Across the Pacific (1942) ***

 Release Date: September 5, 1942

Runtime: 97 minutes

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet

Directed by: John Huston

1942 was a boom year for films dealing with the many facets of World War II. It was also one of the biggest years for films that championed the USA and it’s allies against the many faces of war. During the previous year the attack on Pearl Harbor had occurred and the United States turned it’s gaze on the Eastern front of the war. The war was no longer just about the Nazi’s. Across the Pacific was being filmed during this time, even getting delayed because of the bombing, and when it arrived on screens the following September viewers couldn’t help but feel the real fear of Japanese terrorism attacks. This gave the film a real world scare that isn’t as sharp nowadays.

The film begins with Captain Rick Leland (Humphrey Bogart, still months away from his star making roll in Casablanca,) being court marshaled for the crime of theft. Disgraced, but still wanting to play a part in the war, he attempts to join the Canadian Light Infantry but is rebuffed when it is discovered who he is. Instead, he boards the Genoa Maru, a Japanese ship, ostensibly to sail to China to fight for Chiang Kai-shek. The vessel is destined for Yokohama via the Panama Canal and Hawaii. 

On board the Genoa Maru Rick becomes acquainted with the beautiful Alberta Marlow (Mary Astor), who claims to be from the small town of Medicine Hat, Alberta Canada. A light hearted romance ensues. Also traveling on the Genoa Maru is Dr. Lorenz (Sydney Greenstreet), a professor of sociology from the Philippians who feels strongly that America needs to withdraw from the country and set it free. He also has a deep love for the Japanese, feelings that make him unpopular in his home country. Dr. Lorenz is traveling with his servant, non English speaking T. Oki. Dr. Lorenz sizes Rick up and ascertains that he is former Army and Rick assures him that he will fight for anyone who is willing to pay him enough.

As is expected with this type of film not all is as it seems. There are plenty of twists along the way, most of which are easy to predict. This film isn’t about holding it’s cards too close to the chest, though. It wants you in on most of the secrets, revealing the majority of them about halfway through the rather slim runtime. Once the big reveals are out of the way it becomes a race to the end involving military secrets, kidnapping, and a plot to cripple the allied forces in Panama through a stealth terrorist attack. It is during these latter moments that the film starts to feel rushed. The first hour takes it’s time providing us with great characters and dolling out tidbits of story but the final act rushes through at a breakneck pace, completely at odds with the rest of the film. One feels like it could have benefitted with another ten minutes of runtime in the final reel.

Bogart is in fine form in this film. He was mere months away from becoming one of the biggest stars in Hollywood but he shows off the charisma here that would propel him to that stardom. Likewise, Mary Astor, who had worked with Bogart the previous year in The Maltese Falcon, is also fantastic. Her character is both strong and tremendously vulnerable. For most of the film we know she is hiding something and when that is finally revealed we understand that vulnerability and can sympathize with it. She pulls it off in such a way as to be completely convincing. We never quite trust her but we want to.

The only real weakness is Sydney Greenstreet. His performance isn’t bad, but it is a little too one note. We have him sized up almost from the start and there is no nuance to it. We may not know right away what his game is but we know where he stands in it. Only in his final scene do we feel anything for his character and by then it is too little too late.

Across the Pacific is a fun, if not remarkable, film to watch. Bogart and Astor elevate it above the more traditional war movies from the period, but it still fails to really soar. The twists are fun to watch unroll but don’t really offer any surprises. Greenstreet does his best to elevate a poorly written character but can only do so much with what is written. It is competently made and doesn’t drag out too long. It also needed just a little bit more to propel it above the B-movie war films of the era.