Cry Freedom (1959)

1959 - Cry Freedom (Banaue Pictures)

[Philippines' release date 1st July 1959; distributed theatrically in the US in 1961 by Parallel Film Distributors Inc, released in Belgium as "Le Cri De La Liberte/De Kreet Der Vrijheid"]

Director Lamberto V. Avellana Writer Rolf Bayer Based on the novel "The Crucible" by Yay Marking Producer Edith Pérez de Tagle Cinematography Mike Accion Music Restie Umali Editor Fely Crisostomo Sound Flaviano Villareal    

                 

Cast Pancho Magalona (Marking), Rosa Rosal (Yay), Johnny Reyes (Cabalhim), Jack Forster (Sid), Joseph de Cordova, Alfonso Carvajal, Pedro Faustino, Mario Roldan, Charles Kelley (Lieutenant Stoddard), Tony Santos (Juanito)

 Original Filipino ad courtesy of Simon Santos' Video 48 blog

Ambush Bay* (1966)

1966 – Ambush Bay (Courageous Films/United Artists)

[Released in West Germany and Austria as “Verrat In Der Bucht”, in Spain as “Emboscada En La Bahía”, in France as “La Baie Du Guet-Apens”, in Italy as “Marines: Sangue e Gloria”, and in Finland as “Väijytysten Lahti”]

Director Ron Winston Writers Marve Feinberg, Ib Melchior Producer Hal Klein Executive Producer Aubrey Schenck Cinematography Emmanuel I. Rojas Music Richard LaSalle Editor John F. Schreyer Makeup Artist Charles Blackman Production Manager Vicente Nayve Assistant Director E. Read Killgore Sound Effects Editor Del Harris Sound Mixer Burdick S. Trask Special Effects Charles Schulthies Head Grip Bud Gaunt Music Editor Edna Bullock Score Mixer Dan Wallin Technical Advisor Lt. Col. Clement J. Sadler USMC

Cast Hugh O'Brian (1st Sgt. Steve Corey), Mickey Rooney (Gunnery Sgt. Ernest Wartell), James Mitchum (Pfc. James Grenier), Peter Masterson (Platoon Sgt. William Maccone), Harry Lauter (Cpl. Alvin Ross), Gregg Amsterdam (Cpl. Stanley Parrish), Jim Anauo (Pfc. Henry Reynolds), Tony Smith (Pvt. George George), Clem Stadler (Capt. Alonzo Davis), Amado Abello (Manuel Amado), Juris Sulit (Midori), Max Quismundo (Max), Bruno Punzalan (Ramon), Tisa Chang (Miyazaki), Buff Fernandez (Lt. Tokuzo), Joaquin Fajardo (Capt. Koyamatsu), Limbo Lagdameo (Japanese man), Nonong Arceo (Japanese soldier)

Ben Cressy’s review from his Sgt Slaughter Goes To War website:

“Ambush Bay” is the poster-child of how to make a World War II film based solely on clichés. This said, the result is a very entertaining but always paper-thin look at espionage in the Pacific Theater.

Four days before General MacArthur’s invasion fleet is slated to return to the Philippines, a squad of Marines is dropped on Mindanao with a risky assignment: penetrate enemy-held territory and contact a spy named Miyazaki who operates out of a heavily-guarded Japanese rest camp. They spy has information vital to MacArthur’s intelligence department. The Marines are all experts in the field of killing, except for Pfc. Grenier (Jim Mitchum, “Leathernecks”), a PBY radio man who was assigned to the team at the last minute when the original radio operator got sick. Grenier doesn’t hit it off with the veterans, especially the macho Sgt. Corey (Hugh O’Brian, “In Harm’s Way”) who winds up in charge of the mission when the Captain (Clem Stadler) becomes a casualty.

The piece is cliché-ridden from start to finish – in what movie have we not seen the characters, setting or mission before? Ron Winston handles every bit of this nonsense seriously – so seriously, in fact, that despite the flaws, it’s very easy to enjoy this movie, even in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. O’Brian gives a passionate performance, even if his character is anything but original and personal. His Sergeant is virtually a superhero, as Sgt. Wartell (Mickey Rooney!) reveals to Grenier by describing a series of Corey’s early battle exploits on Guadalcanal and Tarawa. Rooney looks to be thoroughly enjoying himself as he scales cliffs and mows down Japanese infantry by the dozen, although he looks way too old and simultaneously boyish to be a believable career marine.

