Ambush Bay (1966)

Director:

Ron Winston

Writers:

Marve Feinberg (writer)
Ib Melchior (writer)

Release Date:

13 June 1966 (Sweden)

Genre:

War | Drama

Tagline:

Their top secret mission paved the way for the man who said "I Shall Return!".

Plot:

A Marine unit on a Japanese-held island in the Philippines tries to hook up with local Filipino guerrillas. |

Plot Keywords:

Philippines | Female Spy | Woman Shot | Grenade | Manila Philippines

Cast

Hugh O'Brian	...	1st Sgt. Steve Corey
Mickey Rooney	...	Gunnery Sgt. Ernest Wartell
James Mitchum	...	Pfc. James Grenier
Peter Masterson	...	Platoon Sgt. William Maccone
Harry Lauter	...	Cpl. Alvin Ross
Gregg Amsterdam	...	Cpl. Stanley Parrish
Jim Anauo	...	Pfc. Henry Reynolds
Tony Smith	...	Pvt. George George
Clem Stadler	...	Capt. Alonzo Davis
Amado Abello	...	Manuel Amado
Juris Sulit	...	Midori
Max Quismundo	...	Max
Bruno Punzalan	...	Ramon
Tisa Chang	...	Miyazaki
Buff Fernandez	...	Lt. Tokuzo

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Manila, Metro Manila, Luzon, Philippines

Company:

Courageous Films

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The camouflage uniforms worn by the American raiders are not WWII military camouflage uniforms. They are wearing commercial duck hunter suits that were sold in the USA after World War II. They are based on wartime USMC camouflage uniforms and bear a passing resemblance.

'You can eat them with their jackets on!'

This one's a very routine programmer which must have seemed outdated even when it was new. Narration in a film is always a dangerous thing; too often, as here it is used as a shortcut to avoid having to develop any characterisation. James Mitchum, who plays the rookie of the outfit (and whose character was stacking shelves six months earlier) introduces us to an outfit of grim-faced troops as they are about to be dropped behind enemy lines for an improbable mission that will naturally change the outcome of the war. Mitchum wastes his time really, because most of them are dead before we can learn anything about them, and the focus narrows down to Mitchum, rugged and sullen sergeant Hugh O'Brian, and Mickey Rooney, who must surely be filmdom's dinkiest marine.

The story is extremely routine, and enlivened only by a couple of moments, one when an American-Japanese agent makes some barbed comments about the internment of her parents in an American camp while she is helping the US win the war, and the other wonderful moment when mini-marine Rooney takes down half a dozen Japs with a couple of 'baked potatoes' ('You can eat them with their jackets on!' he declares triumphantly.) The only other plus is the terrific location photography, which is enhanced by a crystal clear image on DVD. Big drawback: Jim Mitchum – poor boy inherited daddy's looks but lucked out on the acting talent.