Motor Machinist Mate 2nd class. Errol John as Benjamin Kevu Sam Gilman as Raymond Starkey William Douglas as Gerard Zinser James McCallion as Pat McMahon Glenn Sipes as William Johnson Dean Smith as Lieutenant Liebenow Andrew Duggan as the narrator (uncredited) George Takei as helmsman of the Japanese destroyer (uncredited) Production Kennedy's father, Joseph Kennedy, Sr., had been the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain at the onset of World War II, as well as an influential Hollywood producer and former head of RKO studio. He negotiated the film rights to Donovan's 1961 biography of his son. The film was made under the "personal supervision" of Warner's head of production, Jack L. Warner. The White House sent former PT boat commander Alvin Cluster, a wartime buddy of President Kennedy and his former commanding officer, to act as a liaison between Warner Bros. and the White House. Among other actors considered for the lead were Peter Fonda, who objected to having to deliver his screen test using an impersonation of Kennedy's voice; Warren Beatty (Jacqueline Kennedy's choice); Jeffrey Hunter, who had just finished playing Jesus Christ in King of Kings; and Warner Bros Television contract stars Edd Byrnes, Peter Brown, Chad Everett and Roger Smith. Kennedy set three conditions on the film: that it be historically accurate, that profits go to the survivors of the PT 109 and their families, and that he would have the final choice of lead actor. He selected and then met with Robertson after viewing the screen tests. Though Robertson was stockier and 13 years older than Kennedy had been in the South Pacific, having served in the Merchant Marine as a third mate during World War II, he was chosen because (as Alvin Cluster told him), "The President picked you not only because you were a fine actor but because you're young looking, yet mature enough so that the world won't get the idea the President was being played by a parking lot attendant or something." This was a reference to Edd Byrnes, who played "Kookie" in that role on the then hit television series 77 Sunset Strip. Kennedy also vetoed Raoul Walsh as director after screening and panning Walsh's Marines Let's Go. Original director Lewis Milestone, who had previously filmed All Quiet on the Western Front, A Walk in the Sun and Pork Chop Hill, left the production, either because Milestone thought that the script