced Dexter after briefly favoring him.<ref name=":17" />

====Special effects==== The film's special effects were crafted by Toho's special effects unit under the direction of Eiji Tsuburaya.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=46}}<ref name=":0">{{cite book |title=Eiji Tsuburaya's World of Tokusatsu |date=August 10, 2001 |publisher=Keibunsha |isbn=4-7669-3848-8 |pages=105 |language=Japanese}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite book |title=「プロジェクト『三大怪獣地球最大の決戦』」『三大怪獣地球最大の決戦コンプリーション |date=September 2023 |publisher=Hobby Japan |isbn=978-4-7986-3284-1 |pages=81–87 |language=ja |trans-title="Project: The Greatest Battle on Earth, The Three Great Monsters" in The Greatest Battle on Earth, Completion}}</ref> Sinatra was impressed by Tsuburaya's innovative work on the disaster film ''The Last War'' (1961). During a visit for production meetings at Toho's headquarters, he viewed a screening of that film and personally enlisted Tsuburaya for ''None but the Brave''.<ref name=":9" />

Immediately after completing a sequence for the American version of ''Mothra vs. Godzilla'' (1964), Tsuburaya traveled to Hawaii to consult with Sinatra and the production crew on the film's dogfight and tsunami sequences. To ensure accuracy in recreating the environment in miniature, he photographed the Hawaiian coastline and collected samples of local soil and foliage, as he found the environment subtly differed from Japan's coastal landscapes.<ref name=":9" />

While working on the film's plane crash scene on Kauaʻi, Tsuburaya received a visit from collaborator Ishirō Honda. Tsuburaya, struggling to cast the lead for his upcoming series ''Unbalance'', was convinced by Honda to offer the role to Kenji Sahara (appearing in the film). Sahara accepted, starring in the series which premiered in January 1966 as ''Ultra Q''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ryfle |first1=Steve |url=https://archive.org/details/ishiro-honda-a-life-in-film-from-godzilla-to-kurosawa |title=Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa |last2=Godziszewski |first2=Ed |publisher=Wesleyan University Press |year=2017 |isbn=9780819570871 |pages=229}}</ref>

Due to Tsuburaya's packed schedule, special effects photography was deferred to Toho. It began in May 1964, paused in June for work on ''Dogora'', and resumed on August 5, concluding on August 20. The island panoramas, aerial dogfights, plane crash, storm, and tsunami were all completed in this period. The tsunami was shot in one take using a large miniature coastline and a surge of water released down a chute.<ref name=":9" />

=== Music === {{Main|None but the Brave (soundtrack)}} Sinatra's frequent collaborators Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen were initially commissioned to score the film, as reported in June 1964.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 21, 1964 |title=To Do Musical Score |url=https://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FLogin_18%2FAlbany%2520NY%2520Times%2520Union%2FAlbany%2520NY%2520Times%2520Union%25201964%2FAlbany%2520NY%2520Times%2520Union%25201964%2520-%25204902.pdf%23xml%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffffbec9c138%26DocId%3D6473455%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cDISK%2520E%26HitCount%3D4%26hits%3D792%2B793%2B794%2B795%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&uri=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FLogin_18%2FAlbany%2520NY%2520Times%2520Union%2FAlbany%2520NY%2520Times%2520Union%25201964%2FAlbany%2520NY%2520Times%2520Union%25201964%2520-%25204902.pdf&xml=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffffbec9c138%26DocId%3D6473455%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cDISK%2520E%26HitCount%3D4%26hits%3D792%2B793%2B794%2B795%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&openFirstHlPage=false |work=Times Union |page=C-10}}</ref> However, Morris Stoloff, a friend of Sinatra's and music director at Reprise Records, recommended John Williams (credited as Johnny Williams), a then-emerging composer, to compose the score instead. Williams joined the project in September 1964, ultimately delivering his most ambitious work yet, which marked one of his earliest major feature film scores.<ref name="Greiving">{{Cite book |last=Greiving |first=Tim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0vNxEQAAQBAJ |title=John Williams: A Composer's Life |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2025 |isbn=978-0-19-762088-5 |pages=108 }}</ref><ref name=":2" /> This was also his first collaboration with Sinatra; they later worked together on a few other projects, including a fundraising fete for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2025-03-28 |title=None But the Brave |url=https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/works/films/none-but-the-brave/ |access-date=2025-08-25 |website=The Legacy of John Williams |language=en}}</ref>

