Bombs Over Burma (1942)

Chinese girl risks her life on espionage mission against Japanese in World War 2.

Director:

Joseph H. Lewis

Writers:

Joseph H. Lewis, George Wellington Pardy (story),

Stars:

Anna May Wong, Noel Madison, Leslie Denison

Cast

Cast overview:
Anna May Wong	...	Lin Ying
Noel Madison	...	Me-Hoi
Leslie Denison	...	Sir Roger Howe
Nedrick Young	...	Slim Jenkins
Dan Seymour	...	Pete Brogranza
Frank Lackteen	...	Hallam
Teala Loring	...	Lucy Dell (as Judith Gibson)
Dennis Moore	...	Tom Whitley
Connie Leon	...	Ma Sing
Hayward Soo Hoo	...	Ling
Richard Loo	...	Col. Kim
Paul Fung	...	Toy Vendor
Richard Wong	...	Servant

Storyline

Early in World War II, Chungking schoolteacher Lin Yang is recruited to help with the dangerous mission of protecting the Allied supply line from Burma into China. In spite of the danger involved, her determination to help is strengthened when one of her young students is killed in a Japanese air raid. Some time later, she is part of a group of Allied representatives departing from Lashio, on a bus traveling the Burma Road back to China. A bridge outage forces them to spend the night in a monastery along the way, and during the night they watch in horror as a supply convoy of trucks is bombed by Japanese planes. The timing and accuracy of the raid brings them to realize that either one of their group, or perhaps the priest in the monastery, is really an enemy agent.

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Plot Keywords:

burma | monastery | supply | china | convoy | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 June 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bomber över Burma

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alexander-Stern Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Although the film is called "Bombs Over Burma", it actually takes place in China.

User Reviews

A classic for Wong and for "Poverty Row"

Some B movies transcend, others lower themselves into the "so bad t's funny' category. But most fall into the general category of 'good B-movie" - entertaining but forgettable.

This film can be enjoyed as a good B-movie, If one doesn't know much of film history, there it ends - a solid B- movie from the early '40s.

But pay attention! I've watched this film several times - it's actually difficult to watch, the scene where the young boy gets wasted by Japanese machine gun fire is not fun. But the images keep pulling me along.

This is a great film, for two reasons. First, director Lewis, cinematographer Cline and editor Henkel are using the film to work out knowledge of film history that more mainstream studios would not have allowed then - Sergei Eisentein's influence is all over the film.

Secondly, Anna May Wong - a great actress relegated to small parts as the 'sultry Asian' - she is truly magnificent here, this performance would have won an Oscar for any other actress at a later time.

Yes it's still a B-movie plot and much of the dialog has to conform to that. But so much of this is rich in construction and detail that I insist it remains a classic - unrecognized but undeniable.