Spionage in Fernost

Garrett Fort wrote this interesting story about an America journalist working in Pre-war Japan. Because he is well known reporter his contrive and fabricated article revealing secret invasion plans is seen as a plot against Americas. Jimmy Cagney plays Nick Condon a fast-talking plain spoken Newspaperman who is soon targeted as a threat to Japanese politicians and is marked to be kidnapped and killed. However, the plotters need to retrieve a secret document in his possession. Sylvia Sidney plays Iris Hilliard a double agent out to confuse both sides. Interestingly enough, viewers get to see Robert Armstrong who once headlined the movie 'King Kong' playing the heavy Col. Hideki Tojo. The movie is in Black and white and despite it's standard formula set in the 1940's, the movie plays out for interesting fare. Pay close attention to the Judo fight scene in which Cagney does his own stunts and his opponent is in real life his Judo instructor. A fine movie for fans of the late Jimmy Cagney. ***

Jimmy Cagney is like a firecracker in this movie, set in pre-WWII Japan. In some ways it's a cross between Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon and sometimes it's silly (e.g., white actors in Japanese makeup), but it's one of the most entertaining movies of its era. It reminds you how much of a talent James Cagney was - he carries the picture. There are also excellent character performances by Wallace Ford and Porter Hall. Even Sylvia Sidney as an unconvincing half-Chinese vixen has some good moments.

Beware of the DVD, however - the audio is mixed so badly that at times you'll have to put your ear up against the TV to hear the dialogue.

Not Cagney's best but still interesting enough to watch. The goof or error is that the Tanaka plan, which the story is about and has the Baron Tanaka in the movie is off historically. Cagney dates the time when he says to Slyvia Sidney, " left the US in 1921, spent 2 years somewhere and 10 years in China" That total would make the current time in the movie 1933! Baron Tanaka, died in 1929! The director should have caught this historical error! Although this is not the best movie and revues are not the best, it was Slyvia Sydney's last leading role and for movie buffs it is worth seeing. Overlook the terrible and obviously staged fight scenes and the political errors of the time based on what we know today and you can enjoy it. For movie buffs I think it is worth viewing.

While the entire world watched the early success of the German book ¨Mein Kampf¨ by Adolph Hitler , few were aware of the existence of an Oriental Hitler...Baron Giichi Tanaka , he was a true life a bad guy who united with rich proprietaries and war lords to further his own ends . His plan of world conquest and dominance depended upon secrecy for success. This story deals with its first exposure by an American newspaperman (James Cagney) in Tokyo . Thus , Cagney publishes in a newspaper called ¨Tokyo Chronicle¨ that Tanaka plans attack on United States and China is the first victim of Premier Tanaka's plan for military conquest , revealing the existence of a document blueprint . Besides , marriage Mr. and Mrs. Miller (Wallace Ford and Rosemary DeCamp) have been murdered and Cagney will investigate it . Meanwhile , he falls in love with a charming double spy (Sylvia Sidney) .

This interesting picture combines intrigue , action , violence , noir cinema , historical background and arts martial fights , being the first American film in which there are arts martial (Judo) struggles . The movie is based on the history behind Japan's alleged Tanaka Plan , aka the Tanaka Memorial document , it was made public after his death in 1929 . This allegedly was Prime Minister Baron Giichi Tanaka's militarist strategic plan for world domination prepared for Emperor Hirohito . It was first printed in China by the Chinese communists and in the US by a communist periodical , leading some to think that it was a forgery , no Japanese version has ever been found . Plus , it appears notorious historical characters who will intervene in Second War World , as colonel Tojo (Robert Amstrong) , emperor Hiro Hito , Yamada (Martin Milner) and Tanaka (John Emery) . And film debut of judo/martial arts expert John Halloran . Magnificent Music Score with oriental sounds by the classic composer Miklos Rozsa . The film won Oscars for the best Art Direction and Interior decoration and was produced by Cagney Production . The motion picture was well directed by Frank Lloyd who realized excellent movies (Mutiny of the Bounty, If I were King , Under two flags) . Rating : Good and entertaining .

Nicely done war thriller with Cagney as a suave but pugnacious newspaper reporter in Japan who comes into possession of secret war plans. The plans are the work of a fascist Baron Tanaka who pushes the war agenda for the right-wing militarists over the objections of those opposed to war. The characters are interesting, and while many are static yet well-played, quite a few others are nicely fleshed out and grow during the plot. Cagney, some of the newspapermen and the female spy have some plot movement to develop their characters with. Even the villains, who could easily be cardboard, are well-played and exhibit human motivation. Obviously this is not a documentary, but it's also not pure melodrama either.

Perhaps the most visually interesting areas of the film are the contrasts between beautiful, high-class modernist settings, a representation of more traditional Japanese architecture, and gritty realistically-dressed street scenes. All the more interesting that the good production and pretty sets were created in Hollywood backlots in 1945 during the war. While this is not a huge film, the production design is as good as anything from the golden age. There is a lot of eye-candy in the set design, tastefully filmed and a treat to view.

The politics and cultural sensitivities of the film are also fascinating and far more balanced and subtle than other reviewers seem to indicate here. Cagney's character is well-immersed in Japanese culture and aware of the social issues of the time. He speaks Japanese, in addition to Chinese, and is a highly-skilled Judo aficionado. The film portrays Japanese opponents of the war as well-meaning but fairly easily countered by ruthless militarists and their secret police which is likely generally accurate. Surely similar struggles played out in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, along with Stalinist Russia, Mao's China and other 20th century totalitarian dictatorships both right and left.

This film is not anti-Japanese; it's anti-Fascist. Those who claim to be unaware of the difference would imply that Japanese are Fascists. That would be unfortunately ignorant.