GO FOR BROKE! is a standard WW2 B-movie with an interesting basis: it tells of a platoon of Japanese-American troops fighting on the side of America against Nazi Germany during the war. Inevitably this is based on a true story and covers an aspect of the conflict that you don't really hear much about these days.Van Johnson plays the platoon's lieutenant, initially sceptical and rather racist when he hears about his new unit, but gradually developing a grudging form of respect for his men. The Asian actors are all fine, sympathetic, and convincing in their parts. The battle scenes are quite low rent and not always convincing, but they're delivered with enough gusto to make them entertaining.

THERE IS LITTLE reason to believe that the United States, "America", is not the 'Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave'; as our advertising slogans all claim. It is also true that many an inequity toward certain segments of our society, have and do exist.WE CAN ALSO can rightly, and proudly proclaim that the platitudes that we've proposed in the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution have had and continue to have an uncanny ability to rectify problems that would isolate whole groups pf Americans from full recognition and participation. Hence, the foundations of the American Republic, which were originally considered to be inclusive to the founding peoples' ethnicity and race (being Caucasians from Northern and Western Europe); others being 'excluded' by omission, rather than by design.* IT WOULD APPEAR that no particular racial-ethnic-national grouping had received a pass from this process; least of all being those those whose ancestors are numbered among those people who arrived on the shores of the New World from Asia. Being called by the now apparently politically incorrect term of "Orientals", the Chinese coolies and others who were imported to provide labor in building the trans-continental railroad and they received treatment that was little better than that of chattel; even after slavery was officially outlawed in all States and Territories of the USA.THIS DISREGARD OF the full rights and humanity of those from the 'Yellow Race' continued and persisted for many a year. Right down to the years of there existed an immigration law called 'The Chinese Exclusion Act': which disqualified the immigration of Chinese to the United States in the same quota manner afforded to those applicants from other countries.NOW, LET US fast-forward time to the year of 1941 and the attack on Pearl Harbor of December the 7th. Fear of a Japanese invasion of the West Coast coupled with old anti-Asiatic sentiment spawned the creation of the "Neisi Relocation Centers". Following an Executive Order from President Franklin D. Roosevelt and at the urging of California Governor, Earl Warren, Japanese living in the Western States were required to sell whatever real estate that they owned (their abodes or places of business) and submit themselves to being prisoners of the U.S. Government for the duration of World War II.THE EXISTENCE AND use of what were called Internment Camps during time of war wasn't new. Their application was commonplace and the practice was widely in use in Europe during the First World War. There was, however, one important difference; that being that those being held in these Internment Camps were FOREIGN NATIONALS of Nations who were at war with that particular country.SO THEN, WE had a great story that needed telling. We had a special combat unit of the United States Army, the 442nd Combat unit. It was special battle unit composed of enlisted men and non-coms (non-commissioned officers, sergeants & corporals) who were Americans of Japanese descent. Being a people who were on a mission and their record in the battlefields of the European Theatre of Operations was outstanding and acclaimed to be second to none; particularly in the Italian Campaign, which included assaults on cities in Sicily, Anzio and Rome.THAT MGM HAD DECIDED to do a film that brought this all to the screen is less of a surprise than it was one of those overdue projects upon release in 1951. While the production boasted of many an actor from MGM's outstanding stable (including popular Van Johnson in the top billing spot), it is the choice of the extensive cast portraying the Japanese American Soldier that makes this the fine movie that it remains to this very day.WE HAD LONG felt that there was a great similarity of GO FOR BROKE to MGM's BATTLEGROUND; which in similar manner told the story of the true heroes of Bastogne (the Battle of the Bulge). Having just recently seen the trailers produced for both pictures, we found that the head honchos at the studio concurred.MY MY. SUCH great minds have we! NOTE: * This is not to say that all being of the Caucasion persuasion would guarantee full acceptance to a person in all things 'American'. If you don't believe us, just ask those whose ancestors came from Southern Europe (Italians), Eastern Europe (Polish) and old Russia & the Ukrane(Jews). In my own case both my Mother's people (German) and the 'Old Man's' (Irish) paid their dues. (Oh yeah, we nearly forgot! The Irish were also imported to help build the transcontinental railroad! Whatta ya know, a sorta footnote to a footnote! Another Red Ryan 1st!)

