(Some Spoilers) Far out movie about an American reporter Nick Condon, James Cagney, getting the scoop on a secret Japanese plan to take over the world single-handedly. This, the story takes place in 1929, without the help of it's later war-time ally the almost invincible Nazi Germany which didn't come into existence until some four years later.
With the Imperial Japanese Government getting wind of Condon's intentions of exposing their mad plan of world conquest they start to work on him in order totally descried Nick in the eyes of of the non-aligned, with Japan, world. These rumors mongers go so far as planting a story in the local newspapers that Nick was found dead drunk, from too much saki, in a sleazy Tokyo hotel after partying all night with two hookers!
Quickly going into action the Japanese secret, or thought control, police first murder Nick's fellow American newsman Ollie Miller (Wallace Ford), who actually had the secret plans of Japan's intentions of conquering the world on him, and his wife Edith, Rosemary DeCamp. Nick himself escapes by the skin of his teeth, after discovering the murdered Edith, from a Japanese freighter. Later Nick also finds a badly wounded Oille in his house dying from a bullet to the chest. Nick also finds, on Ollie, the secret plans that the Japanses Government doesn't want to see the light of day. Hiding the explosive document under a portrait of Japanese Emperor Hirohito, knowing that the Japanese police wouldn't dare look behind it, the document later disappears from sight with Nick having no idea who has it.
It's then that the real conspiracy in all this game of musical chairs comes to the surface. In that someone very close to the Japanese secret and thought police is working against them to expose their mad and insane plan of conquering the entire civilized, as well as uncivilized, world. And that person is as close to the naive and a bit gullible Nick as well as he, or she, is to the head of a group of rouge Japanese military officers who's planning to take, without the knowledge of the Emperor, over the country in a military coupe: The scheming and murderous Col. Hideki Tojo, Robert Armstrong.
Extremely complicated film with Nick Condon getting out of one jam after another with him finally getting the goods, the secret document, out of Japan with a little help from his friends. And thus exposing the sinister plan that Japan, or Tojo and his gang, has in store for the world at large.
Nick is also aided by the Eurasian, half Chinese and half British, beauty Irs Hilliard, Sylvia Sidney, who despite being slapped around by him just can't help falling in love with the brash and self-confident American newsman. The film later starts to pick up when Nick has it out with the arrogant Japanese Capt. Oshima, John Halloran, in a free for all brawl on the Tokyo piers. The over six foot tall Oshima who's, after Tojo, the big villain in the film get's his a** kicked by the barley over five foot tall Nick at his own game: jujitsu.
Nick is not only an ace reporter but a black belt in Judo as well! which Oshima if he didn't know that then he was going to find out and find out the hard way; Chop! Chop! Still Nick needed a couple of old fashion American one two's to finally put the big lug away! When his Judo tactics weren't enough to finish the job.
****SPOILERS**** In the end Nick, battered bruised and bloodied, made it back to the US Embassy before the Japanese secret police could finally finish him off. To the relief of the Japanese Nick didn't have the secret document of the intentions of their planned world conquest on him. What they didn't know, and were soon to find out, is that Irs had already Left the country with them!
With the Imperial Japanese Government getting wind of Condon's intentions of exposing their mad plan of world conquest they start to work on him in order totally descried Nick in the eyes of of the non-aligned, with Japan, world. These rumors mongers go so far as planting a story in the local newspapers that Nick was found dead drunk, from too much saki, in a sleazy Tokyo hotel after partying all night with two hookers!
Quickly going into action the Japanese secret, or thought control, police first murder Nick's fellow American newsman Ollie Miller (Wallace Ford), who actually had the secret plans of Japan's intentions of conquering the world on him, and his wife Edith, Rosemary DeCamp. Nick himself escapes by the skin of his teeth, after discovering the murdered Edith, from a Japanese freighter. Later Nick also finds a badly wounded Oille in his house dying from a bullet to the chest. Nick also finds, on Ollie, the secret plans that the Japanses Government doesn't want to see the light of day. Hiding the explosive document under a portrait of Japanese Emperor Hirohito, knowing that the Japanese police wouldn't dare look behind it, the document later disappears from sight with Nick having no idea who has it.
It's then that the real conspiracy in all this game of musical chairs comes to the surface. In that someone very close to the Japanese secret and thought police is working against them to expose their mad and insane plan of conquering the entire civilized, as well as uncivilized, world. And that person is as close to the naive and a bit gullible Nick as well as he, or she, is to the head of a group of rouge Japanese military officers who's planning to take, without the knowledge of the Emperor, over the country in a military coupe: The scheming and murderous Col. Hideki Tojo, Robert Armstrong.
Extremely complicated film with Nick Condon getting out of one jam after another with him finally getting the goods, the secret document, out of Japan with a little help from his friends. And thus exposing the sinister plan that Japan, or Tojo and his gang, has in store for the world at large.
Nick is also aided by the Eurasian, half Chinese and half British, beauty Irs Hilliard, Sylvia Sidney, who despite being slapped around by him just can't help falling in love with the brash and self-confident American newsman. The film later starts to pick up when Nick has it out with the arrogant Japanese Capt. Oshima, John Halloran, in a free for all brawl on the Tokyo piers. The over six foot tall Oshima who's, after Tojo, the big villain in the film get's his a** kicked by the barley over five foot tall Nick at his own game: jujitsu.
Nick is not only an ace reporter but a black belt in Judo as well! which Oshima if he didn't know that then he was going to find out and find out the hard way; Chop! Chop! Still Nick needed a couple of old fashion American one two's to finally put the big lug away! When his Judo tactics weren't enough to finish the job.
****SPOILERS**** In the end Nick, battered bruised and bloodied, made it back to the US Embassy before the Japanese secret police could finally finish him off. To the relief of the Japanese Nick didn't have the secret document of the intentions of their planned world conquest on him. What they didn't know, and were soon to find out, is that Irs had already Left the country with them!