Although he gets third billing, Mitchum’s is the most developed and believable character. He’s a person any viewer can relate to: thrown into a situation beyond his control, Grenier is forced to adapt to ever-changing conditions – and fast – because his life may depend on it. He wants to do his job well, but doesn’t have any natural talent, and therefore his peers look down on him with utter contempt. His performance never strikes a false note, and he even gets to lapse into some voice-overs to keep things fresh.

The on-location photography is stunning from beginning to end. Had this film not been shot in the Philippines, any credibility would have been totally lost. The exteriors are appropriately lush and beautiful. Winston and cinematographer Emmanuel L. Rojas don’t just take us into the steamy jungles; we get to venture into rice patties, across streams and down rushing, crystal clear blue rivers. I absolutely hate it when producers try to make ridiculous locations like North American forests (“The Green Berets”) or rocky plains of Spain (“The Thin Red Line”) pass for Asian or South Pacific jungles. The technique just doesn’t work. Kudos to Winston for choosing to shoot this film in the actual locations it is said to have occurred at.

Although the movie runs nearly 2 hours, the time flies by. The pace is kept fluid in two ways. The characters are constantly on the go. The only reason they stop is rest, and we’re treated to discussion revealing something of their character. For example, we don’t get to know Corey as a person until late in the film when he develops a relationship with Tisa Chang’s character. When the men aren’t hiking or resting, they’re engaged in some sort of combat with the enemy – patrols, tanks and indigenous cannibals constantly hamper their progress. Winston doesn’t dwell on the supporting cast at all: most of them are non-essential characters that he kills off in a few early encounters with the enemy. We constantly ask ourselves “Who is going to get killed next?” This curiosity keeps us engaged right up until the climactic battle inside a fortified Japanese radio installation.

All of that said, it’s necessary to point out several technical flaws which make the proceedings difficult to take seriously. The members of the squad are introduced as crack masters in the art of warfare, but by the half-way point, almost all of them have been killed by your average Japanese draftee - and usually for stupid reasons. The special effects are very below par, even for a low-budget film from 1966. One encounter with a Japanese tank is packed with some most ridiculous elements – including two of the least believable explosions ever caught on film. (It’s also impossible to overlook the fact that later on in the film, Corey, Grenier and Miyazaki take a breather at the exact same outdoor location that the Marines were engaged in a firefight near the beginning of the movie). The rubbery, funky camouflage uniforms and ridiculous baseball-style caps look like something a Green Beret or Navy SEAL might have worn in the 1960s, but are totally out of place in a World War II movie. Wartell’s encounter with a Japanese patrol involving “Baked potatoes” has got to be one of the corniest “stupid typical bad guy” scenes ever. And, finally, when the movie reaches its climax – first of all, how lucky can our heroes get? The way they manage to break into the Japanese fortress is unbelievable, and the amount of bullets Corey takes while blasting at hordes of enemy troops with a machine gun is ludicrous.

Perhaps it’s the unbelievable, overstated corny parts of “Ambush Bay” that make it such an entertaining film; or maybe it’s more serious, sincere performances of Mitchum and O’Brian that make it stand out from the deluge of “jungle patrol” stories out there. Whatever the reason, it’s thoroughly enjoyable has been a perennial favorite of mine since the days of the now-forgotten TNT Memorial Day Marathons. Now that it’s available on DVD, a whole new audience may have opened up.

Mark R. Hasan’s review from the KQEK website:

Executive producer Aubrey Schenck seems to have dusted off the plot of his shorter (and superior) 1954 WWII war flick, "Beachhead," with some tweaking by writers Marve Feinberg, and Ib Melchior (best known for the sci-fi classics "Angry Red Planet," "Robin Crusoe on Mars," and "Planet of the Vampires"). Add veteran TV director Ron Winston and gorgeous Phillippine locations to the stew, and you have a watchable B-movie that manages to entertain in spite of an unnecessarily protracted final act.

Winston's forays into feature films were limited to a tight quartet - of which " Ambush Bay " was his debut - but the prolific TV director had already handled diverse material in shows like "East Side, West Side " and zippy action vignettes in the cult classic series "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." "Ambush" moves well, and in spite of some seriously inconsistent day-for-night photography, the scenes are well integrated with the jungle locales.

