Secret Agent of Japan

Last updated
Secret Agent of Japan
Secret Agent of Japan FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed by Irving Pichel
Written by John Larkin
Starring Preston Foster
Lynn Bari
Cinematography Lucien N. Andriot
Edited byAlfred Day
Production
company
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • March 21, 1942 (1942-03-21)(New York City) [1]
  • April 3, 1942 (1942-04-03)(USA)
Running time
72 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Secret Agent of Japan is a 1942 film directed by Irving Pichel and starring Preston Foster. It was the first American anti-Japanese war film produced by a major studio after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Contents

Plot

A nightclub owner in Shanghai becomes involved in espionage revolving around preparations for the attack.

Cast

Critical reception

The film drew mixed reviews from critics. Theodore Strauss of New York Times panned the film, calling it "a very mild hate-brew" and "third-rate drama", and stating, "Nowadays, we doubt whether anybody, even Hirohito, will be much excited". [2] Variety wrote that "the picture doesn't achieve more than moderately entertaining proportions for the adult ... Foster and Miss Bari show off excellently, though some of the supporting parts are pretty awful." [3] Film Daily called it "a rousing melodrama" but found the twists and turns of the plot confusing. [4] Harrison's Reports wrote: "An engrossing espionage melodrama that is timely. The story value is good, and competent direction and excellent performances help maintain the interest throughout." [5]

The film seems to "have legs", though, as it scores a 6.9/10 stars on IMDB (see link below).

Related Research Articles

<i>Wake Island</i> (film) 1942 film directed by John Farrow

Wake Island is a 1942 American action drama war film directed by John Farrow, written by W. R. Burnett and Frank Butler, and starring Brian Donlevy, Robert Preston, Macdonald Carey, Albert Dekker, Barbara Britton, and William Bendix. The film tells the story of the United States military garrison on Wake Island and the onslaught by the Japanese following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

<i>The More the Merrier</i> 1943 film by George Stevens

The More the Merrier is a 1943 American romantic comedy film directed by George Stevens and starring Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, and Charles Coburn. The film's script—from Two's a Crowd, an original screenplay by Garson Kanin (uncredited)—was written by Robert Russell, Frank Ross, Richard Flournoy, and Lewis R. Foster. Set in Washington, D.C., the film presents a comic look at the housing shortage during World War II.

<i>Sabotage</i> (1936 film) 1936 film by Alfred Hitchcock

Sabotage, released in the United States as The Woman Alone, is a 1936 British espionage thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock starring Sylvia Sidney, Oskar Homolka, and John Loder. It is loosely based on Joseph Conrad's 1907 novel The Secret Agent, about a woman who discovers that her husband, the owner of a London movie theatre, is a terrorist agent.

<i>Secret Agent</i> (1936 film) 1936 film by Alfred Hitchcock

Secret Agent is a 1936 British espionage thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, adapted from the play by Campbell Dixon, which in turn is loosely based on two stories in the 1927 collection Ashenden: Or the British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham. The film stars Madeleine Carroll, Peter Lorre, John Gielgud, and Robert Young. It also features uncredited appearances by Michael Redgrave, future star of Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes (1938), Michel Saint-Denis as the Coachman, and Michael Rennie in his film debut.

<i>Edge of Darkness</i> (1943 film) 1943 film by Lewis Milestone

Edge of Darkness is a 1943 World War II film directed by Lewis Milestone that features Errol Flynn, Ann Sheridan, and Walter Huston. The feature is based on a script written by Robert Rossen which was adapted from the 1942 novel The Edge of Darkness by William Woods.

<i>Guadalcanal Diary</i> (film) 1943 World War II war film directed by Lewis Seiler

Guadalcanal Diary is a 1943 World War II war film directed by Lewis Seiler, featuring Preston Foster, Lloyd Nolan, William Bendix, Richard Conte, Anthony Quinn and the film debut of Richard Jaeckel. It is based on the book of the same name by Richard Tregaskis.

<i>Nocturne</i> (1946 film) 1946 black-and-white film noir directed by Edwin L. Marin

Nocturne is a 1946 American film noir directed by Edwin L. Marin and starring George Raft, Lynn Bari and Virginia Huston. The film was produced by longtime Alfred Hitchcock associate Joan Harrison, scripted by Jonathan Latimer, and released by RKO Pictures. It was one of several medium budget thrillers Raft made in the late 1940s.

<i>The Thief</i> (1952 film) 1952 American film noir crime film directed by Russell Rouse

The Thief is a 1952 American film noir crime film directed by Russell Rouse and starring Ray Milland. The film is noted for having no spoken dialogue; the only verbal communication present in the film is represented through closeup shots of two telegrams.

<i>The Adventures of Marco Polo</i> 1938 film by John Ford, Archie Mayo

The Adventures of Marco Polo is a 1938 American historical adventure film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Gary Cooper, Sigrid Gurie, and Basil Rathbone. It was one of the most elaborate and costly of Samuel Goldwyn's productions.

