L'évasion la plus longue

The longest hundred miles are referred to the distance of travel to a safe location in the picturesque Philippine islands during world war II. Father Sanchez(Montalban) leads a group of young children and two military personnel to evade the Japanese soldiers who want to take them as prisoners. Together, they must find a way to escape to the other side of the island in an old bus contraption fueled by coconut husks.

I haven't seen this movie for about 30 years, but I believe it was probably one of the better movies showing a frantic escape from the brutal Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Doug McClure is very good as the GI who really does not want to get caught up with a bunch of civilians...especially kids while running from a dangerous enemy. Ricardo Montalban is great as usual. Don't remember much else, except the scene where the brakes on the bus failed and the kids acted like it was a big rollercoaster, saying "That was fun! Can we do it again?"

Well worth viewing.

This war-action-drama movie is personally memorable and I'm sure it is too for many Filipinos, especially the WWII veterans. I saw this on television when I was a child with the whole family in the early 1970s re-run and remember liking it so much not only because it was filmed in the Philippine countryside but also because of its historical theme, and the action scenes too. It was also a delight seeing Hollywood actors on-screen with Filipino actors, including the little Vilma Santos. A theatrical release would have been a hit too.It would be great to see it again on DVD as a grown-up. A 40th anniversary DVD release and TV re-run would be perfect in 2007. Howabout that?

McClure and company, at the time of the Vietnam war, manage to tell an optomistic story during a time without much good news. As others have probably mentioned, the song "500 Miles" (covered by the Kingston Trio and others) was popularized by this film.

It's an important great movie for Filipinos and American alike. It brings back memories of my childhood in the Philippines specially the unspoiled scenery and sound- the song the children were singing at the end credits. I remember miles and miles of rice and sugarcane fields going north and miles of jungle and coconut plantation heading south of Manila. Those were wonderful trips my parent took me. I would also recommend "American Guerilla in the Philippines" filmed right immediately after WW2. It's part of our history and heritage as Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. And "the Great Raid". Also recommended it the PBS Special of on Filipino American who fought in WW2 "AN UNTOLD TRIUMPH" 2003 Also read "The Bloody Liberation of Manila", Lt Ramsey's War, Behind Japanese Lines, hopefully we can pass along these movie gems and knowledge to the next generation of Filipinos.