Trahison japonaise

With World War II approaching, Japan's diplomatic services push a global message of peace but, behind the scenes they plot their attack on the US, using a network of spies and traitors to get information to aid their mission. In America, Japanese secret agent Kato approaches former soldier Eddie Carter to recruit him to report back the details of the Panama Canal. Eddie is down on his luck and working as an announcer in a tacky fair sideshow and he agrees to help them for a big payday. However he quickly has his doubts and finds himself in the position to do the right thing for the US and act as a double agent.

With lots of talk about "Japs" and the title sequence involving a typical "yellow menace" image of a Japanese man it is no surprise that this thriller is very much a simple propaganda film. Presented by newsman Drew Pearson, we are told the story of how "friendly" Japanese in America are really spies, not to be trusted, who use their cunning and sweet talk to win over a typically good American to make him betray his country. Unsurprisingly the drama is as simple as the characters and although it works well enough on the level of an engaging piece of propaganda it doesn't have too much to make it stick in the mind; with perhaps a late scene of steam bath torture being the one exception. It goes where you expect it to and it moves forward without the pace and tension that I would have liked but, like I said, as a simple propaganda thriller it just about does enough.

The cast match this approach by being solid but nothing more. Lee Tracy is a cookie-cutter all-American Joe who does "the right thing" and opens all our eyes to the fact that no Japanese people in America can be trusted. He is OK but I wonder does he regret his role given what happened to Japanese Americans around this period? Kelly is alright and Ahn and Biberman do their usual roles in American films from the time but generally they all turn in the type of solid performances that one would expect to find in this type of thing.

Overall this is an OK but unmemorable thriller that is heavy with propaganda and a sense of fear-driven rabble-rousing. It more or less works as a simple b-movie but it is hard to totally get into it when looking back with hindsight and modern eyes and seeing the clear racism and very broad strokes used to present clean-cut white heroes and smarmy, untrustworthy yellow devils.

Lee Tracy reminds of a fit WC Fields; he looks and talks like him, acts like, but is nowhere nearly as funny. How a woman like Kelly would fall for a guy like him really stretches the limits of believability. Philip Ahn plays Kato, a role that will be revived by another actor alongside of Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther series. Other than that, this film has no socially redeeming value whatsoever, especially the fake news at the beginning and end by the exploitative Drew Pearson, an overpuffed newspaper reporter. This jingoistic kaka is fine to raise money for war bonds, but the war is over. By the way, in real life, the American hero wouldnt last thrity seconds with a real Eastern martial arts fighter. Not recommended.

Inspired from actual events, this William Berke's film is very unusual and interesting. It shows that in America, you have born Americans - white, not Asian - who could work for the Rising Sun evil empire. What a shock for me...I thought that only Americans from Japanese descent could, for obvious reasons. Thats' for this reason, I guess, they were all sent to camp such as Manzamar.... So, yes, what a gem this RKO movie, revealing astounding matters. Philip Ahn is of course i the cast. I am deadly sure that he played in every forties decade war film involving the Pacific front, not the European of course !!!

When "Betrayal from the East" begins, it claims that the story is based on fact. However, how close it is to the truth is something I have no idea about...and suspect some of this might be overstated a bit due to the common narrative at the time that there were Nazi and Japanese agents all over the place trying to undermine America. Who knows the exact truth?

Eddie (Lee Tracy) is an ex-army soldier who is seen by Japanese agents as possibly being willing to spy for them. He quickly realizes what's happening and pretends to play along with them...and soon seeks out Army Intelligence to alert them about the Japanese plans. They ask him to keep playing along but also advise him that previous folks working for them all ended up dead! But Eddie is a true patriot and is going to see it to the end...especially after the Japanese kill a lady he really liked.

The quality of this film is pretty good and Lee Tracy is also good here....better than he was in most of his later outings following his years at MGM as a star. In particular, I appreciate that although the film was clearly a propaganda picture it was still entertaining and well written...and as a result the Japanese were not the usual sub-human, evil, sniveling sort they were in the more sordid films of the era.

Made at the End of WWII but Set before Pearl Harbor, this B-Movie is one of those Yellow Peril Types that Actually has more Japanese Actors than Americans and They are All Up to No Good. They are Sneaky, Barbarous, and have a lot of Cash to Pay Americans if Only They would Betray Their Country.

Lee Tracy, a Second Rater and Hardly Anything Approaching Handsome is Given the Lead Romantic Role and the Love Angle in this Chock Full of Jap Bashing Film is Anything but Believable.

There are Some Striking Scenes of Torture and Surprising Deaths and the Plot Moves at a Rapid Pace with Hidden Surveillance and a Climactic Fight Scene that is Impressive.

Overall it is Worth a Watch as a Timepiece. It is Bookended with Real Life Journalist Drew Pearson Staring at the Camera and Delivering a "This can never happen again" Warning.

Note...Don't fail to miss the opening Title Card with a drawing of a Sinister Jap with Werewolf fangs.