THE LONGEST HUNDRED MILES – 1967 The US has just surrendered in the Philippines and the remains of the Army are being herded along on the Bataan Death March. Soldier, Doug McClure manages to escape into the jungle. He steals a small boat and heads off. No idea where he is going, but he figures it must be better than a Japanese prison camp.He comes ashore the next day near an old mission church. In the church is a priest, Ricardo Montalban, as well as a collection of orphaned children. There is also an Army nurse, Katharine Ross. Ross is the sole survivor of a boat headed to a pick up spot down the coast. In 3 days a US aircraft is landing at a small grass airfield to pick up the nurses.Now a small Japanese patrol shows up. McClure kills the four men with a machine gun he had found in a bombed out shack. Ross wants McClure to help her reach the airfield. The only transport they have is an old beat up mess of a bus. The wreck runs on coconut oil. McClure is not all that happy with the idea. But he decides to give it a go. He piles the kids, the priest and nurse Ross on the bus and heads off.Their departure was just in the nick of time as another Japanese patrol has arrived by truck. They are looking for the first patrol. They find the bodies of said patrol and are soon in hot pursuit.There are several close calls with the pursuing Japanese, but the bus manages to get a fair lead on them. They are strafed by a Japanese fighter and one of the children is killed. Then the group run into another bunch of Japanese on road. It looks like the game is up, but, a band of Filipino guerrillas now shows and disposes of the Japanese.Then there is a mad rush to make it to the airfield in time. The US aircraft lands and the children and Nurse Ross are loaded on-board. Now who should appear, but another truckload of Japanese troops. McClure tells the pilot to take off while he drives the bus straight at the Japanese truck. Needless to say he leaps off just in time as the coconut fuelled truck takes out the Japanese. McClure and Montalban join up with the Filipino guerrillas.This filmed in the Philippines, low budget film, was released on television in the US. It did get a theatrical release in Europe during 1968 and 1969.Miss Ross would hit the big time later in 1967 with THE GRADUATE. She quickly followed that up with HELLFIGHTERS and BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID. Doug McClure became a television fixture with his long running role (247 episodes) on THE VIRGINIAN. Ross and McClure had worked together in the 1965 Jimmy Stewart western SHENANDOAH.I recall seeing this as a kid back in the late 60's. All in all, it is a decent time-waster.

Doug McClure, Katherine Ross, and Ricardo Montalban star with a host of adorable Filipino kids in a good chase movie, set in the Philippines immediately after the ball of Bataan. Many of us will appreciate seeing a sweet young Ms Ross at about the time of The Graduate. Others will enjoy Montalban as a sympathetic priest caring for orphans, insisting on moral behavior in wartime. Other highlights are the utterly unforgettable Song of the Filipino Children, and perhaps the best untranslated but perfectly communicated dialog between two Japanese officers when they realize they've been foxed. Fine acting throughout.This is one of the movies you see at random as a kid and it stays with you forever.Based on a board recommendation, I purchased a DVD copy for US$24 at www.rarevideo.ca and received it in good order, quickly, with no hassle. Bit grainy, probably a dub off TV but perfectly enjoyable.

It's an important great movie for Filipinos and American alike. It brings back memories of my childhood in the Philippines specially the unspoiled scenery and sound- the song the children were singing at the end credits. I remember miles and miles of rice and sugarcane fields going north and miles of jungle and coconut plantation heading south of Manila. Those were wonderful trips my parent took me. I would also recommend "American Guerilla in the Philippines" filmed right immediately after WW2. It's part of our history and heritage as Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. And "the Great Raid". Also recommended it the PBS Special of on Filipino American who fought in WW2 "AN UNTOLD TRIUMPH" 2003 Also read "The Bloody Liberation of Manila", Lt Ramsey's War, Behind Japanese Lines, hopefully we can pass along these movie gems and knowledge to the next generation of Filipinos.

McClure and company, at the time of the Vietnam war, manage to tell an optomistic story during a time without much good news. As others have probably mentioned, the song "500 Miles" (covered by the Kingston Trio and others) was popularized by this film.