Three Came Home (1950)

During Word War II, American author Agnes Newton Keith is imprisoned by the Japanese in various POW camps in North Borneo and Sarawak.

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson (screenplay), Agnes Newton Keith (book)

Stars:

Claudette Colbert, Patric Knowles, Florence Desmond

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Claudette Colbert	...	Agnes Newton Keith
Patric Knowles	...	Harry Keith
Florence Desmond	...	Betty Sommers
Sessue Hayakawa	...	Colonel Suga
Sylvia Andrew	...	Henrietta
Mark Keuning	...	George Keith
Phyllis Morris	...	Sister Rose
Howard Chuman	...	Lieutenant Nekata

Storyline

The true story of Agnes Newton Keith's imprisonment in several Japanese prisoner-of-war camps from 1941 to the end of WWII. Separated from her husband and with a young son to care for she has many difficulties to face.

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Plot Keywords:

prisoner of war | japanese | war effort | homefront | university of california berkeley | 

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Taglines:

The story of one woman's confinement in a WW II Japanese prison camp

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

20 February 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Captives à Bornéo

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden - 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,900,000, 31 December 1950

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A second unit of four men filmed for four weeks in Borneo starting from the Spring of 1949. They shot background plates, establishing shots, background footage and scenic shots under the direction of cinematographer Charles G. Clarke. Clarke has said that authoress Agnes Newton Keith (whose book this film was based on) provided accommodation for two of the crew. Keith made a cameo in the film and participated in the Borneo shoot.

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Goofs

Colonel Suga says he attended the University of Washington for four years and Agnes reveals that she attended Berkeley. Suga goes on to say that Cal "murdered" Washington's football team. However, Tatsugi Suga arrived at Washington in 1924 and during the next four seasons California never defeated Washington. Only one football game would fit Suga's description: a 33-0 loss in 1933.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Agnes Newton Keith: Six-degrees north of the Equator, in the heart of the East Indies, lies Sandakan, the tiny capital of British North Borneo. In Sandakan in 1941, there were 15 thousand Asiatics, 79 Europeans, and 1 American. I was the American. My name is Agnes Keith. I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. My husband is Harry Keith, a colonial official of British North Borneo. Borneo became my home when Harry and I were married. And it was in ...

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Connections

Referenced in Paradise Road (1997)

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Soundtracks

God Save the King
(uncredited)
Traditional
Lyrics attributed to Henry Carey
Sung by the women in the camp

User Reviews

Exceptional and true to life war film

This movie probably could not have been made during the war or immediately afterwards because although the Japanese are definitely bad in the film, they are not one-dimensional and Sessue Hayakawa plays a Japanese Commandant that is believable and not 100% wicked or sex-crazed. Instead, this is a compelling true story of a woman who is interred in a camp for the duration of the war and her relationship with the commandant. The commandant is NOT typical of many ultra-brutal and inhumane camp leaders and tries to treat the detainees firmly but reasonably. While they never become best friends (that would be creepy and ridiculous), over time, she was able to see and appreciate his humanity. In fact, over time, both began to find things to respect about the other. A fascinating look at history and the people who lived through it.