MGM's transfer is taken from a very crisp print, and the original mono mix is fairly standard, showcasing the orchestral score by legendary hack composer Richard LaSalles (shamefully imitating music from "Bridge on the River Kwai," and "Mutiny on the Bounty").

Producer Schenck boosted the film's marquee value by adding Hugh O'Brien from the popular Fifties series "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp," former child-star Mickey Rooney, and James (son of Robert) Mitchum. Neither three have much to work with, but play their familiar archetypes well. Director Winston got better material the following year with "Banning," and directed episodes of "McMillan and Wife" before his death in 1973.

Dennis Schwartz’s review from Ozus’ World Movie Reviews website:

Veteran TV director Ron Winston ("The Gamblers"), in his feature film debut, helms this action-packed but thin WWII drama. It's written by Marve Feinberg and Ib Melchior in a no-nonsense taut way, following along the lines of the 1954 Beachhead (but not as good!). It tells of a special reconnaissance unit of nine U.S. marines in October of 1944 who are on a secret mission in the Philippines (filmed on location in the Philippines) in which they have 96 hours to locate a Japanese-American girl, Miyazaki (Tisa Chang), who has information for General MacArthur's planned invasion of the Japanese-occupied island.

When their leader Capt. Alonzo Davis (Clem Stadler, Lt. Colonel military adviser for pic) is killed, the hard-nosed Sergeant Corey (Hugh O’Brian, a former drill instructor in the marines) takes command. The patrol must fight their way through the jungle and only a handful survive when they reach their destination and rescue Miyazaki from enemy captivity. She tells them the enemy has learned of MacArthur's planned invasion route and have mined the bay he will use. The patrol's radio has been destroyed, so they can't communicate this valuable intelligence.

Sergeant Wartel (Mickey Rooney) plays the hero and stays behind to keep the enemy occupied, at the cost of his own life, as Corey and Pfc. Grenier (Jim Mitchum, Bob's son), set out with Miyazaki to detonate the mines. Miyazaki will sacrifice her life to save her rescuers and though Grenier, the only inexperienced member of the marine patrol, is the sole survivor, the mission is deemed a success. It ends with the MacArthur radio broadcast: "People of the Philippines, I have returned."

It's entertaining, especially for those action freaks and those not minding propaganda films about how war is a chance to prove one's manhood.

W.I.A. (Wounded In Action) (1966)

1966 - W.I.A. (Wounded In Action) (Myriad Productions)

Director/Writer Irving Sunasky Producers Irving Sunasky, Samuel Zerinsky Associate Producer Leopoldo Salcedo Cinematography Enrique Rogales Music Polding Silos [as Leopold Silos] Editor Gregorio Carraballo [IMDB also lists Fred von Bernewitz]

Cast Steven Marlo (Private Joe Goodman), Maura McGiveney (Lieutenant Marietta Dodd), Leopoldo Salcedo (Major Armando De Leon), Mary Humphrey (Lieutenant Joan Marsh), Albert Quinton (Major Slater), Victor Izay (Sergeant Roman), Bella Flores (Carmen), John Horn (Corporal Bliss), Pete Duel (Private Myers), Joe Sison (Sanchez), Brennan Wood (Captain Ed Bill), Romy Brion (Ruther)

Synopsis (from the AFI Catalog): In the Philippines during World War 2, US and Filipino soldiers who have been wounded in action against the invading Japanese are taken to a military evacuation hospital. One patient, Filipino Major Armando de Leon, nearly begins an affair with Nurse Joan Marsh but she is transferred from the hospital. US Private Joe Goodman also falls in love with a nurse, Marietta Dodd, but he is returned to the United States when the officers learn of their romance. Before he leaves, however, Joe pledges to marry Marietta when they can be reunited.

