In March 1942, on the island of Java, Indonesia, a Dutch major selects a pilot for a dangerous mission from the five U.S. Army airmen under his command. While waiting for word from the pilot... Read allIn March 1942, on the island of Java, Indonesia, a Dutch major selects a pilot for a dangerous mission from the five U.S. Army airmen under his command. While waiting for word from the pilot, the others tell his life story to the major.In March 1942, on the island of Java, Indonesia, a Dutch major selects a pilot for a dangerous mission from the five U.S. Army airmen under his command. While waiting for word from the pilot, the others tell his life story to the major.
Steven Geray
- Major Eichel
- (as Steve Geray)
Eddie Acuff
- Newsreel Cameraman
- (uncredited)
Norman Ainsley
- Governor's Makeup Man
- (uncredited)
William Bishop
- Cadet
- (uncredited)
Monte Blue
- Bus Station Official
- (uncredited)
Wally Cassell
- Soldier
- (uncredited)
Hobart Cavanaugh
- Boat Owner
- (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler
- Head Deputy at Pritchards' Farm
- (uncredited)
James Craven
- English Lieutenant
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- David Hertz
- Robert Hardy Andrews(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMany cast members in studio records/casting call lists did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names): Landlady Sara Haden, Military Policemen Jim Davis and Cliff Danielson, Party Girls Jacqueline White, Marilyn Maxwell, Betty Jaynes and Marie Windsor, Boat Owner Hobart Cavanaugh, Carhops Helen Thurston and Frances Rafferty, Lieutenant James Millican, and Defense Instructor John Dilson. A modern source lists Ava Gardner as a cast member, but she was not seen either.
- Crazy creditsOpening card: Millions of men have taken up arms to defend their freedom against the forces who would destroy it. One of these millions was George Collins. This is his story, before and after Pearl Harbor.
- ConnectionsReferenced in American Masters: Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer (2002)
- SoundtracksReveille
Traditional
Played by a bugler to awaken the soldiers
Featured review
Death to the Fascists
I'm usually not that fond of movies that use flashbacks to tell a story, but I would have to make an exception for this one. It reminds me, in some ways, of another movie, High Barbaree, which used the same gimmick. Van Johnson even appeared in both. There are some major differences though. While High Barbaree was a rather sappy movie with a pretty weak story line, this production had a punch.
It involves a raggedy group of five American pilots left on an isolated island in the Pacific during the early days of WW II. They are commanded by a Dutch Major and there is only one patched up plane left to attack the Japanese carrier that threatens to destroy them. All five pilots volunteer for what amounts to a suicide mission. Guess which pilot the Major picks.
From here on, we move from flashback to flashback, and little by little learn everything there is to know about Pilot #5. It stretches the imagination a little to realize that all the other pilots knew him in some capacity in civvy street. When the Dutch Major asks who this brave volunteer is, they all put the jigsaw puzzle together piece by piece.
His life before this heroic mission is the real story. It begins with a naive young man, in love, and with dreams of a successful law career. We find him tempted by greed and power into a life of corruption. He loses the girl, his self respect, and his career. Of course he has to redeem himself or how else could be become the hero of this movie? Unlike High Barbaree, this story is compelling and ends with an action packed bang.
About the cast. Franchot Tone plays the hero. No matter how many movies I've seen him in, I always see him as Franchot Tone - not the character he plays. Still, he isn't bad in this one. Marsha Hunt plays the love interest. I always thought she got the shaft during the blacklist. She was talented, beautiful, and could really sing, but her politics got in the way of her career. The only other principal player was Gene Kelly. Nothing like the song and dance man you might remember him as. He plays a straight dramatic role, and does it well. I mentioned Van Johnson. This was early in his career and he has an incidental support role as one of the pilots. The rest of the cast are somewhat familiar contract players.
There is a lot of propaganda in this movie. As a matter of fact, there is a rather ridiculous speech at the end of the movie, where the Dutch Major compares corrupt politicians and greedy landowners to Mussolini and declares them all fascists. Maybe Marsha Hunt should have passed on this one.
It involves a raggedy group of five American pilots left on an isolated island in the Pacific during the early days of WW II. They are commanded by a Dutch Major and there is only one patched up plane left to attack the Japanese carrier that threatens to destroy them. All five pilots volunteer for what amounts to a suicide mission. Guess which pilot the Major picks.
From here on, we move from flashback to flashback, and little by little learn everything there is to know about Pilot #5. It stretches the imagination a little to realize that all the other pilots knew him in some capacity in civvy street. When the Dutch Major asks who this brave volunteer is, they all put the jigsaw puzzle together piece by piece.
His life before this heroic mission is the real story. It begins with a naive young man, in love, and with dreams of a successful law career. We find him tempted by greed and power into a life of corruption. He loses the girl, his self respect, and his career. Of course he has to redeem himself or how else could be become the hero of this movie? Unlike High Barbaree, this story is compelling and ends with an action packed bang.
About the cast. Franchot Tone plays the hero. No matter how many movies I've seen him in, I always see him as Franchot Tone - not the character he plays. Still, he isn't bad in this one. Marsha Hunt plays the love interest. I always thought she got the shaft during the blacklist. She was talented, beautiful, and could really sing, but her politics got in the way of her career. The only other principal player was Gene Kelly. Nothing like the song and dance man you might remember him as. He plays a straight dramatic role, and does it well. I mentioned Van Johnson. This was early in his career and he has an incidental support role as one of the pilots. The rest of the cast are somewhat familiar contract players.
There is a lot of propaganda in this movie. As a matter of fact, there is a rather ridiculous speech at the end of the movie, where the Dutch Major compares corrupt politicians and greedy landowners to Mussolini and declares them all fascists. Maybe Marsha Hunt should have passed on this one.
helpful•166
- howdymax
- Nov 25, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Destination Tokyo
- Filming locations
- Cal-Aero Academy, Chino Airport - 7000 Merrill Avenue, Chino, California, USA(Cal-Aero Academy closed 1944; airport called Cal-Aero Field when filmed)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $486,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 11 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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