Across the Pacific (1942)

In December 1941, ex-army captain Rick Leland boards a Japanese ship heading to Asia via the Panama Canal where his Japanese hosts show interest in the American defense plans for the canal zone.

Directors:

John Huston, Vincent Sherman (uncredited)

Writers:

Richard Macaulay (screenplay), Robert Carson (serial "Aloha Means Goodbye")

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Humphrey Bogart	...	Rick Leland
Mary Astor	...	Alberta Marlow
Sydney Greenstreet	...	Dr. H.F.G. Lorenz
Charles Halton	...	A.V. Smith
Victor Sen Yung	...	Joe Totsuiko (as Sen Young)
Roland Got	...	Sugi
Lee Tung Foo	...	Sam Wing On
Frank Wilcox	...	Capt. Morrison
Paul Stanton	...	Col. Hart
Lester Matthews	...	Canadian Major
John Hamilton	...	Court-Martial President
Tom Stevenson	...	Man Harassing Alberta
Roland Drew	...	Capt. Harkness
Monte Blue	...	Dan Morton
Chester Gan	...	Capt. Higoto

Storyline

Rick Leland makes no secret of the fact he has no loyalty to his home country after he is court-martialed, kicked out of the Army, and boards a Japanese ship for the Orient in late 1941. But has Leland really been booted out, or is there some other motive for his getting close to fellow passenger Doctor Lorenz? Any motive for getting close to attractive traveler Alberta Marlow would however seem pretty obvious.

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Plot Keywords:

panama | japanese | passenger | panama canal | seasickness | 

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Taglines:

A Warner Bros. Hit !

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

5 September 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Across the Pacific

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Most of the actors playing parts as Japanese were in fact of Chinese descent; these included: Keye Luke ("Steamship Line Clerk"), Richard Loo (I) ("1st Officer Miyum"), Kam Tong ("Dr. Lorenz's manservant Oki"), Victor Sen Yung ("Joe Totsuiko") and several others. This is not totally unexpected, considering that the film was made during WWII and a good many Japanese-Americans were interned.

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Goofs

As Leland (Borgat) is entering through the glass door to the NYK Line Agent's Office (to buy a steamer ticket) there is a nearly square flag painted on the door. The flag shown is a red circle with TEN rays extending from it to the edges in a sunburst pattern. It NEVER existed! The appropriate ensign/flag for a non-military maritime organization such as Steamship Company in the immediate pre-war period would have been the meatball* on a field of white - or, the same as the nation's present flag. The nearest thing to what is shown is actually one with only eight rays flown by the "Japanese Ground Defense Force." It was the sunburst flag with sixteen rays that was widely - even universally, used by the Japanese military (Army & Navy) throughout WWII - generally up to 1945. ((*) The red circle used by the Japanese for both flags & aircraft roundels during this period was in those days uniformly referred to by all of the Allies (military & civilian alike) as "The Meatball.")

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Quotes

Canadian Major: Your full name?
Rick Leland: Richard Lomas Leland.
Canadian Major: [recognising the name] Richard Leland?
Rick Leland: Yes, sir.
Canadian Major: I believe at this time we have a full complement of coastal artillery officers of all ranks.
Rick Leland: I thought the Canadian army needed men of experience.
Canadian Major: Oh, regardless of his qualifications, no one man is indispensable.
Rick Leland: Maybe Chiang Kai-shek won't be so particular.
Canadian Major: I'm aware neither of the exact desperation of the Generalissimo's needs, nor how good are his sources of information. Good day, Mr Leland.

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Connections

Referenced in Play It Again, Sam (1972)

User Reviews

Adventure+Astor+Bogart+John Huston=Entertainment

John Huston's second film reunited three of his key actors from The Maltese Falcon(1941). This war time thriller takes place before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Across the Pacific(1942) is about a disgraced solider who tries to redeem himself by acting as a spy for the US government. Humphrey Bogart plays the American spy, Rick Leland in his most cool and suave performance. Leland's mission is to prevent the Japanese from bombing the Panama Canal.

Sydney Greenstreet as Dr. Lorenz gives a performance that's absolutely sinister. He would have made a perfect James Bond Villain had he lived during the 1950's. Across the Pacific(1942) is an entertaining motion picture that realisticly parallels the war that was occuring in the Pacific. Mary Astor is ravishing as the mysterious Alberta. Only the majority of the movie was completed for John Huston went off to join the war effort(another filmmaker involved with the film named Vincent Sherman ended up filming the final scenes).