Escape To Mindanao (1968)

1968 - Escape To Mindanao (Universal [TV])

Director Don McDougall Story Orville H. Hampton Teleplay Harold Livingston Producer Jack Leewood Cinematography Ray Flin Music Lyn Murray Editor Richard G. Wray Editorial Supervisor Richard Belding Sound Tommy Santos Art Director Napoleon Enriquez Production Managers Nilo Saez, Roberto Mariano Assistant Director Nick Miranda Special Effects Silvane Balicas Color Coordinator Robert Brower Music Supervisor Stanley Wilson Costume Designer Grady Hunt Wardrobe Alice Garcia Makeup Pat de Lara Production Coordinator Ronald Remy

Cast George Maharis (Joe Walden), Nehemiah Persoff (Captain Kramer), James Shigeta (Liutenant Takahashi), Ronald Remy (Lieutenant Parang), Willi Koopman (Anne Kramer), Vic Diaz (Sokuri), Eddie Arenas (Captain Aquino), Gil de Leon (Zairin), Andres Centenera (Viray), Vic Uematsu (Sergeant Major)

Atrocities Of The Orient (1959)

1959 - Atrocities Of The Orient (US version: Film Import Company/Social Service Pictures)

[Original production date estimated at 1948-49, also known as “Outrages Of The Orient”, “Atrocities Of Manila”, “Beast Of The East”, and in Greece as “I Kitrini Maska”]

Director/Writer Carlos Vander Tolosa, [US version] William H. Jansen Producer Don Jesus Cacho Editor [US version] Lloyd Friedgen Cinematography William H. Jansen Music Julio Esteban Anguita Orchestrations Bernardino F. Custodio Assistant Director Luis Galasanz Sound Charles Gray

Cast Linda Estrella Fernando Royo Mona Lisa, Teddy Benavides [Alma] Rosa Aguirre Bimbo Danao

Clumsily spliced together from at least three different productions, Atrocities Of The Orient is one of those fascinating specimens of exploitation cinema that is entertaining simply because it is so bad!

The opening scenes are reminiscent of a South Pacific musical - happy villagers singing and going about their daily chores in a tropical setting. The action then abruptly shifts to mayhem as the Japanese army attacks the village, murdering, raping and pillaging. Then, just as abruptly, we are plunged into a slow-moving melodrama regarding two enlisted brothers and their struggles during wartime. Thereafter comes POW brutality, miscellaneous love stories, titillating tidbits and attempts at humor, all chopped together without a care for consistency of narrative.

Purportedly a dramatization of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II, Atrocities Of The Orient becomes something quite different: a surreal pastiche of horror, action, ham-fisted melodrama, stock footage, and even lame attempts at comedy, book-ended by sober narration that is apropos of nothing. Don't miss it!

Michael J. Weldon’s review from Psychotronic Magazine:

After a narrated intro and a musical number by happy Filipino villagers (similar to Indian movie segments) the main story is about the Japanese occupation (some actual news footage is used), two rival brothers and some captured freedom fighters. The Japanese Col. (“There is only one God, the Emperor Of Japan!”) orders (mostly offscreen) bayonet deaths and decapitations. Eve, a tough lady guerrilla leader shoots one of her own men for punishment. There’s even a comedy relief Sgt. character. In (second language) English but whole conversations are in Japanese. The topless women running and some other sequences were awkwardly edited in for the U.S. exploitation release. The David Friedman Roadshow Rarity release is from a 59 re-issue. It still played theatres in the 70s!

Patrick L. Cooney’s review from the Vernon Johns Society website:

Southern Luzon. Before the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, life was simple and good. All that changed with the coming of the Japanese in World War II. As the resistance to the Japanese occupation became stronger, the Japanese became even more cruel than usual.

The native residents sing while they pound some type of seed. The narrator then speaks of Corregidor, the Gibraltar of the Philippines, the old fortress blasted to a heap of ruble. Then the narrator shows a military cemetery: "Here lay our dead: Philippine and American, buried together."

Planes roll over the Philippines skies and start bombing the cities. There is a great deal of fire in the city. And there are firefights breaking out between the invading Japanese and the Philippine and American resistance. A Japanese soldier invades a house and when the old man there tries to protect the women of the house the soldier bayonets him. Captain Antonio Cruz knocks out the Japanese soldier. He then goes in to a bedroom to speak with his wife. More Japanese come into the house and threaten the women. Captain Antonio hears the women screaming. He shoots his wife dead. He opens the door and the Japanese start to pour in. He has no more bullets so he has to jump out the bedroom window to survive. Some of the women run out of the house, one naked from the waist up. A Japanese soldier pursues her, but she either jumps or falls of the cliff to her death.