Drawing from his TV work on shows like ''Alcoa Premiere'' (1961–1963) and ''Kraft Suspense Theatre'' (1963–1965), Williams crafted a score blending dramatic tension with subtle suspense. The main theme, tied to the American platoon, features a bold horn fanfare with a complex descending counterline, influenced by André Previn. The Japanese music advisor, Kenjiro Hirose, also helped incorporate ethnic elements to reflect the Japanese soldiers' perspective, and is credited as co-composer by some sources.<ref name="Eiga">{{Cite web |title=勇者のみ（1965） |url=https://eiga.com/movie/70210/ |access-date=September 29, 2021 |website=Eiga.com}}</ref> For Kuroki and the Japanese soldiers, a serene flute melody and two authentic Japanese tunes, whistled and sung, add cultural depth. Using a Western orchestra, the score subtly evokes Japanese sounds via woodwinds and percussion.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":15">{{Cite web |title=Film Score Monthly CD: ''None But the Brave'' |url=https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/cds/detail.cfm/CDID/423/None-But-the-Brave/ |access-date=September 10, 2025 |website=Film Score Monthly}}</ref>

A tie-in song not featured in the film, titled "None But the Brave", with music by Williams and lyrics by Don Wolf, was released as a promotional single by Reprise Records in 1965, including versions with The Jack Halloran Singers and a Japanese rendition by Frank Nagai. A soundtrack album was released by ''Film Score Monthly'' in 2009, limited to 3,000 copies, with a remix by Mike McDonald and liner notes by Jeff Eldridge.<ref name=":3" />

== Themes == ''None but the Brave'' is regarded as an anti-war film reflecting Sinatra's pacifist and egalitarian views. Sinatra himself considered the film anti-war.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 25, 1964 |title=Sinatra Will Hire Actors in Japan |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/259982167/ |url-access=subscription |work=The Honolulu Advertiser |pages=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Sinatra |first=Nancy |author-link=Nancy Sinatra |url=https://archive.org/details/franksinatramyfa0000sina/page/338/mode/1up?q=anti-war |title=Frank Sinatra, My Father |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=1986 |isbn=978-0-671-62508-5 |page=338 |url-access=limited}}</ref> The film's closing intertitle, reading "Nobody ever wins" instead of the common "The End", notably emphasizes its anti-war theme. In a 1964 interview shortly before production began, Sinatra stated: "Sure, I'm against war and I hope we never have another one ... But in this film I want to show that men in war are not animalistic. It is a Japanese point of view as well as our [American] point of view." Koch added that the film would intend to show not all Japanese during the war acted like ''kamikaze''.<ref name=":10" />

== Release ==

=== Marketing and promotion === ''None but the Brave'' had its first private screening at the Screen Directors Guild Auditorium in Los Angeles on December 11, 1964, receiving applause. The cast and crew attended, but Sinatra's attendance is unclear. He performed earlier that night at the Los Angeles Music Center, substituting for Nat King Cole, and sources differ on whether he arrived at the screening in time.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Greenberg |first=Abe |date=December 15, 1964 |title=Tailors Beware! Persoff's Hungry |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/684662610/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 3, 2025 |work=Citizen-News |page=11 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Connelly |first=Mike |date=December 21, 1964 |title=Notes From Hollywood |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/65215153/ |url-access=subscription |newspaper=Pasadena Independent |location=Pasadena, California |page=69 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The film later had several trade show screenings in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia,<ref>{{cite news |date=December 28, 1964 |title=The New Film |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/88152538 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |page=22}}</ref> Albany, New York, Washington, D.C., among other locations, on December 29.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 4, 1965 |title=Albany |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/27548812/boxoffice-january041965 |work=Boxoffice |pages=E-5, E-6, C-1–2, NC-3 |via=Yumpu}}</ref> Another advance, invitational showing occurred at the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida, run by a Warner Bros. manager, Carrol Ogburn.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 11, 1964 |title=Jacksonville |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/27548862/boxoffice-janury111965 |work=Boxoffice |pages=SE-6}}</ref>

