Across the Pacific

Plot synopsis:
In late 1941, Captain Rick Leland (Humphrey Bogart) is court-martialed and discharged from the U.S. Coast Artillery after he is caught stealing. He tries to join the Canadian Army, but is coldly rebuffed. He subsequently boards a Japanese ship, the Genoa Maru, in Halifax, apparently to make his way to China via the Panama Canal to fight for Chiang Kai-shek.
On board, he meets Canadian Alberta Marlow (Mary Astor) and Dr. Lorenz (Sydney Greenstreet), a professor of sociology who makes no secret of his admiration of the Japanese and is thus not popular in the Philippines, where he resides. Leland, in his turn, makes it clear to Lorenz that he has no loyalty toward his country and would fight for anyone willing to pay him.
During a stop in New York, Leland, revealed as a secret agent trailing Lorenz, reports to Colonel Hart (Paul Stanton), an undercover Army Intelligence officer. Lorenz is a known enemy spy, but Hart and Leland are uncertain about Marlow. Upon returning to the ship, Leland surprises a Filipino man (Rudy Robles) who is about to shoot Lorenz, thus gaining Lorenz's confidence. Second-generation Japanese-American Joe Totsuiko (Victor Sen Yung) embarks as a passenger. Lorenz attempts to gather details from Leland concerning the military installations guarding the Panama Canal. Meanwhile, Marlow and Leland engage in a light-hearted romance.
As they arrive in Panama, the captain announces that the ship has been denied passage through the strategically vital canal and will be forced to take a long detour around Cape Horn. Leland, Marlow and Lorenz disembark to wait for another ship. Several crates are unloaded addressed to a Dan Morton at the Bountiful Plantation. Lorenz asks Leland, who was once stationed in the area, to procure up-to-date schedules for the American planes that patrol the canal. Leland meets with his local contact, A. V. Smith (Charles Halton), and convinces him to provide the real schedules, as Lorenz could easily find out if he were given fake ones. The date is December 6, 1941 - the eve of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Having delivered the schedules after haggling with Lorenz over their price, Leland is knocked out. He wakes up several hours later and finds out that both Lorenz and Marlow have left the hotel. He immediately calls Smith and warns him to change the patrol schedule, then, on a tip from an informer (Philip Ahn) inside a movie theatre, heads out to the Bountiful Plantation, where he sees a torpedo bomber being prepared. He is captured, however, and brought inside to Lorenz, Marlow, and Totsuiko. Marlow turns out to be the daughter of the plantation's owner, Dan Morton (Monte Blue), a drunk whose weakness was exploited to provide a base for espionage activities. To Leland's relief, Marlow's only stake in the affair is concern for her father.
Lorenz reveals that they killed Smith before he could have the schedule changed, and that they are planning to torpedo the Panama Canal Locks. After Lorenz leaves for the landing field, Leland overpowers Totsuiko after the latter shoots Morton. Leland makes his way to the field where he takes over a machine gun and shoots down the bomber aircraft, piloted by no less than an Imperial Japanese prince, as it is about to take off. Leland dispatches Lorenz's men in the ensuing firefight. Returning to the house, he finds a defeated Lorenz attempting to commit seppuku, but his nerve fails him and he begs Leland to shoot him in the head. Leland refuses, saying his prisoner has "a date with Army intelligence."

Tags: murder

Review:
A good spy caper starring Humphrey Bogart as Rick Leland, a court-martialled US Army officer who finds himself in the middle of a nifty little bit of espionage work on board a Japanese freighter bound from Halifax to Yokohama via the Panama Canal just before the attack on Pearl Harbour.
Surrounded by a rather suspicious group of characters, from his love interest Alberta Marlow (Mary Astor) to Dr. Lorenz (Sydney Greenstreet), Leland slowly uncovers a Japanese plot to attack the Canal Zone (presumably also on December 7) and sets himself to preventing it.This was a good performance by Bogart, along with good performances from Astor and Greenstreet.
All the action in the movie takes place either on the Japanese freighter as it travels south down the ATLANTIC coast of North America or in the Panama Canal Zone (with some minor scenes in Halifax, where Leland is rejected by the Canadian Army, and in New York City, where he snoops for information.) The only Pacific connection to the movie is that the freighter was Japanese.
And remember, of course, that this was made in 1942 (after Pearl Harbour.) The depiction of the Japanese isn't especially flattering (although I thought it was more a play on stereotypes than openly antagonistic), and the closing shot of the film is the wartime requisite showing off of American military strength.All in all, though, I enjoyed this movie immensely, and would highly recommend it.8/10.
