Objective, Burma! (1945)

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Ranald MacDougall (screenplay) &
Lester Cole (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 February 1945 (USA)

Genre:

War | Drama

Plot:

A group of men parachute into Japanese-occupied Burma with a dangerous and important mission: to locate and blow up a radar station...

Plot Keywords:

Burma | Parachute | Radar | Jungle | USA

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars.

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Capt. Nelson
James Brown	...	SSgt. Treacy
William Prince	...	Lt. Sid Jacobs
George Tobias	...	Cpl. Gabby Gordon
Henry Hull	...	Mark Williams (American News correspondent)
Warner Anderson	...	Col. J. Carter (CO, 503rd Infantry)
John Alvin	...	Hogan
Mark Stevens	...	Lt. Barker (as Stephen Richards)
Richard Erdman	...	Pvt. Nebraska Hooper (as Dick Erdman)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Erville Alderson	...	Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell (uncredited)
Joel Allen	...	Cpl. Brophy (radioman) (uncredited)
Hugh Beaumont	...	Capt. Hennessey (uncredited)
Carlyle Blackwell Jr.	...	Lt. Barker (pilot) (uncredited)
Truman Bradley	...	Narrator, opening sequence (voice) (uncredited)
Kit Carson	...	Paratrooper (uncredited)
Neil Carter	...	Paratrooper (uncredited)
Anthony Caruso	...	Miggleori (uncredited)
Elmer Ellingwood	...	Paratrooper (uncredited)
Shep Houghton	...	Paratrooper (uncredited)
William Hudson	...	Fred Hollis (uncredited)
Asit Koomar	...	Gurkha (uncredited)
Pete Kooy	...	Paratrooper (uncredited)
Lester Matthews	...	British Maj. Fitzpatrick (uncredited)
Harlan Miller	...	Paratrooper (uncredited)
Rodd Redwing	...	Sgt. Chattu (uncredited)
Bernard Sell	...	Pilot (uncredited)
John Sheridan	...	Co-pilot (uncredited)
Frank Tang	...	Capt. Li (uncredited)
George Tyne	...	Pvt. Soapy Higgins from Flatbush (uncredited)
John Whitney	...	Negulesco (uncredited)

Directed by
Raoul Walsh

Writing credits
Ranald MacDougall		(screenplay) &
Lester Cole		(screenplay)
Alvah Bessie		(story)

Produced by
Jerry Wald	....	producer
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Franz Waxman

Cinematography by
James Wong Howe

Film Editing by
George Amy

Art Direction by
Ted Smith

Set Decoration by
Jack McConaghy

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Art Department
Harper Goff	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
C.A. Riggs	....	sound

Special Effects by
Edwin B. DuPar	....	special effects (as E.B. DuPar)

Stunts
Allen Pomeroy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buster Wiles	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Leonid Raab	....	orchestral arrangements

Other crew
Charles S. Galbreath	....	technical advisor (as Major Charles S. Galbreath, United States Army Parachute Troops)
John Maxwell	....	dialogue director
M.H. Whyte	....	technical advisor (as Major M.H. Whyte, British Indian Army 8 [F.F.] Battalion, Burma Rifles)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (presents) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. A Warner Bros.-First National Picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1945) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Objective Burma (International: English title) (DVD box title) (USA) (poster title)
Operation Burma

Runtime:

142 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (No. 10098) | Canada:G (video rating) | Norway:16 | UK:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden - 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The story was partially inspired by "Operation Loincloth," a 1943 long-range operation in Burma by the British Chindits. However, producer Jerry Wald also admitted that much of the screenplay was based on 'Northwest Passage' (Book I -- Rogers' Rangers) (1940), a film about the adventures of a long-range ranger unit during the French & Indian War.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the hilltop supply drop, the support wire from fuselage to tail on the camera plane is visible.

Quotes:

Paratrooper: [upon following the dead body of young paratrooper Hollis] So much for Mrs. Hollis' nine months of pain and twenty years of hope.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Warner at War (2008) (TV)

Good war picture

Flynn and a few dozen soldiers prepare Burma for invasion. DVD review.

Flynn leads his team through Burma to blow up a radar station. But their rescue attempts are foiled by the Japanese.

One of the earliest examples of the soldier easily entering foreign territory but finding it difficult to get out. Movie is in two parts: the lead up and attack on the radar, followed by the many narrow escapes from the Japs (this movie calls them "monkeys"). The team of soldiers gets reduced in number as the movie nears the end. Flynn (with a posh accent) is likable and the supporting cast are all witty ordinary men. The best scenes are the landing of the supplies from the planes. Another good scene involves the night time attack by the Japs on Flynn's group - with the enemy getting mowed down following the release of a night flare.

Objective, Burma! is a war movie worth watching.