Go for Broke! (1951)

The story of Japanese-American soldiers who fought in Europe during World War II.

Director:

Robert Pirosh

Writer:

Robert Pirosh

Stars:

Van Johnson, Lane Nakano, George Miki

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Van Johnson	...	Lt. Michael Grayson
Lane Nakano	...	Sam
George Miki	...	Chick
Akira Fukunaga	...	Frank
Ken K. Okamoto	...	Kaz
Henry Oyasato	...	Ohhara
Harry Hamada	...	Masami
Henry Nakamura	...	Tommy
Warner Anderson	...	Col. Charles W. Pence
Don Haggerty	...	Sgt. Wilson I. Culley
Gianna Maria Canale	...	Rosina (as Gianna Canale)
Dan Riss	...	Capt. Solari

Storyline

A tribute to the U.S. 442nd Regimental Combat Team, formed in 1943 by Presidential permission with Japanese-American volunteers. We follow the training of a platoon under the rueful command of Lt. Mike Grayson who shares common prejudices of the time. The 442nd serve in Italy, then France, distinguishing themselves in skirmishes and battles; gradually and naturally, Grayson's prejudices evaporate with dawning realization that his men are better soldiers than he is. Not preachy.

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Plot Keywords:

japanese american | 442nd regimental combat team | pidgin | white glove test | world war two | 

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Taglines:

The amazing untold story - The heroes of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team!

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is one of a handful of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer productions of the 1950-1951 period whose original copyrights were never renewed and are now apparently in Public Domain; for this reason this title is now offered, often in very inferior copies, at bargain prices, by numerous VHS and DVD distributors who do not normally handle copyrighted or Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer material.

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Goofs

In the scene where the unit is sent to rescue the Lost Battalion, they are clearing a path for the tank that is to be brought up to give support. When the tank finally arrives, it is an M24 Chaffee Light Tank, the mission to rescue the Lost Battalion occurred between Oct. 26 - 30, 1944; the M24 did not arrive in France until November 1944.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Japanese-American Soldier: Kanakas. The ones from Hawaii. You know what they call us mainlanders? Kotonks. The way they tell it if you rap on our heads it's like hitting a coconut. Hollow heads, you know? Kotonk, kotonk, kotonk.

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Connections

Featured in The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story (1951)

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Soundtracks

The Meaning of Love
Written by Robert Pirosh, Alberto Colombo and Ken K. Okamoto

User Reviews

Forgotten History

Although somewhat conventional in comparison to most of the great WWII film dramas, Go For Broke remains important as the only Hollywood acknowledgement of the 442nd, and the bravery of the Japanese-Americans who fought with it.

One of my grandfather's brothers was in the 442nd himself, and can still recall tales of basic training and serving in Italy.

I am bothered, however, by the fact that the cover on the video box does not show a single Japanese-American face, and the description does not really explain the historical significance of the events portrayed.

Hey Ted Turner, get your guys together and rectify this problem!

Dwight Sora

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese Italian Hawaiian German French

Release Date:

14 September 1951 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Go for Broke!

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,337,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1