Betrayal from the East (1945)

Director:

William Berke

Writers:

Alan Hynd (novel)
Aubrey Wisberg (adaptation)

Release Date:

24 April 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

Jap Spy Secrets Exposed!

Plot:

Before World War II, Japanese spies seek secrets of the Panama Canal.

Plot Keywords:

Panama Canal | Spy | Japanese Restaurant | Football Game | Based On Book

Cast

Lee Tracy	...	Eddie Carter
Nancy Kelly	...	Peggy Harrison
Richard Loo	...	Lt. Cmdr. Miyazaki, alias Tani
Regis Toomey	...	Agent Posing as 'Sgt. Jimmy Scott'
Abner Biberman	...	Yamato
Philip Ahn	...	Kato
Addison Richards	...	Captain Bates, G-2
Bruce Edwards	...	Purdy, G-2 Agent
Dr. Hugh Ho Chang	...	Mr. Araki (as Hugh Hoo)
Victor Sen Yung	...	Omaya (as Sen Young)
Roland Varno	...	Kurt Guenther
Louis Jean Heydt	...	Jack Marsden
Jason Robards Sr.	...	Charlie Hildebrand (as Jason Robards)
Drew Pearson	...	Himself

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #10313)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

An OK b-movie aside from the heavy "yellow menace" message pushed in every scene and every character

With World War II approaching, Japan's diplomatic services push a global message of peace but, behind the scenes they plot their attack on the US, using a network of spies and traitors to get information to aid their mission. In America, Japanese secret agent Kato approaches former soldier Eddie Carter to recruit him to report back the details of the Panama Canal. Eddie is down on his luck and working as an announcer in a tacky fair sideshow and he agrees to help them for a big payday. However he quickly has his doubts and finds himself in the position to do the right thing for the US and act as a double agent.

With lots of talk about "Japs" and the title sequence involving a typical "yellow menace" image of a Japanese man it is no surprise that this thriller is very much a simple propaganda film. Presented by newsman Drew Pearson, we are told the story of how "friendly" Japanese in America are really spies, not to be trusted, who use their cunning and sweet talk to win over a typically good American to make him betray his country. Unsurprisingly the drama is as simple as the characters and although it works well enough on the level of an engaging piece of propaganda it doesn't have too much to make it stick in the mind; with perhaps a late scene of steam bath torture being the one exception. It goes where you expect it to and it moves forward without the pace and tension that I would have liked but, like I said, as a simple propaganda thriller it just about does enough.

The cast match this approach by being solid but nothing more. Lee Tracy is a cookie-cutter all-American Joe who does "the right thing" and opens all our eyes to the fact that no Japanese people in America can be trusted. He is OK but I wonder does he regret his role given what happened to Japanese Americans around this period? Kelly is alright and Ahn and Biberman do their usual roles in American films from the time but generally they all turn in the type of solid performances that one would expect to find in this type of thing.

Overall this is an OK but unmemorable thriller that is heavy with propaganda and a sense of fear-driven rabble-rousing. It more or less works as a simple b-movie but it is hard to totally get into it when looking back with hindsight and modern eyes and seeing the clear racism and very broad strokes used to present clean-cut white heroes and smarmy, untrustworthy yellow devils.