A Yank on the Burma Road (1942)

Director:

George B. Seitz

Writers:

Gordon Kahn (original screenplay) &
Hugo Butler (original screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

February 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot Keywords:

Truck | Gunfire | World War Two | Pilot | Chinese American

Cast

Laraine Day	...	Mrs. Gail Farwood
Barry Nelson	...	Joe Tracey
Stuart Crawford	...	Tom Farwood
Keye Luke	...	Kim How
Victor Sen Yung	...	Wing (as Sen Yung)
Philip Ahn	...	Dr. Franklin Ling (as Phillip Ahn)
Knox Manning	...	Radio Announcer
Matthew Boulton	...	Rangoon Aide de camp
James B. Leong	...	Guerilla Leader (as James Leong)
Mrs. Poo Sai	...	Old Woman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Luke Chan	...	Officer (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	Police Desk Sergeant Mulvaney (uncredited)
Cliff Clark	...	Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Marcelle Corday	...	Madame Vercheron (uncredited)
Mark Daniels	...	Reporter (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Police Radio Dispatcher (uncredited)
Paul Fung	...	Scroll Leader (uncredited)
Chester Gan	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Allen Jung	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Eddie Lee	...	Chinese Lieutenant (uncredited)
Richard Loo	...	Commandant (uncredited)
George Magrill	...	A Spinaldi Brother (uncredited)
Johnny Mitchell	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Bob Okazaki	...	Japanese Officer (uncredited)
Cy Schindell	...	A Spinaldi Brother (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Partner (uncredited)
Tim Spencer	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Victor Wong	...	Chinese Man at Bridge (uncredited)
Tom Yuen	...	Old Chinese Man (uncredited)

Directed by
George B. Seitz

Writing credits
Gordon Kahn		(original screenplay) &
Hugo Butler		(original screenplay) and
David Lang		(original screenplay)

Produced by
Samuel Marx	....	producer

Original Music by
Lennie Hayton
Daniele Amfitheatrof		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Lester White		(director of photography)
Clyde De Vinna		(director of photography) (uncredited)

Film Editing by
Gene Ruggiero

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Howard Shoup		(gowns) (as Shoup)

Production Management
Gilbert Kurland	....	unit manager (uncredited)
Edward Woehler	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sandy Roth	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Wade B. Rubottom	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	sound recording engineer

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Music Department
Wally Heglin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1942) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

67 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Mandarin

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #7966) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

San Fernando, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Although there is no record of retakes, there must have been some after the end of filming on 13 November 1941, since the bombing of Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 is mentioned in the forward and in conversation within the film. Retakes may have been the reason some of the listed actors were not in the film. This movie was certainly one of the earliest releases mentioning the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

" I'm an American Cab Driver, there aren't too many things which scare us "

From the magnificent collection of war time films, comes this jovial story of an American cabby, Joe Tracey (Barry Nelson) who without too much effort, manages to capture single handedly, two notorious hoodlums. In doing so, he is instantly catapulted to national fame. One of the effects of such fame is that he is sought out by Dr. Franklin Ling (Phillip Ahn) and other Chinesse patriots Kim How (Keye Luke) who engage him to lead a convoy of trucks across the old Burma Road. Once there he is beset with a number of problems, least of which are the invading Japanese, little fuel, blown bridges and a fair damsel in distress. Mrs. Gail Farwood (Laraine Day). The movie is standard for the pre-war years and formulated to entice America to join the war. Shown in Black and White, the film is subtly propaganda in nature and sympathetic to the Chinese people's plight. Mr. Nelson is stereotypical of the American hero and is convincing in character.If one enjoys the film, then it's message has been conveyed. ***