A través del Pacífico

Across the Pacific (1942)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Suspenseful war-time thriller from Warner has Humphrey Bogart playing the bitter Rick Leland, a man who turns his back on his country after being court martialed. He finds himself on a Japanese vessel heading towards the Panama Canal where he meets Dr. Lorenz (Sydney Greenstreet) who has spent the past thirty-years working in the orient and a strange woman (Mary Astor) who maybe hiding many secrets of her own. Soon Rick discovers an attempt is going to be made to bomb the canal but he's not quite sure who's in on it and when the attack might come. It's interesting to know that this was originally going to be about an attack on Pearl Harbor but after it was really attacked they changed the location even though they set this film around the same time as the real attack. Having Bogart fight off the Japanese the day before we know about the real Pearl Harbor adds some nice suspense to the film because it makes us realize that this type of plot really could have happened and this is one of the best examples of mixing fact and fiction to create a neat little thriller. I really like the fact that the film starts off with us not really sure what's going on and not knowing which character we should be rooting for or against. We learn what Bogart is up to early on but I think the film does a very good job at keeping us guessing while still trying to figure out what type of attack is coming. Huston does another wonderful job at keeping the film moving at a brutally fast pace and he also manages to milk every ounce of suspense out of the story. Bogart delivers another strong performance and I must say that this was the type of character he was born to play. Ultimately tough but at the same time he makes you question whether or not he's a coward or something more sinister boiling underneath his nature. He perfect fits the worn-down, court martialed aspect early on but we also believe him as the tough guy. Astor is also extremely good in the film as she perfectly gets all the mysterious qualities needed for the film to work but she also gets to display a pretty good love interest for Bogart and she gets to show off some sexuality. I'm not sure what else can be said about Greenstreet but he once again makes for the perfect snake and surely does live up to being one of the greatest actors to play villains. It seems a dozen or so war movies were being released during this period of Hollywood's history but this one here comes off feeling very realistic and it manages to get real drama on what were very real fears back in the day. The great cast and direction really pull off a very entertaining stories making this a must-see for fans of the genre and even though who typically don't enjoy war pictures.

"Across the Pacific" is a fairly well done spy movie that takes place in the last days before America's entry into World War II. Rick Leland (Humphrey Bogart) is cashiered from the U.S. Army for stealing funds. The events that follow involve a love interest (Mary Astor) and an enemy agent (Sydney Greenstreet) and a trip on a passenger ship from New York to the Panama Canal. Humphrey Bogart as an American spy is convincing in a role that might have been played by Sean Connery 20 years later.

The subplot of a Japanese plot to torpedo the Panama Canal and put it out of action was a case of truth being stranger than fiction with the recent revelation of Japanese submarines which carried planes designed to knock the canal out, but which were never used. "Across the Pacific" has humor, action and romance and is one of Bogart's lesser known but very good movies.

WWII intrigue is served up in the days leading up to the bombing on Pearl Harbor. However, in an apparent late decision by the writers to not mention Pearl Harbor, the bombing target becomes Panama so history can be ignored. Bogart is cool as always as an artillery officer. He is reunited with his co-stars, Astor and Greenstreet, both in fine form, and director Huston from "The Maltese Falcon." Unfortunately, the script is rather convoluted and rambling, seemingly written in a rush to cash in on the success of the earlier film. The dialog is crisp and witty. If only the plot had been better, this could have been a classic.

There are films that are so connected to their times, when taken out of context there's no rhyme, no reason for portrayals, but factor in the great betrayals, lets you accept the extremes, of paradigms. As Rick Leland is disgraced and then ejected, from a role that he would like to have perfected, leaves him in a tricky place, after losing all his face, and he's become quite disengaged and disaffected. On a boat he gets to meet curious souls, who have ambitions to dispose and take controls, as the layers are peeled back, looks like there might be an attack, by the folks who like to eat food out of bowls.

Of its time.

Films made around this time always have an interesting behind the scenes story, and "Across the Pacific" from 1942 is no different.

Rick Leland (Humphrey Bogart) is court-marshaled and booted out of the service; he then heads for Canada and attempts to enlist, but the Canadians know who he is and say they can't use him.

Leland then leaves on a Japanese ship for the Orient, making no bones about the fact that his talents are for sale! He meets an attractive woman, Alberta Marlow (Mary Astor) and one Dr. Lorenz (Sidney Greenstreet). Lorenz loves the Japanese and its people, and speaks the language very well.

You'll probably guess most of this.

This is a Maltese Falcon template, with the exception of the absence of Peter Lorre. John Huston directed, but when we entered the war, he left to do documentary films for the government. Vincent Sherman started the film at a difficult moment in the action, and he asked Huston how a particular situation would be resolved. Huston said, "That's your problem!" and left.

Originally this film had to do with stopping an attack on Pearl Harbor, but we all know what happened there, so the plot was changed to the Panama Canal.

I liked this film - there is a lot of light repartee between Bogart and Astor, which is fun and makes the film less intense than it might have been. They worked very well together. And you really can't beat Sidney Greenstreet when it comes to being slimy.

The majority of the Japanese in the movie were actually Chinese since most of the Japanese were interred, a black mark not often discussed, which is odd.

Some exciting action and solid work by all the cast.