Across the Pacific (1942)

I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

This is Bogart between classics as he does Casablanca in a short time after this movie. He is after the classic Maltese Falcon and Astor and Greenstreet join him again here. Astor is 38 years old when this movie is made and looks older due to wearing over sized old lady wardrobe a well. It is noteworthy she is about 7 years younger than Bogie, yet he looks good in this one.Even though this is war propaganda, it plays pretty much like a noir film as far as Bogies role, as he plots to try and stop a spy ring whose plan is to bomb the Panama Canal on the same day Pearl Harbor is bombed. John Huston originally was directing this but left late in the production to go to war and took the original script with him. This creates an unexpected hole in the plot late in the film.Not that the plot does not have some other holes earlier. This one does not have the script of Casablanca or The Maltese Falcon, but it is quite good because of the cast. Bogart is already Rick, getting ready to run the Cafe here. As happens in these war era films, he winds up the hero. What is refreshing is this film does not go over the top preaching about the war.

Entertaining Studio Wartime Production with Major Stars Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, and Mary Astor Reunited with Director John Huston. Fresh off the Commercial and Critical Success of the "Maltese Falcon" (1941), this one looks Hurried and the Back Lot is Forever in the Foreground lending it a Stiff and Stagey look.It's got a Prefabricated Appearance throughout and the Thing comes off as Contrived and Unconvincing. It is Professional but wholly Predictable. The Film will Never get Mentioned as Bogart or Huston's Best as the Film is Basically just a Hurried A-List Product of it's Time.The Setting was Supposed to be Pearl Harbor but was Changed because it seemed too Close for Good Taste. There was Hope for a "Maltese Falcon" Sequel but the Studio Neglected to Get the Rights to the Characters. This Mediocrity was the Substitute. There are some Interesting Scenes and the Cast Works Well together, but the Movie, all things Considered, is just a Rush Job of Competence. Worth a Watch for the Participants and a Peek at WWII Movie Making just getting Started. The Rules were being Made Up as They Go and it Shows. Nowhere Near the Best for Anyone in Front of or Behind the Camera and Hardly even a Great Propaganda Piece. A Curio-so for Film Students and Historians.Note...Mary Astor's hairstyle is one of those curiosities and one wonders who thought it attractive.

IN THE ORDER of things, this film comes three after THE MALTESE FALCON (Warner Bros./1941) and just one before CASABLANCA (Warner Bros./1942). This means that we are treated to a Boagy who is possessed of rapidly rising stock in the Filmworld. After the Former, Mr. B.'s resume qualified him as a more than competent Leading Man in Action film; whereas the Latter proved his worth as a Romantic lead.WITH THE RELEASE of this wartime drama, ACROSS THE PACIFIC (Warner Bros./1942), we witness the re-uniting of THE MALTESE FAlCON's Director, John Huston with Bogart, Mary Astor and Sydney Grenstreet. This was the 4th film done by Mr. Greenstreet; who had been a Stage Actor with a forte of Musical Comedy, before first stepping before the camera & bright lights at age 63!WITHOUT OUR GETTING too deep into the story, suffice it is to say that we have a drama that involves the World War II, Pacific Theatre, espionage, treason and the lowly and cowardly behaviour of those seeking wealth at all cost. The basic plot has been used in other movies, including one with another one of Warners' big Stars.WE HAVE THE benefit of a large cast of supporting players, featuring a good number of Hollywood's Asian Community; such as: Keye Luke, Victor Sen Young and Richard Loo. John Hamilton makes a typically authoritative portrayal as the Army Officer heading the Court Martial.OF ALL OF the performances by the principal players (and they were excellent), it was Sydney Greenstreet's portrayal of the Professor with the uncanny affection for all things of the Orient; especially that of Imperial Japan, the Rising Sun and "the East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere."AFTER MUCH TALK about the "superior" culture of the Far East and how he lives it, Dr.Lorenz (Greenstreet) is unable to take his own life, pleading with Rick Leland to "put just one bullet" in his temple. THE COWARDLY NIPPONFILE didn't have the courage to end his own life by committing 'Jack Brickhouse'. Oh excuse us, Schultz! We meant 'Harry Caray'!

Good WW2 spy movie with the three leads and director from The Maltese Falcon. The plot is about Humphrey Bogart getting tangled up with baddie Sydney Greenstreet and love interest Mary Astor. Greenstreet's a Japanese sympathizer and is trying to recruit Bogie. Good luck with that, Gutman. Bogart is excellent playing a character he was totally at home playing: wisecracking tough guy ladies' man. Greenstreet is villainous as ever and perfect at it. Just as in Maltese Falcon, Mary Astor is playing a stunning beauty that makes heads turn. Just like in Maltese Falcon, she doesn't match the character description. Perhaps Huston had a bit of a crush. Otherwise I don't get her being cast in these types of parts at a time when the likes of Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner were around. Still, despite that element of the casting being off, Astor does fine.This movie has an interesting backstory. It was originally to be about a Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor but when that actually happened in real life, they changed it to Panama. They never changed the title, though, despite the movie taking place nowhere near the Pacific. Then John Huston got called to serve before filming was complete so Vincent Sherman had to step in. Oddly, it seems Huston was the only one who knew how the movie was supposed to end so Sherman had to make up the final fifteen minutes or so of the movie!