The events that follow involve a love interest (Mary Astor) and an enemy agent (Sydney Greenstreet) and a trip on a passenger ship from New York to the Panama Canal.
Humphrey Bogart as an American spy is convincing in a role that might have been played by Sean Connery 20 years later.The subplot of a Japanese plot to torpedo the Panama Canal and put it out of action was a case of truth being stranger than fiction with the recent revelation of Japanese submarines which carried planes designed to knock the canal out, but which were never used.
Only the majority of the movie was completed for John Huston went off to join the war effort(another filmmaker involved with the film named Vincent Sherman ended up filming the final scenes)..
When dishonorably discharged Army Officer Humphrey Bogart is revealed to be a spy staking out a powerful Japanese sympathizer aboard a vessel to the Orient, the portly commander was originally supposed to be supervising the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Bogart (playing 'Rick', sometimes 'Ricky') is in jovial spirits throughout, especially when comparing gun sizes with Sydney Greenstreet (never better) or fingering Astor's back after she's acquired a sunburn; his blithe, easy performance makes the film enjoyable.
Same principle actors -- Bogart, Mary Astor, Sidney Greenstreet -- no Peter Lorre fondling the handle of his cane, alas, and no gunsel -- and, for the most part, the same Director, John Huston.
(To be fair, the last one is Korean, not Chinese.) If the characters are not nearly as much fun to watch as in "The Maltese Falcon," the plot is no more than a simple war-time mystery involving secret information that the Japanese want to use to start the war by torpedoing the locks of the Panama Canal.
Mary Astor, while not the pretty face that she was built up to be here and in "The Maltese Falcon", gives another great performance, and unlike Bogart, she was always able to give characters in a similar vein (in this case, the mysterious woman), each their own personalities.
Victor Sen Young, who played a great shark grinned scumbag in "The Letter", does good here, looking very happy that he at least was able to speak coherently for once in a motion picture.Huston's direction is really worth looking at, especially visually stunning during a sequence at a movie theater.
The final 15 minutes seem extremely out of place with the rest of the film, and its a shame Huston wasn't around a little bit longer to round up what could have been a quintessential piece of a feature 40's pulp movie.Worth seeing, its a film that falls short of greatness, but man is it entertaining..
Even though there are parts of this film that will probably be offensive to some of the more delicate modern viewers, it is still a rousing tale of espionage, murder, treason and heroism.I have watched ATP several times, and have enjoyed it thoroughly each time, looking past its warts and bumps to the heart of a fun pulp story acted out by some of my favorite actors (Bogey, Astor and Greenstreet).
He meets a mysterious woman on a boat while supposedly going to work for Chiang Kai Scheck in China (strange little point to make) and has all kinds of strange encounters and adventures along the way, falling in love, saving the day, and fighting those evil Japs...By the way, the film actually does make a certain responsible choice to demonstrate that not all Japanese people are bad guys.
Coming soon after The Maltese Falcon, Across the Pacific is something of a mystery movie too.Rick Leland (Humphrey Bogart) is a disgraced military man with dubious loyalties.
Films made around this time always have an interesting behind the scenes story, and "Across the Pacific" from 1942 is no different.Rick Leland (Humphrey Bogart) is court-marshaled and booted out of the service; he then heads for Canada and attempts to enlist, but the Canadians know who he is and say they can't use him.Leland then leaves on a Japanese ship for the Orient, making no bones about the fact that his talents are for sale!
Huston said, "That's your problem!" and left.Originally this film had to do with stopping an attack on Pearl Harbor, but we all know what happened there, so the plot was changed to the Panama Canal.I liked this film - there is a lot of light repartee between Bogart and Astor, which is fun and makes the film less intense than it might have been.
Bogey spends the entire film trying to figure out not only what the dastardly scheme is, but just how Astor fits into it, because he's fallen for her.World War II was the greatest time for employment for oriental players except Japanese ones.
Leland (Bogart) goes undercover among a shipload of suspicious characters to foil a Japanese plot on the Panama Canal.No movie with the great Sydney Greenstreet can afford to be passed up.
He is reunited with his co-stars, Astor and Greenstreet, both in fine form, and director Huston from "The Maltese Falcon." Unfortunately, the script is rather convoluted and rambling, seemingly written in a rush to cash in on the success of the earlier film.
It strikes me as one of the movies that Bogey made in between The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca, and thus overlooked as it was in between his two greatest film accomplishments (treasures of the Sierra Madre, Key Largo and The Big Sleep excepted).#1 The cast of Bogart, Astor and Greenstreet are amazing.