Warner Bros. launched an extensive marketing campaign for the film, notable for being the studio's first release to use color television commercials.<ref name="pressbook" /> The success of its color TV advertisements led Warner Bros. to employ similar ones for ''Cheyenne Autumn'' and other major films thereafter.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/pressbook-wb-cheyenne-autumn/page/10/mode/ |title=Cheyenne Autumn |publisher=Warner Bros. |year=1965 |pages=10 |type=pressbook}}</ref> Additionally, a color behind-the-scenes trailer was distributed to theaters for a four-week promotional run. The campaign featured several tie-ins, including a comic book adaptation published by Dell Comics and a novelization written by Lou Cameron, with 250,000 copies of the latter printed by Fawcett Publications.<ref name="pressbook" />{{Pg|page=|pages=6–9}}

Marvin Miller narrated the theatrical trailer.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 12, 1964 |title=The Los Angeles Times • Page 30 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/382163609/ |access-date=September 15, 2025}}</ref>

=== Theatrical run === ''None but the Brave'' debuted in Japan on January 15, 1965, followed by a roadshow theatrical release throughout the United States the next month.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=217}} Warner Bros. managed the international release, except in Japan and the then-American-occupied Okinawa, where Toho handled distribution.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MjxsAAAAIAAJ&q=brave |title=Japan Trade Guide |date=1965 |publisher=Jiji Press |pages=359}}</ref> The Japanese version ran for 99 minutes,<ref name="Eiga"/> while the American cut lasted 105 minutes.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=217}} The American premiere was held at Chicago's Oriental Theatre on February 11,{{sfn|''Boxoffice''|1965|p=C-1}} with Sands and Tony Bill in attendance.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/motionpictureexh73jaye/page/n181/ |title=Motion Picture Exhibitor: Chicago |date=March 3, 1965 |publisher=Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc. |page=15}}</ref> It went on to gross {{USD|21,000}} there over its first four days.<ref name=":13">{{Cite news |date=February 1965 |title=Sinatra High in Chi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pw4PAQAAIAAJ&q=Morey |access-date=September 19, 2025 |work=The Film Daily |via=Google Books}}</ref> On February 24, it opened in 100 theaters across New York.<ref name=":13" /> The film was also shown as a double feature with ''Zulu'' (1964) in Provo, Utah.<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE MANY LIVES OF "ZULU" - Cinema Retro |url=https://cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/8083-THE-MANY-LIVES-OF-ZULU.html |access-date=2025-10-10 |website=cinemaretro.com}}</ref>

''Boxoffice'' listed ''None but the Brave'' amongst the Top Hits of 1964 and 1965, with earnings 168% above the film industry average.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 28, 1966 |title=Hits of '64-65 |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/27566752/boxoffice-february281966 |work=Boxoffice |pages=30, 85}}</ref> It earned {{USD|2.5 million|long=no}} in distributors' rentals in the United States and Canada, making it a moderate box office success there.{{sfn|''Variety''|1966|p=36}}{{sfn|Kaplan|2015|p=621}} In the 1960s, rentals typically represented about 50% of the box office gross for major films, a consensus supported by industry analyses.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4855164 |title=Product Differentiation at the Movies: Hollywood, 1946 to 1965 |page=684}}</ref> Thus, the film likely had a North American box office total of around $5 million. The film also sold 1.2 million tickets in Spain, and 732.6 thousand in France.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Только отважные (1965) |url=https://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/12495/ |access-date=September 15, 2025 |website=Kinopoisk |language=ru}}</ref>

Sinatra's first date with his future wife, Mia Farrow, was a screening of the film.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Way He Flew His Plane |url=https://markscohen.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/franksplane-1.pdf |access-date=September 10, 2025 |page=72}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Glancey |first=Jonathan |author-link=Jonathan Glancey |date=August 14, 2015 |title=The Learjet: The private plane that changed travel |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20150813-the-ultimate-in-personal-luxury |access-date=September 17, 2025 |website=BBC}}</ref>