Filipino Colonel Cruz is in critical condition at the underground hospital. Before dying he writes a note to his son. It says: "Lt. Carlos Cruz: Fight to the last. Tell mother everything is all right. Father." He dies. Lt. Carlos Cruz receives the letter. Then he hears his mother calling him. They hug each other. She comments on how ruthless the Japanese are. Mom then tells Carlos that he dropped a letter. Carlos picks it up, but he won't tell her what it really says. Mom asks him if he has seen his brother Antonio. Carlos tells her not to mention his brother's name. "As far as I'm concerned, he's dead. He stole the woman I love." Carlos has someone take his mother and the others to a place of relative safety.

Carlos Cruz brings in some natives and a dead woman. But the bombing gets so close to them that they all have to leave the area. Carlos goes to a field hospital and sees a woman he really likes, Nurse Carmen. Carmen likes him too, but she won't get serious with him because he still is hung up over his brother's wife. As they talk, his brother Antonio brings in the dead body of his wife. Carlos can't believe his ears when Antonio admits that he killed his wife: better that, he says, than leaving her to suffer at the hands of the Japanese. Carlos and Antonio start to fight each other, but they are broken up. Mom wants them to reconcile but that seems impossible. Antonio leaves.

Captain Cruz receives a message from headquarters to surrender to the nearest Japanese outpost. Cruz tells his men: "We'll never surrender." A wounded soldier comes back to the Philippine defense line in the area and tells the captain that there is a Japanese machine gun nest about a mile up the road. The captain asks for three volunteers and he gets them. The three attack the nest. The first soldier throws a hand grenade which hits its mark, but not before he is shot and killed. The hand grenade explodes and kills many of the Japanese soldiers. The second Philippine soldier goes to check on the nest. He is shot and dies, but he does manage to shoot and kill the Japanese soldier that shot him. The last Philippine soldier now goes to check on things. A Japanese survivor throws a knife into his back. The Philippine soldier is able to kill his killer.

Lt. Carlos Cruz and his men also decide not to surrender. The Japanese attack them in force and many are killed. The lieutenant and about 8 or 9 of his men are captured. The Japanese Colonel asks the lieutenant why did he not follow the orders from his superiors to surrender. The lieutenant doesn't say anything is reply. The Colonel tells him that he understands and says he likes the lieutenant. One of the captives shoots a Japanese soldier and he in turn is killed by an enemy soldier. The line of Philippine soldiers then are forced to bow to the Japanese flag.

One of the Filipinos is taken out of line and beheaded by the second in command. A crazy Filipino sneaks up behind the Colonel and steals a pistol. When the crazed man kills a Japanese soldier, the Japanese Colonel kills him. A chaplain steps out of line to say some words over the crazy fellow. For this, he is tied to a tree and then the second in command bayonets him to death. The Japanese killer then cackles over his feat.

The Colonel talks with Carlos. He tells him that the Japanese came to liberate them from the Americans. He adds that Bataan has fallen and soon Corregidor will surrender. If the lieutenant cooperates, he and his men will not be killed. Some of the Japanese enlisted men start to chase the Philippine nurses. For this offense, the second in command punishes the sergeant involved by hitting him and knocking him down several times. Lt. Carlos thanks the Colonel for having the sergeant punished, but also tells the Colonel to leave nurse Carmen alone because she is his fiancé.

At a Japanese check point, when a Filipino tries to prevent the Japanese from taking his rice that he needs to feed his children, the Japanese guard bayoneted him for his protest.

Captain Antonio hears some noise down by the river. He readies his men for an attack. But they find out that the noise is made by a lovely Philippine woman swimming in the river. The men cat call and whistle at her. She does not care for this at all. She thinks they are Japanese. She is actually a Colonel in rank and has 11 men with her. She goes to the attack against the invaders, only to find out that they are also Philippine. She is still mad because of the cat calls. Her name is Colonel Eve. She slaps Captain Antonio for gawking at her. She then suggests that they combine the two commands under her leadership. Antonio accepts.

The misbehaving Japanese sergeant has still not learned his lesson. He leads the exercises for the nurses and male medical staff. Then he starts flirting with the nurses. To make things worse, he tells them all to give him their watches. As he is bragging to them about his prowess in the army, the second in command comes up to him. The sergeant immediately starts giving the women back their watches. The second in command threatens to stab the sergeant with his sword, but the nurses scream so much at the idea that he relents.

Under the command of Colonel Eve, the group attacks a village housing Japanese soldiers. It is a successful raid, but they lose three men. She asks who was the man in charge of the now dead men. She then shoots and kills the man in charge. She figures that she should eliminate him now and avoid the loss of three more men the next day.

