Across the Pacific (1942)

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. ... See full summary »

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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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

As the passengers debark in New York, there is a prominent shot of the Great White Fleet's head house. This was a real shipping company. It was, and is, the popular name of the United Fruit Company's shipping line. The title "Great White Fleet" in fact derived from the name given the United States Navy's main battle fleet which circumnavigated the globe in 1907-08. Painted white, the battle fleet must have been an impressive sight. The United Fruit Company's fleet was also painted white in order to help reflect the intense heat whilst operating in the tropics.

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Goofs

When Rick is using the machine gun, the end of the ammunition belt is clearly visible as he is firing. When he stands up a second later, the belt goes all the way to the ground.

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Quotes

Rick Leland: I'm sorry to be late, angel. I was held up.
Alberta Marlow: Oh, I like waiting for you Ricky. Wouldn't I make a splendid wife.
Rick Leland: What'll it be?
Alberta Marlow: Something cool and long.

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Connections

Referenced in Play It Again, Sam (1972)

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 ****