Two charismatic actors (Bogart and Hayakawa), two exceptional performances (Teru Shimada and Alexander Knox), and two powerful scenes redeem this otherwise disappointing film.First, the disappointments: director Heisler and leading lady Marly. Both clearly earned their downward-spiraling careers, each ending up cranking out small-screen stuff like "77 Sunset Strip." Equally disappointing is the on-location filming-- not that it's bad. It memorably exposes the destruction of Tokyo (half the city was bombed to rubble by us); unfortunately, the vintage footage is put in amateurish hands, resulting in painfully obvious use of rear projection when Bogart himself is in the frame, or painfully obvious use of a double wearing a trench coat and fedora.The two powerful scenes occur in the final half hour, and they are noteworthy if only because they remind modern audiences that brutal scenes do not need to be bloody scenes:First, we're in a cargo plane en route back to Japan, and though there is no explicit violence, the danger is palpable because the audience knows that the war criminals on board are capable of absolutely anything. Second, a rare portrayal of seppuku, filmed in a way that relies entirely on the actor's expressions to convey the barbarity of what he is doing to himself — and he succeeds so well that you simultaneously can't take your eyes off his face, and can't stand to watch.Both scenes have far more do with Japanese characters than with Americans, and that is the real strength of this film: The Japanese are not treated as clichés of cruelty-- or of comedy, as they are in the artlessly racist "Lost in Translation" (2003). In "Tokyo Joe," the Japanese are every bit as complex as the Americans, if not more so. Their characters are the losers of the war, after all, the people learning to live, as one of them says, "in shame."

The setting for 'Tokyo Joe' is more interesting than the plot. It takes place in Japan not long after the second world war, during the American occupation. The country is being rebuilt, but times are still tough; at one point, we see Humphey Bogart's character toss a cigarette butt to the sidewalk and several people dive to retrieve it. In what is definitely one of Bogie's lesser vehicles, the story is confusing and at times it's hard to know exactly what Joe Barrett's (Bogart) motivations are. A colonel in WW2, Barrett had also owned a nightclub (shades of Casablanca) in Japan and returns after a few years to see what became of it. He finds it still operating but is frustrated at the amount of American red tape he must go through to re-establish himself as the owner. Then he discovers that his Russian-born wife Trina, whom he thought dead, is alive and remarried to a wealthy businessman named Mark Landis. At first, he is furious and determined to get Trina back, but when he discovers she has a daughter, his daughter no less, his mood softens. Then he meets with a shady Japanese underworld figure to front a small air freight company... Barrett will fly the plane and ask no questions about the cargo. The Japanese crime boss says they will export frozen frogs to North and South America. I'm serious. There is even a point later in the film when crates are being loaded onto a plane and one of them is dropped and comes open. We expect to see guns or drugs spilled out but sure enough, it's a bunch of frozen frogs. Barrett says to hurry and get them loaded before they spoil. Bleccch. Anyway, that's about all you need to know about the plot. Eventually, Barrett is ordered to bring three Japanese baddies, former bigwigs from the war, back to Japan from Korea so they can stir up trouble. An elaborate (well, fairly elaborate) sting operation is set up by American authorities and the plan is thwarted. I wonder how many Bogart pictures tried to copy 'Casablanca' either in part of in whole; 'Tokyo Joe' certainly would be one of them. There is the tragic former romance, the smoky nightclub and requisite mood music ('These Foolish Things' weaves in and out of the picture), the exotic locale and even a Paul Henreid-ish character in Alexander Knox's Mark Landis. Humphrey Bogart gives an adequate performance, lending credibility to scenes and plot devices that don't really deserve it. 'Tokyo Joe' is something of a curiosity, a time-capsule worth a look.

"Tokyo Joe" was one of the first pictures made by Humphrey Bogart's production company, Santana. While it is impressive in that it was the first film to be shot in post-war Japan (no doubt thanks to Bogarts' popularity), it is a weaker, lesser, tedious film. The plot is all too familiar, there is not a really good supporting cast, and Bogart appears to be sleepwalking thru this all to familiar character.The most ridiculous parts being where Bogart is practicing his Judo. His stunt double looks nothing like him.Nothing offensive about this film, other than it's blandness. Pass on this one.5 out of 10

Minor Spoilers In a post-war Tokyo, with Japan totally dominated by the USA occupation forces, the American Joseph 'Joe' Barrett (Humphrey Bogart) lands in the Haneda Airforce Base, trying to return to his small business in the nightclub, cabaret, restaurant and casino Tokyo Joe. His former Japanese partner and friend Ito (Teru Shimada) has administrated and kept the place working during the war. When they meet each other, Ito tells him that Joe's wife Trina Pechinkov Landis (Florence Marly), supposed dead, is still alive. Joe goes to her address, and finds that Trina is married with the American Mark Landis (Alexander Knox), and she had a daughter with Joe called Anya (Lora Lee Michel). Joe decides to stay in Tokyo, trying to retrieve the love of Trina, but due to the difficulties in obtaining a visa, he opens a small transportation business, buying an old plane, hiring three pilots and accepting to transport the load of a powerful man, Baron Kimura (Sessue Hayakawa). However, he finds that the reason of being of the transportation was to smuggle stowaways. Further, Kimura has Trina in his hands, since she broadcasted for the Imperial Japanese government in the war to protect her daughter. Meanwhile, Kimura kidnaps Anya, to squeeze Joe. Pressed by the military forces, who wants him to leave the country, and by Kimura, Joe tries to save Anya from the hands of Kimura. Although not being a bad movie, "Tokyo Joe" is certainly the worst film of Humphrey Bogart that I have ever watched. One interesting point in this movie is the situation of Japan in those times, and the progress of this admirable people in some decades, being one of the most powerful nations of the world since the end of the last century. Anyway, I am a great fan of Humphrey Bogart, my favorite actor ever, and it was worthwhile for me to know this movie. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "Tóquio Joe" (" Tokyo Joe")