In going from villain and supporting player to leading man and romantic heartthrob, the unlikely movie star Humphrey Bogart became a box-office favorite, and his films of early World War II show exactly why his stardom was assured. boggart was an anti-hero in every single way, whether being the private detective in "The Maltese Falcon", the race track aficionado tracking down Nazis in "All Through the Night", the nightclub owner in "Casablanca" or the disgraced officer in this, Bogart's struck a nerve with movie audiences searching for something patriotic in the everyman, even one's a little less noble than your next-door neighbor. Both "All Through the Night" and this film deal with enemy sabotage, from the opposite sides of the country.
Having dealt with the Germans in "All Through the Night" (released simultaneously with Pearl harbor), he now takes on Japanese terrorists and other assorted traitors, and a good portion of it takes place just as Pearl Harbor was about to happen as well. Even with a brief stopover in New York on his way to the Panama canal, Bogart's Rick could easily have run into "All Through the Night's" Gloves Donahue, a nice coincidence that shows two different people who look alike dealing with our worst enemies and finding their patriotism in the process.
Instead of Conrad Veidt and Peter Lorre, Bogart has Sydney Greenstreet and Victor Sen Yung, and they are equally formidable enemies, planning a bombing of the Panama Canal which Bogart is assigned to pass on incorrect information. In the process, he meets the alluring Mary Astor who may or may not have a hand in what's going on, but one thing is for sure. She is one of the best leading ladies he ever had. she is especially amusing in a scene that deals with her aboard the ship dealing with seasickness. Greenstreet is a charming villain, getting Bogart drunk (or possibly drugging him) to get the information he needs. Sen Yung plays a character who initially seems to be too enthusiastic and that makes him instantly even more suspicious. But don't take his offer to sock him in the job. You'll pay just like Bogart did. But in the end, you know the villains will pay, and this is brilliantly filmed, edited and acted in every single way.
Having dealt with the Germans in "All Through the Night" (released simultaneously with Pearl harbor), he now takes on Japanese terrorists and other assorted traitors, and a good portion of it takes place just as Pearl Harbor was about to happen as well. Even with a brief stopover in New York on his way to the Panama canal, Bogart's Rick could easily have run into "All Through the Night's" Gloves Donahue, a nice coincidence that shows two different people who look alike dealing with our worst enemies and finding their patriotism in the process.
Instead of Conrad Veidt and Peter Lorre, Bogart has Sydney Greenstreet and Victor Sen Yung, and they are equally formidable enemies, planning a bombing of the Panama Canal which Bogart is assigned to pass on incorrect information. In the process, he meets the alluring Mary Astor who may or may not have a hand in what's going on, but one thing is for sure. She is one of the best leading ladies he ever had. she is especially amusing in a scene that deals with her aboard the ship dealing with seasickness. Greenstreet is a charming villain, getting Bogart drunk (or possibly drugging him) to get the information he needs. Sen Yung plays a character who initially seems to be too enthusiastic and that makes him instantly even more suspicious. But don't take his offer to sock him in the job. You'll pay just like Bogart did. But in the end, you know the villains will pay, and this is brilliantly filmed, edited and acted in every single way.