==Reception== [[File:Tommy Sands 1957.JPG|thumb|upright|The performance of Tommy Sands (pictured in 1957) drew widespread critical disapproval. A ''Los Angeles Times'' review calling him "hopelessly hammy" prompted Sands to punch critic Kevin Thomas in the face during a 1965 encounter.]] Upon its release, ''None but the Brave'' received mixed<ref name=":11" /> or polarized<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morgan |first=Chance |date=2022-04-12 |title=From Questlove to Prince: 10 Musicians Who Turned Director |url=https://collider.com/questlove-to-prince-musicians-turned-director/ |access-date=2025-10-06 |website=Collider |language=en}}</ref> reviews from critics. A ''Boxoffice'' survey noted six favorable reviews and one unfavorable.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/27549295/boxoffice-march291965 |title=Review Digest |date=March 29, 1965 |magazine=Boxoffice |page=6}}</ref> According to a Consumer Reports reader poll, audience reviews for the film were generally positive, while the critical consensus was mixed to positive.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=November 1965 |title=Readers' and Critics' Ratings of Other Pictures |url=https://archive.org/details/cu-nov-1965/page/572/ |magazine=Consumer Reports |page=572}}</ref> The film's soundtrack booklet claims that although its reception was mixed, Sinatra's directing was often praised as a solid debut effort.<ref name=":11" /> Sinatra biographer Daniel O'Brien states the film's reviews were "mixed, often favorable", whereas Tim Knight and James Kaplan conveyed that not all reviews were unfavorable, but those that were noted for sounding particularly hostile.{{sfn|O'Brien|1998|p=165}}{{sfn|Knight|2010|p=267}}{{sfn|Kaplan|2015|p=620}} The 1965 issue of ''Movie Life Yearbook'' and Robert Appelbaum assert that critics mostly panned the film, with the latter adding they overlooked its innovative aspects and only focused on its flaws.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/movie-life-yearbook-january-1965/page/17/ |title=Movie Life Yearbook |chapter=The Frantic Life of Frank Sinatra (continued) |year=1965 |issue=38 |page=17 }}</ref>{{sfn|Appelbaum|2017|p=61}}

Sinatra's direction and the script especially polarized reviewers. ''Variety'' commended Sinatra for "maintaining a suspenseful pace",<ref name=":18">{{cite news |date=1965 |title=''None but the Brave'' |url=https://variety.com/1964/film/reviews/none-but-the-brave-1200420813/ |access-date=September 7, 2025 |work=Variety}}</ref> while ''The New York Times'' critic Bosley Crowther found the direction unoriginal and the script contrived.<ref name=":5">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/02/25/archives/he-stars-in-war-film-none-but-the-brave.html|website=The New York Times|title=He Stars in War Film, 'None but the Brave.'|author=Crowther, Bosley|date=February 25, 1965}}</ref> A ''Time'' reviewer acknowledged the film's pacifist message but criticized its reliance on stereotypical characters and a simplistic, action-oriented climax.<ref name=":4">{{Cite magazine |date=February 26, 1965 |title=Cinema: War on the Flip Side |url=https://time.com/archive/6627362/cinema-war-on-the-flip-side/ |access-date=September 7, 2025 |magazine=Time}}</ref> ''The Cincinnati Post'' deemed the film "among Hollywood's all-time worsts" due to its "trite" premise,<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Stevens |first=Dale |date=February 12, 1965 |title='Sylvia' Tawdry; Sinatra Film Awful |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1032176343/?match=1&terms=%22none%20but%20the%20brave%22%20sinatra%20tawdry |url-access=subscription |work=The Cincinnati Post |page=23 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> and a ''Boxoffice'' reviewer attributed the film's uneven execution to Sinatra's inexperience as a director, resulting in "the ruination of a good story".<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 21, 1966 |title=The Exhibitor Has His Say About Pictures |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/27600129/boxoffice-march211966 |work=Boxoffice |page=44}}</ref> A ''Film Quarterly'' critic wrote the direction was "a bit haphazard, and it can hardly sustain so weak a script; there are moments, but the character work is atrocious".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hodgens |first=R. M. |date=April 1965 |title=Entertainments: ''None but the Brave'' |url=https://ucp.silverchair-cdn.com/ucp/content_public/journal/fq/18/3/10.2307_1210983/1/1210983.pdf |journal=Film Quarterly |language=en |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=61 |doi=10.2307/1210983 |jstor=1210983 |issn=0015-1386 }}</ref> In contrast, ''Citizen News'', ''The Atlanta Journal'', and Kevin Thomas of the ''Los Angeles Times'' praised Sinatra's directorial approach, with the latter describing it as "straightforward and understated".<ref>{{cite book | title=Frank Sinatra | date=2004 | isbn=978-1-58979-145-9 | url=https://archive.org/details/franksinatra0000turn/page/144/mode/1up?q=none+but+the+brave+sinatra }}</ref><ref name="AJ">{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/970628101/ |title=Sinatra Directs: ''None but the Brave'' Marks Pair of Firsts |last=Lucchese |first=Sam F. |date=March 19, 1965 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal |page=21 |access-date=September 13, 2025}}</ref><ref name="Munroe">{{cite news |last=Munroe |first=Dale |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/684515535/ |title=''None But Brave'' Intriguing Drama |date=February 19, 1965 |page=8 |newspaper=Los Angeles Evening Citizen News }}</ref> Furthermore, Brazil's ''Correio da Manhã'' observed that "Sinatra's humanist and pacifist spirit failed to impress critics".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://memoria.bn.gov.br/DocReader/DocReader.aspx?bib=089842_07&pesq=Os%20Bravos%20Morrem%20Lutando&pagfis=69453 |title=''Os Bravos Morrem Lutando'' (''None But The Brave'') |newspaper=Correio da Manhã |page=52 |date=February 27, 1966 |language=pt-BR |quote=Parece que. O espírito humanista e pacifista de Sinatra não chegou a impressionar a crítica, que, em seu filme, vê frustração. Contudo, deve ter grande apêlo de publico. }}</ref>