The Japanese Colonel asks Lt. Carlos who were the forces making the attacks on Japanese posts. Carlos says its Philippine guerrillas. When the Colonel starts getting read to take some offensive action, Carlos knocks out the Colonel. A Filipino soldier grabs some Japanese documents. He rushes out, but the alarm is sounded. The Filipino is shot, but he succeeds in handing off the documents to another Filipino. The Japanese then capture the wounded man and torture him. The captured man and others like him are saved from the Japanese, by an attack on the P.O.W. facilities. They get their men out of there.

Eve personally leads the next charge. She is a little upset about not finding true love in her life and decides to be a bit reckless. She gets shot for her recklessness. Antonio tries to comfort her. He tells her he loves her. Eve asks: "Why didn't you say so in the first place? This could have all been avoided." She then asks Antonio for a kiss good-bye. They kiss. She dies.

American and Philippine soldiers parachute onto the Philippines. American and Philippine troops push forward. Up goes the American flag, a welcome sight.

The narrator says: "Yes, many died so we may live."

Not that great of a movie. The quality of the film on the DVD was poor. There were scenes so dark you couldn't see anything. The acting was o.k., but nothing special. And the title of the movie is a bit misleading. There are definitely atrocities in the movie, but it did not live up to they hype I read in some of the reviews. Especially the Japanese crimes against women, were not covered that much. It's more of a Philippine guerrilla fighting movie than anything else, along with scenes of Japanese excesses. In one sense, the Japanese get off lightly because they do have two scenes with the sergeant being punished for his trying to mess with the women. I did like the title of the movie. My version was "Atrocities in the Orient". And atrocities is a good name for the behavior of the Japanese in Asia and the South Pacific.

Combat Killers (1974)

1974 - Combat Killers (Mever Films/Oceanic Films)

[Italian poster lists “Cormons Film”, possibly its distributor. IMDB lists a release date of 1968; released in Finland as “Kuoleman Lahettilaat”, in Italy as “Zona 421 Obiettivo Manila”, in Germany as “Todeskommando Iwo-Jima” and on Polish DVD as “Kompania śmierci z Iwo Jimy”]

Director/Writer Ken Loring

Cast Paul Edwards [Jr], Marlene Dauden, Claude Wilson, Leopoldo Salcedo (General Kenji Takahashi), Ken “Metcalf”/Metcalfe, Kim Ramos, Vic Silayan, Von Serna, Fred Galang, Chuck Jamison, Eddie Arenas

Pacific Inferno (1979)

1979 - Pacific Inferno (Nathaniel Productions/Arbee Productions/Euro London Films Ltd)

[filmed in 1977 as “Do They Ever Cry In America?”]

Director/Writer Rolf Bayer Additional Dialogue Roland S. Jefferson, Eric P. Jones US Producers Cassius V. Weathersby, Spencer Jourdain Executive Producer Jim Brown Arbee Producer B. Sherry-Greenwood Associate Producer Rod Perry Cinematography Mars 'Noaong' Rasca Music Editor Doug Lackey Song "Flashback" Words & Lyrics M. Burton, P. Terry Singer Dee Dee Sharp Gamble Song "War" Music & Lyrics Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong Singer Edwin Starr Editor Ann Mills Editorial Consultant Richard C. Meyer Costume Designer Bill Witten Makeup Artist Carmelita Sioson Production Manager Kim Ramos Property Master Lito Aquino Set Designer Vicente Bonus Sound Donald Santos Supervising Sound Editor Richard Anderson Sound Editors Earl Watson, Richard Anderson, David Lee Fein Special Effects Jess Sto. Domingo Chief Electrician Julian Baltonado Still Photographer Nap Jamir 2nd Unit Cameraman Jun Rasca Assistant to Producer Jun Barcelon Script Continuity Jill Freeman Military Advisor Dennis Juban Wardrobe Nene Jaramillo Assistant Editor John H. Bryant Underwater Camera Operator Kim Ramos Dive Master Jim Perkins Assistant Dive Master Ray Wagner