First I have to disagree with the person who wrote that it shows the standard and expected stereotypes of a 1942 movie (set in war time).I found that many touches in the movie - such as the explanation of Ju Jitsu, Japanese poetry, and generational differences, as well as subtle looks as different generations and political beliefs, gave quite a fresh world view.Though I must say everyone should see all of them - I'm in the middle of a Bogart marathon and it's great to hear that he uses "Angel" and other terms of endearment in all his films.
Across the Back Lot at Warner BrothersA Rush Job. Entertaining Studio Wartime Production with Major Stars Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, and Mary Astor Reunited with Director John Huston.
The Film will Never get Mentioned as Bogart or Huston's Best as the Film is Basically just a Hurried A-List Product of it's Time.The Setting was Supposed to be Pearl Harbor but was Changed because it seemed too Close for Good Taste.
I'm mostly going to echo previous sentiments, such as - this has nothing to do with the Pacific; the last third of the movie is quite different from what precedes it; you keep flashing back to the Maltese Falcon as you watch it, which isn't necessarily bad (I wish Bogie or Huston could have come up with an endearment other than Angel).
"Across the Pacific" was a film that re-united three actors from "The Maltese Falcon" and was also directed by the same director, John Huston.
The character Sidney plays (Dr. Lorenz) makes a great psychological nemesis for Bogie (Rick Leland) as they do in most of their films together.
Across the Pacific (1942) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Suspenseful war-time thriller from Warner has Humphrey Bogart playing the bitter Rick Leland, a man who turns his back on his country after being court martialed.
He finds himself on a Japanese vessel heading towards the Panama Canal where he meets Dr. Lorenz (Sydney Greenstreet) who has spent the past thirty-years working in the orient and a strange woman (Mary Astor) who maybe hiding many secrets of her own.
Having Bogart fight off the Japanese the day before we know about the real Pearl Harbor adds some nice suspense to the film because it makes us realize that this type of plot really could have happened and this is one of the best examples of mixing fact and fiction to create a neat little thriller.
Across the Pacific is a must-see if you like The Maltese Falcon, since Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet are reunited in another exciting film noir.
Think Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet along with John Huston and what do you come up with?
In fact the movie seems to have ended in the early morning hours of December 7, 1941 Panama time something like eight hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor actually happened.Capt.
All this made the film a bit odd by realizing that the war-like action was happening before the first Japanese bombs, and torpedoes, struck the Pacific Fleet docked at Pearl Harbor..
As for Bogart, Greenstreet,Astor and Huston, see "The Maltese Falcon", they play the same roles and the movie is much better..
He travels then on a passenger ship from New York to the Panama Canal, its actually a Japanese ship and on the journey he is joined by Mary Astor and Sidney Greenstreet.
its a film with Humour, Adventure, Drama and action, and with Greenstreet, Astor and Bogart who also appeared in ' The Maltese Falcon' together, you could blink and in certain scenes think you are actually watching The Maltese Falcon.
Not only did "Across the Pacific" add some brightness to Bogart's rising stature as an actor, it more than justified the promise shown by director John Huston after his success with "The Maltese Falcon."The story begins on November 17, 1941.
Lt. Rick Leland (Humphrey Bogart) is being cashiered from the Army at Governor's Island, New York The reasons are vague, but before five minutes have passed, Bogie is decked out in his familiar trenchcoat Leland tries to enlist in the Canadian army, but his disgrace is so widespread that they won't have him Wondering aloud if perhaps the Japanese will take him on, Leland buys a ticket on the 'Genoa Maru' bound for Yokohama via the Panama Canal On board the freighter, Leland meets Alberta Marlow (Mary Astor), who lies about her past, and Dr. Lorenz (Sydney Greenstreet), a sociologist with an undisguised affinity for all things JapaneseIt's really not spoiling anything to reveal that Leland is engaged in counterespionage because neither Huston nor the screenwriters take the material very seriously For most of the film, they're more interested in the cutesy shipboard romance between Leland and Albertagetting seasick, drunk, sunburnedAs a thriller, the film doesn't really get wound up until the third act, when it has a few fine moments, most memorably a long chase scene in a Spanish-language movie theater, and a conventional conclusion Sydney Greenstreet was excellent as a jovial yet cunning Japanese sympathizer and Mary Astor played a doubtful role with the same mental adroitness she had displayed in "The Maltese Falcon." Bogart, of course, carried the story line here and it was a delight to watch his enigmatic character change from one of calculated indifference to that of relentless determination....
This is a good vehicle for Humphrey Bogart, who plays a GI pretending to be kicked out of the military to act as a sort of spy on some Americans that are up to no good with the Japanese, scheduled right around the bombing of Pearl Harbor, However, in this case the action is taking place centered around the Panama Canal.