Many critics found the closing intertitle "Nobody ever wins" memorable; ''The Toronto Star'' reviewer dismissed it as "cheaply offensive" in context.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mar 09, 1965, page 20 - The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/942104267 |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> Though some acknowledged the anti-war message as clear, they judged it muddled by clichéd execution and tonal inconsistencies. Phyllis Funke of the ''Courier Journal'' called the theme "painfully mediocre", feeling that while the "Nobody ever wins" lands plainly, trite war-movie tropes undermine its impact.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Feb 25, 1965, page 30 - The Courier-Journal at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/107350651/ |access-date=2025-10-23 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Feb 21, 1965, page 69 - Independent Star-News at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/31766095/ |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mar 18, 1965, page 26 - The News Journal at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/164183265/ |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mar 06, 1965, page 43 - Fort Lauderdale News at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/271909712/ |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref>

Although reviews of the actors' performances were assorted, Sinatra's acting was often highlighted over his directing, according to ''The Sydney Morning Herald''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 18, 1965 |title=Sinatra tries to win the kids... |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/122768360/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 13, 2025 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |page=71 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Crowther praised Sinatra's performance but rebuked the rest of the American cast as unconvincing.<ref name=":5" /> The Japanese cast was described by ''Time'' and the ''Asbury Park Press'' as outperforming their American counterparts.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=February 25, 1965 |title=On Shore Screens: ''None But the Brave'' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/143685075/ |url-access=subscription |work=Asbury Park Press |page=24}}</ref> ''Citizen News'' described the film as a "minor ''tour de force'' for Walker and Mihashi, but most other cast members acquit themselves well."<ref name="Munroe" /> Sands faced criticism for an exaggerated performance in outlets including ''The Boston Globe'', ''The Cincinnati Post'', the ''Chicago Tribune'' and the British newspapers ''Acton Gazette'' and ''Esher News & Mail''.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=March 25, 1965 |title=''None but the Brave'' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/931956982/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 13, 2025 |work=Acton Gazette |location=Ealing, London, England |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 11, 1965 |title=For Your Bookshelf |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/887795477/ |access-date=September 13, 2025 |work=Esher News & Mail |pages=11}}</ref><ref name="Globe">{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/433706721/ |title=''None But the Brave'': Exciting War Drama Opens at Paramount |date=February 25, 1965 |page=46 |newspaper=The Boston Globe }}</ref><ref name="Tribune">{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/376441404/ |title=War Film Is Directed by Sinatra |date=February 16, 1965 |page=28 |via=Newspapers.com }}</ref> Though he lauded most of the performances, Thomas also echoed this critique of Sands by calling him "hopelessly hammy". As stated by Sands' publicist, this remark angered Sands and led to him punching Thomas in the nose during an encounter at the ''Los Angeles Times'' building later that year.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harding |first=Henry |date=December 4, 1965 |title=For the Record: Slow Poke |url=https://archive.org/details/vintage-tv-guides/TV%20Guide%201965-12-04%20Northern%20CA/page/A-3/mode/1up?q=%22none+but+the+brave%22 |work=TV Guide |page=A-3}}</ref> The incident reportedly resulted in Thomas becoming the ''Los Angeles Times''<nowiki/>' go-to full-time film critic for around five decades.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 8, 2025 |title=Wisconsin Film Festival: April 3-10, 2025 |url=https://wifilmfest.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/1554/2025/03/WFF2025-guide-compressed.pdf |access-date=September 7, 2025 |website=Wisconsin Film Festival |page=6}}</ref>