Cast Jim Brown (Clyde Preston), Richard Jaeckel (Robert 'Dealer' Fletcher), “Tim”/Timothy Brown (Zoe Dawson), Rik “Von Nutter”/Van Nutter (Lieutenant Dennis Butts), Dick Adair (George), Jimmy Shaw (Leroy), Wilma Reading (Tita), Dindo Fernando (Totoy), Sonny Batacan (Nardo), Pedro Faustino (Elder), Tad Horino (Yamada), Vic Silayan (Colonel Fukoshima), Butz Aquino (Captain Kobayashi), Vic Diaz (Kempei), [uncredited] Jim Gaines (young Clyde)

Hal Erickson's review from the All Movie Guide:

With 1985's Pacific Inferno action star Jim Brown made a triumphant return to movies. Or did he? If you read the copyright date carefully, you'll discover that this US-Philippine coproduction was actually shot in 1977. The plot has us believe that General Douglas MacArthur ordered that $16 million in silver be sent to the bottom of Manila Bay before the Philippines were overtaken by the Japanese in 1942. Navy divers Brown and Ric Van Nutter are among several POWs ordered to retrieve the money. Brown is all for escaping, but the duplicitous Van Nutter plans to abscond with the booty. Thus, Brown is alone in his efforts to round up local guerillas to help his fellow divers get away. Among the resistance fighters is buxom Wilma Reading, whose role consists of falling out of her blouse at the slightest provocation. Less attractive is "special guest star" Richard Jaeckel, who plays a soldier of fortune named Dealer.

Robert C. Waltham’s review from The Critics website:

When I received a copy of American Home Treasures’ recent DVD release “Gripping War Escape Movies”, I was pleasantly surprised to find three full length features on a single DVD. I should have known from the title--not many single features use the plural “movies”--that I was in for greater value than the standard DVD fare. Indeed, with a retail price of only $9.98, I would have been happy with pretty much any combination of movies (remember, some people are actually shelling out the same amount to see “Kangaroo Jack”!). While the three movies included in “Gripping War Escape Movies” may not be “classic” masterpieces, they are for the most part above average quality features, albeit a bit dated, with several recognizable names from recent cinematic history.

“Pacific Inferno”, starring Jim Brown and Richard Jaeckel, is not nearly as intense as “Escape from Sobibor”, making sequential viewing of the movies far more enjoyable. The story follows a team of U.S. Navy divers held captive in a Japanese POW camp in the Philippines. Their Japanese captors exploit the divers’ underwater skills to recover sunken coins from the bottom of the sea. Jim Brown soon finds himself aiding the local Filipino resistance at the expense of his own escape. “Pacific Inferno” ventures very little from this path, as it is a rather forgettable movie of mediocre quality. Most scenes take place in the sparsely designed POW camp, on a barge, or underwater. I wouldn’t normally recommend “Pacific Inferno” for stand alone viewing, but to harp on the entertainment value once again, I got my money’s worth from “Escape from Sobibor”, so everything else is gravy.

Noel Murray’s review from the AV Club:

Plot: According to the opening crawl, "It is a fact of history that in 1942 General MacArthur ordered General Wainwright to dump $16,000,000 in silver pesos into Manila Bay to prevent their capture and use by the invading Japanese army." But the Japanese have assets at their disposal: captured Navy diver Jim Brown and his crewmates. In halting, exclamatory English, the prison-camp commander warns, "Please be informed… we are all aware… of your skill… in underwater work!" At first, Brown plays along, because the Japanese treat him better than any American ever did. But later, he later changes his mind and hatches a plan to help the Philippine resistance, prompting a showdown. "It is not… my desire… to kill you," the commander shouts. "We must talk… and come to… human understanding!"

Key scenes: When the resistance leads Brown and company to a burned-out building, Brown flashes back to race riots at home. Meanwhile, one of his crewmates spots a pretty flower in the wreckage, and remembers a good-time boogie-woogie dance.

Can easily be distinguished by: The sludgy pace and quiet, murky action sequences. There's a lot of standing around, even when the situation is reportedly urgent.

Sign that it was made in 1979: There's a montage of World War II stock footage set to Edwin Starr's "War," and silky soul music plays under the scene where Brown cozies up to a native and coos, "You're a whole lot of woman. I'm just trying to put it into words."

Timeless message: Ain't no Japanese ever called Jim Brown "nigger."

Memorable quotes: When Brown's naval commander objects to bunking with a black man, Brown hisses, "This ain't no ship! And it surely ain't no United States of no goddamn America!" When the commander replies, "As far as I'm concerned, this is still the Navy and nothing has changed," Brown sighs, "You got that right."