<i>Abbott and Costello in Hollywood</i> 1945 film

Abbott and Costello in Hollywood is a 1945 American black-and-white comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello alongside Frances Rafferty. Made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was produced by Martin A. Gosch.

<i>Across the Pacific</i> 1942 film

Across the Pacific is a 1942 American spy film set on the eve of the entry of the United States into World War II. It was directed first by John Huston, then by Vincent Sherman after Huston joined the United States Army Signal Corps. It stars Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet. Despite the title, the action never progresses across the Pacific, concluding in Panama. The original script portrayed an attempt to avert a Japanese plan to invade Pearl Harbor. When the real-life attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, production was shut down for three months, resuming on March 2, 1942, with a revised script changing the target to Panama.

<i>To the Shores of Tripoli</i> 1942 film by H. Bruce Humberstone

To the Shores of Tripoli is a 1942 American Technicolor film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring John Payne, Maureen O'Hara and Randolph Scott. The film was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. Its cinematography was nominated for an Academy Award in 1943.

<i>Alexanders Ragtime Band</i> (film) 1938 film by Henry King

Alexander's Ragtime Band is a 1938 American musical film released by 20th Century Fox that takes its name from the 1911 Irving Berlin song "Alexander's Ragtime Band" to tell a story of a society boy who scandalizes his family by pursuing a career in ragtime instead of "serious" music. The film generally traces the history of jazz music from the popularization of Ragtime in the early years of the 20th century to the acceptance of swing as an art form in the late 1930s using music composed by Berlin. The story spans more than two decades from the 1911 release of its name-sake song to some point in time after the 1933 release of "Heat Wave", presumably 1938.

<i>China Girl</i> (1942 film) 1942 film by Henry Hathaway

China Girl is a 1942 drama film which follows the exploits of an American newsreel photographer in China and Burma against the backdrop of World War II. The film stars Gene Tierney, George Montgomery, Lynn Bari and Victor McLaglen, and was directed by Henry Hathaway. It is also known as A Yank In China, Burma Road and Over The Burma Road.

<i>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</i> (1939 film) 1939 film by Richard Thorpe

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film adaptation of Mark Twain's 1884 novel of the same name, starring Mickey Rooney in the title role. The supporting cast features Walter Connolly, William Frawley and Rex Ingram. It was remade by MGM in 1960. A musical version was released in 1974.

<i>First Lady</i> (film) 1937 film by Stanley Logan

First Lady is a 1937 film about behind-the-scenes political maneuverings in Washington, D.C. directed by Stanley Logan and starring Kay Francis, Preston Foster, Anita Louise, Walter Connolly and Verree Teasdale. Francis and Teasdale portray bitter rivals in their pursuit of the title role of First Lady. The picture is based on the 1935 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Katharine Dayton.

<i>Little Tokyo, U.S.A.</i> 1942 film by Otto Brower

Little Tokyo, U.S.A. is a 1942 American film. Produced in the period just after the United States entered World War II, it was meant to alert Americans to the dangers of foreign agents. It is now controversial for its largely negative portrayal of Japanese-Americans.

<i>The Navy Comes Through</i> 1942 film by A. Edward Sutherland

The Navy Comes Through is a 1942 American World War II film directed by A. Edward Sutherland. It stars Pat O'Brien, George Murphy and Jane Wyatt. Vernon L. Walker and James G. Stewart were nominated for an Oscar for Best Special Effects. The film was based on Borden Chase's 1939 short story "Pay to Learn". The working titles of the film were Pay to Learn and Battle Stations. The film was the first RKO Pictures use of a new radio signal trademark that spelled out the word "victory." Prior to this, the studio's radio signal trademark spelled out "RKO."

<i>Secret Enemies</i> 1942 film directed by Benjamin Stoloff

Secret Enemies is a 1942 American drama film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and written by Raymond L. Schrock. The film stars Craig Stevens, Faye Emerson, John Ridgely, Charles Lang, Robert Warwick, and Frank Reicher. The film was released by Warner Bros. on September 17, 1942.

<i>The Wizard</i> (1927 film) 1927 film

The Wizard is a lost 1927 American mystery film directed by Richard Rosson. The film is based on the 1911 story Balaoo by Gaston Leroux. The film is about Dr. Paul Coriolos who has grafted a human face onto an ape, and sends it out to capture people and bring them back to his home to be tortured and killed. Reporter Stanley Gordon is booked to a write-up on the mystery, and finds that Anne Webster and her father have been mysteriously disappeared from their dinner home. Gordon follows the clues to discover them at Coriolos's home.

References

  1. "March 21, 1942". The Second World War - A Day By Day Account. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  2. T.S. (March 23, 1942). "Secret Agent of Japan (1942)". New York Times.
  3. "Film Reviews". Variety . New York: Variety, Inc. March 11, 1942. p. 8.
  4. "Reviews of the New Films". Film Daily . New York: Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc.: 4 March 16, 1942.
  5. "'Secret Agent of Japan' with Preston Foster and Lynn Bari". Harrison's Reports : 44. March 14, 1942.