The film's technical aspects were largely praised, especially the cinematography, special effects, and Williams' score.<ref name="AJ" /><ref name="Munroe" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Bourke |first=George |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/620723048/ |title=''None But Brave'' Suspensefully Done |date=March 6, 1965 |newspaper=The Miami Herald |page=35 }}</ref><ref name="Globe" /> ''The Atlanta Journal'' also highlighted Sam O'Steen's editing, and described the score as "maritally suitable for backgrounding and keeps pace with the action".<ref name="AJ" />

In late 1965, ''None but the Brave'' won the Olivier d'Or, Belgium's highest film honor, awarded by the Jury of the Prix Femina.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 22, 1965 |title=Sinatra Film Cited |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1096878203/?match=4&terms=none%20but%20the%20brave%20Sinatra%20belgium%20jury |url-access=subscription |work=Daily Breeze |page=17 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

== Post-release ==

=== Aftermath === According to Sinatra's valet George Jacobs, Frank cast son-in-law Sands in a prominent role in the film to revive his faltering acting career. However, the harsh reviews of Sands' performance—compounded by his widely-reported physical altercation with a critic—accelerated further to his decline. Overwhelmed, Sands abruptly left Hollywood and his marriage to Nancy Sinatra, deeply affecting their daughter. Despite his volatile reputation, Sinatra refrained from public retaliation. Jacobs also considered the film a box-office bomb.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jacobs |first1=George |author-link1=George Jacobs (valet) |url=https://archive.org/details/mrs00geor/page/208/mode/1up?q=%22brave%22 |title=Mr. S: My Life with Frank Sinatra |last2=Stadiem |first2=William |author-link2=William Stadiem |publisher=HarperEntertainment |year=2003 |isbn=978-0060515164 |page=208 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

In 1976, Sinatra expressed frustration that journalists overlooked his directorial work on ''None but the Brave'' in the years following its release, describing it as a "damn good" film.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bart |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Bart |date=June 24, 2021 |title=Today's Movie Stars May Be Losing Their Aura, But Sinatra's Mystique Survives |url=https://deadline.com/2021/06/frank-sinatra-mystique-hollywood-palm-springs-peter-bart-1234780863/ |access-date=September 16, 2025 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Home media === ''None but the Brave'' was released on VHS in April 1998. In 1999, renewed interest in World War II films, sparked by ''Saving Private Ryan'' and ''The Thin Red Line'' (both released in 1998), prompted Warner Home Video to capitalize on the trend by re-pricing ''None'' ''but the Brave'' to under $10.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1999-05-27 |title=LOCKED AND LOADED |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1999/05/27/locked-and-loaded/ |access-date=2025-10-11 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Legacy ==

=== Cultural influence === ''None but the Brave'' is considered innovative for its early anti-war stance at the onset of the Vietnam War era, empathetic portrayal of both Japanese and American soldiers, and using subtitles for Japanese dialogue.{{Sfn|Knight|2010|p=264}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wills |first=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mH7lCQAAQBAJ |title=The Cinematic Legacy of Frank Sinatra |date=June 25, 2025 |publisher=Macmillan Publishers |isbn=9781250089953}}</ref> Its balanced view of both sides of the conflict set a precedent for the war film genre, influencing later Hollywood films such as ''Beach Red'' (1967), ''Hell in the Pacific'' (1968), and Clint Eastwood's ''Letters from Iwo Jima'' (2006).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Glenn |first=Erickson |date=May 2008 |title=DVD Savant Review: Frank Sinatra: The Golden Years |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s2586sina.html |access-date=October 12, 2025 |website=DVD Talk}}</ref>

