Tokyo Joe (1949)

An American returns to Tokyo try to pick up threads of his pre-WW2 life there, but finds himself squeezed between criminals and the authorities.

Director:

Stuart Heisler

Writers:

Steve Fisher (story), Walter Doniger (adaptation),

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, Alexander Knox, Florence Marly

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Humphrey Bogart	...	Joseph 'Joe' Barrett
Alexander Knox	...	Mark Landis
Florence Marly	...	Trina Pechinkov Landis
Sessue Hayakawa	...	Baron Kimura
Jerome Courtland	...	Danny
Gordon Jones	...	Idaho
Teru Shimada	...	Ito
Hideo Mori	...	Kanda
Charles Meredith	...	Gen. Ireton
Rhys Williams	...	Col. Dahlgren
Lora Lee Michel	...	Anya, Trina's daughter

Storyline

Joe Barrett returns to Tokyo after World War II where he once owned a bar, Tokyo Joe's, and deserted his wife Trina. They have a seven-year-old daughter. Kimura forces Joe into piloting war criminals by revealing that during the war Trina made treasonous propaganda broadcasts.

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Plot Keywords:

war criminal | japan | treason | nightclub owner | american abroad | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

November 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tokio Joe

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Santana Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

SCAP, an acronym used several times in the movie, stood for "Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers." This was not only the title given to Gen. Douglas MacArthur, head of the Occupation forces, but was also used to refer to the offices of the Occupation - a staff of several hundred U.S. civil servants as well as military personnel who administered the Occupation of Japan.

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Goofs

When Joe begins to fight with Ito, he takes off his coat and gives it to Kanda, who holds it with his right hand. In the next shot, Kanda has nothing in his hand.

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Quotes

Photo sergeant: [taking a photograph] Stand as close to the bar as you can, sir.
Joseph 'Joe' Barrett: That's been one of my troubles.
Photo sergeant: What's that, sir?
Joseph 'Joe' Barrett: I, uh...
[pause]
Joseph 'Joe' Barrett: Skip it.

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Connections

Referenced in Bogart: The Untold Story (1996)

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Soundtracks

"These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)"
(uncredited)
Music by Jack Strachey and Harry Link
Lyrics by Eric Maschwitz (as Holt Marvell)
Sung on a record several times
Sung by Florence Marly at the Tokyo Joe cabaret in flashback
Reprised by an unidentified female at the Tokyo Joe cabaret
Variations in the score throughout the film

User Reviews

A Lesser Bogey That Still Offers Much

Humphrey Bogart has been my favorite screen actor for over three decades now, so "Tokyo Joe"--one of the few Bogeys that I'd never seen--was a film that I anxiously put at the top of my list of DVDs to rent. Well, as I suspected, this is a decidedly lesser Bogey picture, but one that still offers much to even the casual viewer. In this one, Bogey portrays Joe Barrett, ex-owner of a nightclub on the Ginza. After WW2, he returns to Tokyo, and becomes involved in smuggling to save his ex-wife (who he thought had died) as well as his 6-year-old daughter (who he never knew existed). Bogey is well suited to this character, who at first looks after only himself but who soon sacrifices much for the sake of those near to him. The film features a compact, sensible story and is well acted by all. Czech actress Florence Marly, who plays Bogart's ex-wife, is quite attractive and acts impeccably; it's a shame she didn't appear in more American films. Sessue Hayakawa (unmustachioed, for a change) makes for a formidable villain, and it's fun to see Whit Bissell and Hugh "Ward Cleaver" Beaumont appear in scenes with the great Bogart. Teru Shimada (so memorable as Mr. Osato in my favorite Bond film, "You Only Live Twice") is fine as Bogart's partner, and little Lora Lee Michael and Bogey share some cute, sweet scenes together. And, like "As Time Goes By" did for "Casablanca" and "Too Marvelous For Words" did for "Dark Passage," here, "These Foolish Things" runs through the picture like a sweet, sad perfume. Thus, "Tokyo Joe," minor Bogey that it is, is still preferable to some other lesser Bogart films, such as "Battle Circus" and "Chain Lightning." And it is, needless to say, required viewing for all Bogey completists.