Director John Huston, right from the big success of THE MALTESE FALCON, recruits Humphrey Bogart to play ex-Army officer Rick Leland in this World War II propaganda flick.
He has some crackling good dialogue to share with Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet and director John Huston keeps things moving at a lively pace with the usual amount of twists and turns.Only problem is this is one of those espionage tales full of hidden identities--a bit disconcerting considering how complicated the plot is.
Bogey's immediately pre-Casablanca movie re-unites him with his co- stars Astor and Greenstreet and his writer/director of The Maltese Falcon, John Huston.
Although the script doesn't measure up to Maltese Falcon standards, it's entertaining enough if not taken too critically and provides some wonderful opportunities for star turns by Bogey, Astor, Greenstreet and a wonderful support cast of delightful oriental off-beats led by Victor Sen Yung as a cheery thug, Chester Gan as the philosophical ship's captain ("It is the Japanese way.
Directed by John Huston, though finished by Vincent Sherman when Huston was called into war service, with a screenplay by Richard Macaulay that was based on a story by Robert Carson (or Garson, depending upon the source), this war adventure attempted to recapture the magic that director Huston shared with three of its leads in the previous year's The Maltese Falcon (1941).In this one, Humphrey Bogart plays Rick Leland (in his next film, he would play his most famous Rick; Blaine in Casablanca (1942)), Mary Astor plays Alberta Marlow, and Sydney Greenstreet plays Dr. Lorenz.
All three are involved in an intrigue that couldn't have been more timely, a Japanese attempt to blow up the Panama Canal (the original story involved Pearl Harbor, hence the film's incongruent title, which actually was attacked during the production).
Across the Pacific (1941)This is some kind of cross between "Maltese Falcon" and the "Casablanca" and it has a cast that covers both movies, even though it is usually matched to the former since it shares the same director, the great young John Huston.
Not long afterward, the Japanese contact Rick (Humphrey Bogart of "The Maltese Falcon") and arrange his passage to Panama on Nipponese freighter Genoa Maru.
He should know, he was there for both, reuniting with fellow co-stars Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor in a tale of espionage and intrigue touted with the tag line "behind every smile an invitation to disaster".The film opens on November 17, 1941, with Bogie's character Rick Leland summarily dismissed from the Army for the indiscretion of borrowing military funds.
This aging movie, made right after The Maltese Falcon, was probably seen as a lark by John Huston, Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet.
Bogart and Greenstreet give the movie energy, and to see Mary Astor, if you have any sense, is to fall in love with her.
On board he meets Dr Lorenz (Sydney Greenstreet) a sociologist and a man who openly admires the Japanese and the beautiful Alberta Marlow (Mary Astor) who says she's on vacation.While it's not as good as The Maltese Falcon (from which it draws four of its principals) the film still has some wonderful elements reminiscent of former film including some wonderful dialog, particularly the flirting between Bogart and Astor but almost any conversation is enjoyable.The story works both as an effective spy thriller but also as one of the first propaganda pieces to be put out by Hollywood following the attack upon Pearl Harbor.
So, the wonderful acting of Bogie along with Mary Astor and Greenstreet (both who appeared with Bogart in THE MALTESE FALCON), the acting is the best part of the film.
It is noteworthy she is about 7 years younger than Bogie, yet he looks good in this one.Even though this is war propaganda, it plays pretty much like a noir film as far as Bogies role, as he plots to try and stop a spy ring whose plan is to bomb the Panama Canal on the same day Pearl Harbor is bombed.
Although, this time the leading character is not a private detective and Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet are NOT vying for a bird made of gold, it has the same intrigue and the same actors as the famous murder mystery, The Maltese Falcon.This 1942 movie is set in the month of November and December 1941, the month leading up to the devastating attack on the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor.
After the Former, Mr. B.'s resume qualified him as a more than competent Leading Man in Action film; whereas the Latter proved his worth as a Romantic lead.WITH THE RELEASE of this wartime drama, ACROSS THE PACIFIC (Warner Bros./1942), we witness the re-uniting of THE MALTESE FAlCON's Director, John Huston with Bogart, Mary Astor and Sydney Grenstreet.
Though I personally cannot see what our boys fighting the Axis saw in Bogart's co-star here, Mary Astor, apparently she had a role in another previous effort from Humphrey, THE MALTESE FALCON, along with a fat dude named Sydney Greenstreet, who rounds out a trio reunited for PACIFIC.
Still, This is vintage Bogart, directed by John Huston, supported by Astor and Greenstreet, and that isn't a bad combination at all.The most disturbing character is that portrayed by Sen Young, of a second-generation Japanese-American working for the Japanese.