Tonight I finished my Humphrey Bogart mini-marathon (six movies in twelve days) with a film called "Across The Pacific" (1942), directed by John Huston and co-starring Mary Astor and our favorite Bogey movie villain, Sydney Greenstreet. Because we had recently watched and reviewed Bogart in "Action In The North Atlantic", I allowed myself to expect more WW2 naval adventure in "Pacific" due to the similarly themed title. Same war, different ocean. But while "Across The Pacific" does take place in the WW2 timeframe, beginning in the weeks leading up to Pearl Harbor, it is not a war film per se, but a wartime spy movie, an espionage thriller.
As the movie begins, Humphrey has just been drummed out of the Army. In the military, you don't get kicked out, you get drummed out, which is a little more formal. We see the end of the court proceedings against him. He is dishonorably discharged, though the reason is not presented. Later it will turn up that there may have been a deception taking place behind this dismissal.
After packing his bags, he heads up to Canada to try and enlist with their corps. He has top qualifications as an artillery expert, but the Canadians (them again...) have knowledge of his American discharge and want nothing to do with him. So, feeling no loyalty to the United States, he signs up to sail for the Philippines on a small cargo boat. He just wants to get paid and is willing to be a mercenary.
On the boat, he meets fellow passenger Mary Astor, herself a carefree Canadian - or so she says. A romance quickly ensues, kindled by Motion Picture Society approved banter. You know the kind, where the male and female leads pretend to detest one another but twenty minutes later wind up in The Clinch (you know.....the famous wraparound kissing pose of 1940s movies).
The story develops slowly and the first 35 minutes or so are devoted to the shipboard meanderings of Bogart and Astor. But soon enough, Sydney Greenstreet enters the picture. He claims to be a professor of economics at a Manila university. He says that, really, he is devoted to Japanese culture, but being that he is Sydney F. Greenstreet, and that he is always looking to get "one-up" on you, you really can't trust a thing he says.
In addition to Bogart, Astor and Greenstreet - each of whom may not be who they say they are - there are several Japanese nationals on board the ship. Some are from the ship's crew and trustworthy, but one young man is a slick talker with a California accent. He calls himself a Nisei, a second generation Japanese with American values. He speaks in hipster lingo and inserts himself in Bogart's business, albeit slyly. He pretends to be a friend.
So here you have all of these character types on board a ship bound for the Philippines on December 6, 1941. Paramount for Bogey is his romance with Mary Astor. He is smitten with her, but.......
It turns out he is a spy. Now he is in the Philippines meeting with a handler, and he is wondering if Astor is who she claims. He already knows that Sydney Greenstreet has been BS-ing him. I can't tell you how; it would be a major spoiler, but c'mon.....it's Sydney Greenstreet.
I mean, just having a name like that makes you a person of intrigue. How in the world could a person have such a name? Perhaps you can tell me. One thing is for sure, though. The name and the man match up. One look at Greenstreet and one listen to his voice will convince you, though in your subconscious you already knew this to be true.
"Across The Pacific" is different than I thought it would be, more of a witty, dialogue based Spy Caper than a WW2 combat film, with a focus on romance and a backstory of treason and conspiracy. The first hour is light and breezy, and the treachery is not exposed until the final twenty minutes.
The tension is always present, however, mostly because of the Nisei Japanese man, who may not be as jovial as he seems....
My initial thought was not to give it Two Thumbs Up, just because I was expecting a full on war film and I got a John Huston character based international intrigue flick instead. overloaded with snappy dialogue. But overall, it was too doggone good to be stingy about, due mainly to the chemistry between Bogart, Mary Astor, Greenstreet, and the slick Japanese/Americano, and in lesser part because of Huston's competent direction.
So "Across The Pacific" gets Two Thumbs, mostly because the cast was so good.
I will keep looking for more Humphrey Bogart movies, but for now that was all I had.
He is the absolute best, as I am sure you will agree. /////
Super chilly tonight, I've got my Two Sweatshirts on, with t-shirt underneath. The other night I added a Gortex longsleeve to the above, for four layers, and then I added a Pendleton flannel for my walk, to make it five.
I hope you had a good day and I will see you in the morning. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
No comments:
Post a Comment