It is an interesting coincidence of television programing that within three days of this week (Thursday to Saturday, June 18 to 20th, 2008) I saw two films regarding the problems of Americans and Japanese intermingling in the period World War II that I have long known of but had never before been in a position to view. First there was BRIDGE TO THE SUN which told of the mixed marriage of a Caucasian-American with a Japanese Diplomat in the 1930s into the World War, when they lived together (with their child) in Japan. Second is this film which looks at one of the hardest fighting military units in World War II's American Army, the 442ND Regiment. It was made almost entirely out of Japanese - American volunteers who wanted (in the wake of Pearl Harbor) to prove their patriotism. It was extremely difficult. Gwen (Carol Baker) saw first hand American bigotry turned in her direction when she was spotted boarding a bus with her daughter Mako in BRIDGE TO THE SUN. Obscenities were being thrown in her direction, as the bigots knew the people leaving were going home to Japan. Here these were native born Americans from around the country who were determined to show their patriotism, but faced a country that imprisoned many of their relatives in "relocation camps" and where many individuals faced possible physical danger by local bigots. If (as I said) BRIDGE TO THE SUN is a fine follow up to Cagney's film on the rise of Japanese militarism BLOOD ON THE SUN, then the appropriate (if disheartening) follow up to GO FOR BROKE! is BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK, as Spencer Tracy finds out the fate of his wartime friend's Japanese American father.GO FOR BROKE! is a "B" Feature, and lacks many of the special effects of the better war films from World War II through the 1960s (there is no point in comparing it to the computerized films of today). It showed care in how it developed character. Six of the Japanese actors in the film actually had served in the 442ND and were able to give a sense of realism to the movie. They were probably consulted in the script by Robert Pirosh, the director. There are moments of real humor in the movie. Van Johnson's taking his platoon through training, and suspecting (but not being able to prove) they cheated on an obstacle course is a good example.The actors are quite good. Lane Nakano (Sam) is a level headed fellow who is trying to understand the ways of the Caucasians who run the Army and U.S., but also trying to get them to understand the plight of the Japanese - Americans. George Miki ("Chick") is the reverse - a wise guy who knows the angles (we first see him winning remarkably well in a dice game in the barracks - too well as one of the others wants to examine the dice). He was working on the farms of Iowa in choosing male and female chickens for the farmers (a Japanese ability that Americans did not have). Since he was in the Midwest, "Chick" was not in the net of the Federal act that created the west coast relocation camps. Now he bemoans having been convinced to leave a $500.00 a month job for volunteering in the army of a country that disgraces his relatives. At the same time Sam is sending food to his family and girlfriend in their camp in Arizona, and is getting news from them about how they are being treated. Van Johnson is "Lieutenant Michael Grayson", who is a Texan, and wished to be in the same regiment with his Texas buddies. He is appalled at the Japanese-Americans he has to lead, and this annoys his commander Warner Anderson (Colonel Charles Pence) who refuses to consider him for transfer. Johnson does bring the men up to snuff in their training "by the book", but he earns their contempt for his obvious dislike of them. But as the film progresses Johnson gradually begins to question his own bigotry. The men are really willing to prove their worth. Moreover, in reading a U.S. guide book to Italy he reads words reminding him of the bigotry towards Italians and Germans that the Fascists and Nazi Propagandists build on.* It unsettles him, and slowly prepares him into a defender of the men.[*I suppose only one racial stereotype could be concentrated on in each movie that came along - there is no mention of the "Jim Crow" African-American units in the war. Unlike the Japanese - Americans the African - Americans did not get put into camps, but they were treated throughout the country (even in Hollywood) as second class citizens. In 1943 Jesse Owens achievements in Berlin in 1936 and the brouhaha over Marion Anderson's singing in Washington in 1930 were yesterday's news. Joe Lewis was still considered a boxing treasure, but Jackie Robinson's breaking the baseball color line was three years away. And even if Hattie McDaniel won the Oscar in GONE WITH THE WIND in 1939 no other African-American performer got a nomination in this period.]The film follows the men through Italy and France to the fighting at the Bulge. In the reaction of the men to their surroundings it bears comparison to A WALK IN THE SUN. One adopts a pet pig, and keeps the lovable little animal (and feeds him) until he has to make a choice about the pet. Another, who was an architecture major, keeps mentioning the different styles of great buildings that he sees along the way to the others. But for all their idiosyncrasies and different viewpoints, the men prove tough, experienced, and brave fighters, who rightly won their military glory with blood and toil. This is a worthy film in their honor, and you should try to catch it.

This movie is significant because of its subject matter: only five short years after World War Two ended, "Japs" have become full-fledged Americans fighting for honor and country. Of course, the movie was released at a time when the US was caught in another Asian war (Korea) and we needed to know the "good" Asians from the "bad" ones.The battle scenes are plausible, if not outstanding, but the greater story arcs are the transformation of Lt. Grayson into a true-blue fan of an ethnic minority he once despised; and the struggle of the Nisei to prove themselves even though they were American all along. Deals with ethnic issues much better than most war movies. Also peppered with humor.