Though the film remains likely best remembered as Sinatra's sole directing credit, it has also been recognized as an important credit for pre-fame Williams. His work on the film helped him develop his unique musical style later seen in major films.<ref name=":15" /> Williams has noted that his experience composing for ''None but the Brave'', particularly his exploration of Japanese musical traditions, collaboration with Japanese musicians, and study of traditional instruments, influenced his score for ''Memoirs of a Geisha'' (2005).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019 |title=John Williams and Anne-Sophie Mutter discuss ''Across the Stars'' |url=https://www.todalamusica.es/files/2019-07%20JW-ASM%20interview.pdf |access-date=September 24, 2025}}</ref> Additionally, the atmospheric and suspenseful elements in his ''None but the Brave'' score have been likened to his later work on ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' (1977) and ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' (1981).<ref name=":15" />

The film served as an inspiration for "Rocks and Shoals" (1997), an episode from the sixth season of ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=DeCandido |first=Keith R. A. |date=August 12, 2014 |title=Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Rewatch: "Rocks and Shoals" |url=https://reactormag.com/star-trek-deep-space-nine-rewatch-rocks-and-shoals/ |access-date=September 28, 2025 |website=Reactor |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Seitz |first=David K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BmnDEAAAQBAJ |title=A Different Trek: Radical Geographies of Deep Space Nine |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-4962-3542-8 |pages=132}}</ref> According to showrunner Ira Steven Behr, the writing team watched the film together to guide their war-focused stories for the season.<ref name="Deep Space Nine Companion">{{cite book |last1=Erdmann |first1=Terry J. |title=Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion |last2=Block |first2=Paula M. |publisher=Pocket Books |year=2000 |isbn=0-671-50106-2 |page=488}}</ref> It is also referenced in Neil LaBute's 2004 play ''Fat Pig'', wherein it is mentioned by the character Helen and emphasizes that she has a taste for obscure films.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The "Othered" Bodies: Fat Embodiment in Neil Labute's ''Fat Pig'' |url=http://monografjournal.com/sayilar/10/monograf-sayi-10.pdf#page=113 |access-date=September 9, 2025 |page=113}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nahigian |first=John M. |date=May 2020 |title=Modern Day Mortality Plays, Machiavels and Meta-Theater: The Classical Dramaturgy of Neil Labute |url=https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/6w924h752.pdf |access-date=September 9, 2025 |pages=50, 66}}</ref>

Cyril Jordan, frontman of the rock band Flamin' Groovies, named the album ''Shake Some Action'' and its title song after a line said by Sands' character in ''None but the Brave''.<ref name="Chronicle">{{cite news |last=Dansby |first=Andrew |date=April 30, 2014 |title=Flamin' Groovies frontman remembers not-so-psychedelic '60s |url=http://www.chron.com/entertainment/music/article/Flamin-Groovies-frontman-remembers-5441859.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140501152932/http://www.chron.com/entertainment/music/article/Flamin-Groovies-frontman-remembers-5441859.php#photo-6238466 |archive-date=May 1, 2014 |accessdate=October 10, 2025 |work=Houston Chronicle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017 |title=TEENAGE HEAD: The Definitive Q&A With Cyril Jordan Of The Legendary Flamin' Groovies Pt. 2 |url=https://phawker.com/2017/08/17/teenage-head-the-definitive-qa-with-cyril-jordan-of-the-legendary-flamin-groovies-pt-2/ |access-date=October 10, 2025 |website=Phawker.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Critical reassessment === As ''Flavorwire'' noted in 2013, the film has since undergone renewed interest and a more favorable critical reputation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Jason |date=May 21, 2013 |title=12 Famous Actors and the Films You Forgot They Directed |url=https://www.flavorwire.com/392147/12-famous-actors-and-the-films-you-forgot-they-directed |access-date=September 17, 2025 |website=Flavorwire}}</ref> Reviewers have commended Sinatra's direction, alongside his, Mihashi's, and Walker performances, Williams' score, and the screenplay's balanced humanization of American and Japanese soldiers. However, Sands' acting is still widely criticized as over-the-top, and some note uneven pacing by modern standards.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Review: ''None But the Brave'' (1965) |url=https://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12331-REVIEW-NONE-BUT-THE-BRAVE-1965-STARRING-AND-DIRECTED-BY-FRANK-SINATRA;-WARNER-ARCHIVE-BLU-RAY.html |access-date=September 10, 2025 |website=Cinema Retro}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2010 |title=''None But the Brave'' |url=https://www.timeout.com/movies/none-but-the-brave |access-date=September 10, 2025 |website=Time Out}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=None But the Brave movie review (1965) |url=https://www.franksmovielog.com/reviews/none-but-the-brave-1965/ |access-date=2025-09-10 |website=www.franksmovielog.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-28 |title=View from the Couch: Cinderella, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, MST3K, Us, etc. |url=https://thefilmfrenzy.com/2019/06/28/view-from-the-couch-cinderella-hedwig-and-the-angry-inch-mst3k-us-etc/ |access-date=2025-09-10 |website=FILM FRENZY |language=en-US}}</ref>

