Saïpan

When the United States of America went to war with Imperial Japan, many a Japanese national joined the armed forces and served the U.S. with distinction and honor. Among those who stood out was this story of a young Chicano from Los Angeles. Good looking Jeffrey Hunter, plays Guy Gabaldon who was raised by a Japanese foster family. Despite the discredit of government officials who interned Japanese/American citizens at the beginning of World War II, the people endured their imprisonment with dignity and patience. Gabaldon, turned down by his own draft board, nevertheless, joins the Marines and meets two close friends, played by David Janssen and Vic Damone. The three make this story touching and believable and their combat experience creates a worthwhile saga. The movie centers on the volatile hard fought conflict on the island of Saipan, where a determined enemy refuses to surrender. Interestingly enough, Guy Gabaldon risks life and limb, saving the lives of thousands of America soldiers and Japanese civilians, yet fails to be nominated for the Medal of Honor. A great and Noble film which has since become a war-time Classic. ****

Hell to Eternity

This is the first movie (from Hollywood) to deal with the incarceration of Japanese Americans in 1942 during WWII. Eighteen years is a long time for someone to get a feature together about the problem but in 1960 most of the country didn't know about (or care about) the injustice of this mass sweep of American citizens of Japanese descent. You might say this movie is required viewing just to put that piece into perspective.

The big flaw of the movie is the simplistic way it presents the situation beginning in the 1930s. An honest, decent (indeed, admirable) Japanese family in California takes in a non-Japanese kid name Guy who comes from a bad home and needs a family. The point is clear: the Japanese family is amazing, generous, and rather typical of immigrant families where the older generation doesn't know English very well and the kids are all assimilated. As stiff as it is in some ways, it's truly touching and a warming, disturbing story.

Jump ahead to Pearl Harbor and you can see where the conflict is coming. Guy is now enlistment age (as are his Japanese foster brothers, who are fighting in the European theater). What follows is a war movie based somewhat on fact-the unit he eventually joins fights the Japanese, and there is doubt, heroism, and tragedy and it's a well done story. I wonder whether audiences in 1960 quite got into it, so long after the events. (Other WWII movies were still being made, but many are about the exceptional parts of the war, like D-DAy in "The Longest Day" in 1962 or Nazi trials "Judgement in Nuremberg" in 1961.)

The main character is supposed to be based on a Mexican-American kid, but the actor (Jeffrey Hunter) is a very white American, which adds to the contrast (and meld) between cultures. (Hunter's big fame? He was the captain in the very first Star Trek episode, before Shatner.) He makes a visit to what is supposed to be Manzanar (but they show painfully little of what it would have been like). And he ends up fighting the Japanese because he knows the language.

Exactly half of the movie is about the lead-up to fighting-lots of chummy interactions, girl chasing in military clubs, and kind of 1960s lightweight entertainment. David Janssen is one of Hunter's sidekicks, and he's really good (he was famous for being the TV star in "The Fugitive"). When the fighting starts the movie clicks into place -in fact, director Phil Karlson is great with smaller budgets and yet keeping an honest intensity to the acting. The fighting is very realistic (mixing in only a small amount of archival footage). And the final impressive crisis between Guy and the remaining Japanese troops is unique and compelling. And the movie builds to this point believably.

A great movie this is not-but it has great parts, which is more than many movies can offer.

I have been trying to buy this movie but the prices are out of reach. I was on Okinawa in 1960 when this movie was filmed. Our battalion was the first to occupy the brand new barracks at Camp Schwabb. A lot of us marines were chosen to be in the Japanese army because of our looks or physical stature. yes I played the part of a Japanese soldier and during the bonsai attack I was killed. I must say I died very dramatically. I had the pleasure of meeting Jeffery Hunter, David Janssen, and Vic Damone. I think the movie was pretty good even though some important parts were omitted. I have read several articles on the life of Guy Gabaldon and he looked nothing like Jeffery Hunter. Have a nice day.

Guy Gabaldon died Thursday August 31, 2006 at his home in Old Town, Fla. He was 80. The cause was a heart attack.

From an L.A. Times Article:

The actions that earned Gabaldon the nickname "the Pied Piper of Saipan" took place in June 1944 on the 25-mile-long island in the Northern Marianas in the western Pacific Ocean. Marine Pvt. Gabaldon killed 33 Japanese soldiers on his first day of combat, he said. Later he changed tactics.

Disobeying orders, Gabaldon went behind enemy lines by himself looking for Japanese. He "daringly entered enemy caves, pillboxes, buildings and jungle brush, frequently in the face of hostile fire," reads the citation that went along with his Navy Cross. The goal was to get the Japanese to surrender.

Years later, Gabaldon called his actions foolish, but back then he had reasons to believe he would succeed.

Many years before, in Boyle Heights (Los Angeles, CA), a Japanese American family had taken in Gabaldon — a wayward boy, prone to trouble — and raised him. He experienced Japanese language, food and culture firsthand.

During the war years the family was sent to an internment camp and Gabaldon joined the Marines. He used his limited Japanese language skills in his contacts with Japanese soldiers and civilians.

A great war/personal true story, as previously commented, about a Mexican-American young man from Boyle Heights (just east of Los Angeles) CA., who worked close with the migrant Japanese-American workers and learned to speak Japanese. He joined the USMC First Marine Division and was the recipient of the Naval Cross for his exploits on Saipan Island. He has since written a book "Saipan: Suicide Island" and comments heavily on the movie. Guy is proud of his Mexican-American heritage and very very proud of the First Marine Division - USMC. He lives in Northern California and is a great American. I say this because of his continued service to this country. He continues to get involved in services for the community and especially our youth. I was 11 years old when I saw this movie (1962) two years after it's release. I loved it for the war action and the personal story. I was impressed that this person cared and tried hard to do what he thought was the right thing. Vic Damone and David Jansen played good roles as well as Jeffery Hunter. Hollywood was reluctant to depict Mexicans on the screen as regular people. That is why Jeffery Hunter played an Italian-American in this film. Anthony Quinn had just completed "Requiem for a Heavyweight". Mr. Quinn lived in the same heights as Guy. My parents would tell us kids that he was one like us. I am not negative buy simply express my feeling and recollections. Anyway, I always recommend this movie to my friends and consider it in the Top 10 for war films. If ever the chance to read Guy's book or speak with him, do not pass on the opportunity. Check out this movie - there are wheels turning to remake this movie. Guy's story continues. ..