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:

Aloha Means Goodbye

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

Every Japanese character was played by a Chinese actor, as All persons of Japanese ancestry (American citizens and non-citizens alike) on the west coast were forced into Internment Camps for the duration of WWII. This racial casting of actors (Chinese actors playing Japanese) was common throughout WWII. Although the Japanese spoken in this movie may possibly sound authentic, in reality, the actor's pronunciation, intonation, and timing are horrendous...although for the most part, the Japanese "words" are correct.

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Goofs

As Leland (Bogart) 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 prewar 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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Crazy Credits

Opening Card:

Governor's Island

New York

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

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Connections

Referenced in The Projectionist (1970)

User Reviews

Messy spy stuff underlined with patriotism...saved in the end by a jaunty Bogart performance

Richard Macaulay had to do some fast rewrites on this John Huston-directed picture, based upon a magazine serial by Robert Carson. When dishonorably discharged Army Officer Humphrey Bogart is revealed to be a spy staking out a powerful Japanese sympathizer aboard a vessel to the Orient, the portly commander was originally supposed to be supervising the bombing of Pearl Harbor. When that occurred in real-life while the picture was in production, Macaulay hurriedly switched the locale to the Panama Canal (making the film's title irrelevant). However, even if the story structure is patchy--and Mary Astor's role as a plantation owner's daughter ultimately doesn't make much sense--"Across the Pacific" has a dryly joshing quality about it, and the end results are pleasant if unremarkable. Bogart (playing 'Rick', sometimes 'Ricky') is in jovial spirits throughout, especially when comparing gun sizes with Sydney Greenstreet (never better) or fingering Astor's back after she's acquired a sunburn; his blithe, easy performance makes the film enjoyable. Astor (ostensibly the love-interest) doesn't pour on the charm in her scenes with Bogie; she plays it rather big-sisterly with him, a seen-it-all kind of gal, and this works extremely well. The finale is a sign of the times--American fighter planes fill the skies--but even this corny touch works a little magic, despite the film's misshapen quality and sluggish beginning. **1/2 from ****