"Across the Pacific" was a film that re-united three actors from "The Maltese Falcon" and was also directed by the same director, John Huston. I didn't realise that Vincent Sherman took over the directing after Huston was drafted into the Second World War. "Across the Pacific" was supposed to have a different ending but the one that was used is very good. Bogart is an American government agent who goes undercover by using a front of being a disgraced Army officer, whilst investigating Sidney Greenstreet who is in league with Japan and who is their ally during the Second World War. Once again, Bogart and Greenstreet are engaged in a battle of wits. Mary Astor doesn't really have much to do and I found her character to be rather irritating. She is much better in "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Great Lie." The film plays more along the lines of being a bit "comic strip" in the way the story unfolds but it is enjoyable all the same. It has a good pace, some intrigue and a thrilling climax. I enjoyed the scene that demonstrated the art of Judo, especially when Bogart is on the receiving end!

Think Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet along with John Huston and what do you come up with? "The Maltese Falcon" of course. But think again, because no sooner had Warner Bros created one of the best films of all time, they re-teamed the actors and the director and cinematographer and came up with this piece of flotsam that is hardly worth viewing. Called "Across the Pacific", this 1942 film came out just after the Pearl Harbor attack, so the original script had to be changed from Pearl Harbor to the Panama Canal, although the name somehow stuck.It's nice to see some of my favorite Asian actors at work here, including Richard Loo (Master Sun from "Kung Fu), Keye Luke (Master Po), and Kam Tong (Hey Boy from "Have Gun Will Travel"). But other than that, the film has little value.

This general genre -- Americans fighting Nazism (or in this case the Japanese) before or during World War II, is generally not very high on my list of types of film to watch. However, every once in a while one comes along that is pretty decent, often because it's not as predictable.One thing that makes this particular film a cut above is the cast, much of which was fresh off the success of "The Maltese Falcon". This is a good vehicle for Humphrey Bogart, who plays a GI pretending to be kicked out of the military to act as a sort of spy on some Americans that are up to no good with the Japanese, scheduled right around the bombing of Pearl Harbor, However, in this case the action is taking place centered around the Panama Canal. The primary bad guy here is Sidney Greenstreet, in league with he Japanese. Greenstreet is suitably menacing here. The leading question among the characters is: is Bogart's love interest -- again Mary Astor, a good girl or a bad girl? I actually think Astor is better here than she was in "The Maltese Falcon".There are also many Asian character actors here that you will recognize, even if you don't remember their names: Victor Sen Yung, Richard Loo, and Keye Luke (among others). Another very good character actor here is Charles Halton.Of course, as some of our participants have pointed out, there is negative stereotyping of the Japanese in this film. Well, of course! It was made in the middle of World War II.The degree of suspense here is a little uneven, and there are times when the film moves a little too slowly (particularly in the first half of the film), but overall this film holds your attention.Sidney Greenstreet's love of Japanese culture is really quite entertaining. I never considered him a very versatile actor, but he was very good at what he did well.If there are any criticisms due here, there are two. First, the stunt doubling for Humphrey Bogart here is way too obvious. Second, some of the "special effects" here (such as the single airplane near the end of the film) is quite primitive. But, overall, these two things do not detract much from the enjoyment of the film; they may just make you smile.Recommended if you wish to savor a taste of John Huston's Hollywood version of patriotism. Quite well done for this genre.

Bogey's immediately pre-Casablanca movie re-unites him with his co- stars Astor and Greenstreet and his writer/director of The Maltese Falcon, John Huston. Yes, Huston revised the script as he shot, though he did not receive a credit. This created problems when he was drafted near the end of shooting and Vincent Sherman took over. No join is visible in the film fortunately, due to the polished cinematography of Arthur Edeson (also from The Maltese Falcon) who was to join Bogey on Casablanca. Although the script doesn't measure up to Maltese Falcon standards, it's entertaining enough if not taken too critically and provides some wonderful opportunities for star turns by Bogey, Astor, Greenstreet and a wonderful support cast of delightful oriental off-beats led by Victor Sen Yung as a cheery thug, Chester Gan as the philosophical ship's captain ("It is the Japanese way. If you praise our sons, we say they are unworthy"), Lee Tung Foo as a friendly hotel proprietor and Monte Blue as a silent sot. And, of course, no Oriental-type movie would be complete without Philip Ahn. Here his role is memorable but brief. (That's a curious film we see in the cinema, incidentally. Obviously a Japanese silent movie, though dubbed dialogue on the sound track is designed to give us the impression it's a sound film). Produced on an expansive budget, the film is a marvelous example of Huston's feeling for visual atmosphere. Edeson's low-key film noir lighting is a major asset here, as is Adolph Deutsch's skillful score. The sets are appealingly created too, especially the wharf set with its chugging train and the menacing bulk of the Genoa Maru. In short, Across the Pacific is a very agreeable piece of entertainment indeed. It has quite a lot going for it, especially in the acting, atmospheric and artistic departments. If its entertainment total is less than the sum of its parts, blame the Second World War!