Current critic Robert Horton (of Washington's ''The Herald'') calls ''None but the Brave'' "a 1965 anti-war picture that turns out to be much more interesting and compelling than its reputation would suggest," that "predates the rash of anti-war counterculture movies by a few years," also noting that it "bears the influence of ''Bridge on the River Kwai'' with a little ''Mister Roberts'' thrown in, but it has a bitterness about war that goes all the way through to the forceful final title, a reflection of Sinatra's liberal views at the time." Horton points out that Clint Eastwood received a lot of credit for making two films that showed World War II from the American and the Japanese sides (''Flags of Our Fathers'' and ''Letters from Iwo Jima''), but that "in a way, Sinatra had already done it, and in one movie."<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/None-But-Brave-Frank-Sinatra/dp/B00143XE0U Robert Horton, Amazon Editorial Review for ''None But the Brave'']</ref> ''Screen Rant'' described it as a "dark - but cliched - anti-war epic" and praised Sinatra's direction and Mihashi's performance.<ref name=":8">{{cite web|last=Cotter|first=Padraig|title=''None But The Brave'': Frank Sinatra's Directorial Debut Was An Anti-War Epic|url=https://screenrant.com/none-but-brave-movie-frank-sinatra-antiwar-epic/|date=October 6, 2019|url-status=live|access-date=March 5, 2023|website=Screen Rant|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305011704/https://screenrant.com/none-but-brave-movie-frank-sinatra-antiwar-epic/|archive-date=March 5, 2023}}</ref>

''Filmink'' called it "not a bad picture, surprisingly anti-war and sympathetic to the Japanese (Clint Walker has the lead more than Sinatra), but Sands’ performance is dreadful."<ref name="ink"/> == Footnotes == {{Notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography== {{Refbegin}} * {{cite magazine |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/27548905/boxoffice-january251965 |title=''None but the Brave'' Set For February Premiere |magazine=Boxoffice |date=January 25, 1965 |ref={{harvid|''Boxoffice''|1965}}}} * {{cite book |last=Galbraith IV |first=Stuart |title=The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography |publisher=Scarecrow Press |date=2008 |isbn=9781461673743 |author-link=Stuart Galbraith IV}} * {{cite book |last=Knight |first=Timothy |title=Sinatra: Hollywood His Way |url=https://archive.org/details/sinatrahollywood0000knig |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/sinatrahollywood0000knig/page/79 79] |date=October 12, 2010 |publisher=Running Press Book Publishers |isbn=978-0-7624-4174-7}} * {{cite book |last=Ryfle |first=Steve |url=https://archive.org/details/japansfavoritemo0000ryfl |title=Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of the Big G |publisher=ECW Press |year=1998 |isbn=1550223488}} * {{cite magazine |title=Top Grossers of 1965 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1966-01-05_241_7/page/36/mode/1up |magazine=Variety |date=January 5, 1966 |ref={{harvid|''Variety''|1966}}}} {{Refend}}

==External links== * {{IMDb title|0059518|title=None But the Brave}} * {{TCMDb title|16121}} * {{AFI film|19565}}

Category:1965 films Category:1965 war films Category:American war films Category:Anti-war films about World War II Category:Films scored by John Williams Category:Films adapted into comics Category:Films directed by Frank Sinatra Category:Films set in Oceania Category:Films set on islands Category:Films shot in Hawaii Category:1965 Japanese-language films Category:Japanese war films Category:Pacific War films Category:Films about the United States Marine Corps Category:War adventure films Category:Warner Bros. films Category:Films produced by Frank Sinatra Category:1965 directorial debut films Category:American World War II films Category:Japanese World War II films Category:1965 English-language films Category:1965 American films Category:1965 Japanese films Category:English-language war films Category:Toho films