Search - Across the Pacific on DVD

ACROSS THE PACIFIC

Brian | Pacifica, California United States | 05/27/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was eager to see this film because it reteamed THE MALTESE FALCON leads (Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor), and the Director (John Huston).It did not dissapiont. Not Bogart's best film, but I enjoyed this film a lot anyway. I thought that it was well-acted, with a good plot. The plot is fairly simple: Humphrey Bogart follows some spies to Panama, meeting up with a girl (Mary Astor) along the way. The film is similar to some other films made during the 1940s, but it still has a unique feeling to it. In regards to the film's name, I'm not sure why it's titled "Across The Pacific", but I think it might be refering to what was going on across the Pacific at the time the movie took place. It ended on December 7th, 1941 (HINT HINT). I would reccomend this film to anybody who is a Humphrey Bogart fan, or a fan of THE MALTESE FALCON."

Bogie Rocks!

M. Hencke | New York, NY United States | 02/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're in any way a Bogie fan or liked the Maltese Falcon then this film is a must see. Well directed by John Huston (Maltese Falcon, Treasue of Sierra Madre). Sydney Greenstreet steals the film in one of his usually intriguing character roles. Mary Astor also shines in the role of the heroine. Nice action, music and cinematography. Humphrey Bogart is one of the best actors to have ever graced the screen and this is easily one of his best films."

Bogart takes down a Japanese plot in WW II

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 03/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
The movie opens with Humphrey Bogart being discharged from the army for stealing money; he goes to Halifax to join the Canadian army, but they've heard of him and don't want him either. So he hops a freighter for the Orient via the Panama Canal when he sees pretty Mary Astor go aboard (there's the romantic angle for the picture). The scene is set for another outing where Bogart plays the "I-look-out-for-only-me" guy who is forced to change his mind for the good of his country, except that 30 minutes into the picture we see that he is actually working undercover for the US Government already, trailing Japanese spys who want to blow up the canal. It's a nice, but totally unexpected, twist.

Sidney Greenstreet plays the head Japanese bad guy, and he is excellent - his is the best performance in the movie. The dialogue and much of the love-play between Bogey and Astor are top-notch, too. John Huston directed, but left the production (gleefully) right at the point where Bogart is being held captive and the Japanese are about to take off in a plane to bomb the canal. Huston left to join the army, thinking he left Bogart in an impossible situation (a good joke), but he forgot this was Hollywood where anything is possible: Bogey gets free, stops the Japs, arrests Greenstreet, and wins Astor! Hooray for Hollywood! Not a great, great movie by any means, but it's very well done and highly entertaining."

Witty, entertaining propaganda - good package

Douglas M | 01/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a follow up to "The Maltese Falcon" with John Huston directing and Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor paired again, "Across the Pacific" promised to be an entertaining film and so it is. The film is an unbelievable thriller in which Bogart infiltrates a group of Japanese sympathisers plotting to blow up the Panama Canal. Sydney Greenstreet heads the traitors and is as enigmatic as he was in the previous film. The film was made at the time of Pearl Harbour so the plot contrivances are an understandable nod to the current events of the day.

The real interest of the film though is in the amusing by play between Bogart and Astor who were never more relaxed on the screen. They have some very funny moments. The film is beautifully staged by Huston with the exception of some pathetic models of ships. In fact, they are so poor that they add to the unreal comic nature of the film. You can not help but laugh out loud! The DVD preserves the film's beautiful black and white photography in an exceptional print and comes with a load of extras.

First of all, there is an excellent featurette which describes the major role Hollywood would play in the war effort, whether it be with ground breaking films such as "Confessions of a Nazi Spy" or Bette Davis and John Garfield forming the Hollywood Canteen. This is a valuable history lesson. A Warners Blooper reel for 1942 is included and these are always entertaining, particularly if you know your Warner's films.

The DVD also contains a Warners Night at the Movies in which the theme is certainly propaganda. The short film extols the virtues of 4 airman, ordinary men joining the forces for their country. Among the Warners starlets performing is a very young Eleanor Parker. The film is preserved in excellent technicolour and while you may cringe at the naivety and patriotism, one can see how it would have been used as a recruitment tool. One Newsreel item tries valiantly to put a positive spin on the devastation in Pearl Harbour by showing a Jap plane which was shot down. The cartoon is yet another recruiting poster in the form of a draft horse trying to enlist. It is funny in parts, when you are not cringeing. Finally, for coming attractions, there is a superb technicolour trailer for "Captain of the Clouds", a Cagney film which celebrates the Canadian Air Force.

As part of the second set of the Bogart Signature Collections, this DVD is particularly good value."