Objective, Burma! (1945)

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Ranald MacDougall (screenplay) &
Lester Cole (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 February 1945 (USA)

Genre:

War | Drama

Plot:

A group of men parachute into Japanese-occupied Burma with a dangerous and important mission: to locate and blow up a radar station...

Plot Keywords:

Burma | Parachute | Radar | Jungle | USA

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars.

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Capt. Nelson
James Brown	...	SSgt. Treacy
William Prince	...	Lt. Sid Jacobs
George Tobias	...	Cpl. Gabby Gordon
Henry Hull	...	Mark Williams (American News correspondent)
Warner Anderson	...	Col. J. Carter (CO, 503rd Infantry)
John Alvin	...	Hogan
Mark Stevens	...	Lt. Barker (as Stephen Richards)
Richard Erdman	...	Pvt. Nebraska Hooper (as Dick Erdman)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Erville Alderson	...	Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell (uncredited)
Joel Allen	...	Cpl. Brophy (radioman) (uncredited)
Hugh Beaumont	...	Capt. Hennessey (uncredited)
Carlyle Blackwell Jr.	...	Lt. Barker (pilot) (uncredited)
Truman Bradley	...	Narrator, opening sequence (voice) (uncredited)
Kit Carson	...	Paratrooper (uncredited)
Neil Carter	...	Paratrooper (uncredited)
Anthony Caruso	...	Miggleori (uncredited)
Elmer Ellingwood	...	Paratrooper (uncredited)
Shep Houghton	...	Paratrooper (uncredited)
William Hudson	...	Fred Hollis (uncredited)
Asit Koomar	...	Gurkha (uncredited)
Pete Kooy	...	Paratrooper (uncredited)
Lester Matthews	...	British Maj. Fitzpatrick (uncredited)
Harlan Miller	...	Paratrooper (uncredited)
Rodd Redwing	...	Sgt. Chattu (uncredited)
Bernard Sell	...	Pilot (uncredited)
John Sheridan	...	Co-pilot (uncredited)
Frank Tang	...	Capt. Li (uncredited)
George Tyne	...	Pvt. Soapy Higgins from Flatbush (uncredited)
John Whitney	...	Negulesco (uncredited)

Directed by
Raoul Walsh

Writing credits
Ranald MacDougall		(screenplay) &
Lester Cole		(screenplay)
Alvah Bessie		(story)

Produced by
Jerry Wald	....	producer
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Franz Waxman

Cinematography by
James Wong Howe

Film Editing by
George Amy

Art Direction by
Ted Smith

Set Decoration by
Jack McConaghy

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Art Department
Harper Goff	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
C.A. Riggs	....	sound

Special Effects by
Edwin B. DuPar	....	special effects (as E.B. DuPar)

Stunts
Allen Pomeroy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buster Wiles	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Leonid Raab	....	orchestral arrangements

Other crew
Charles S. Galbreath	....	technical advisor (as Major Charles S. Galbreath, United States Army Parachute Troops)
John Maxwell	....	dialogue director
M.H. Whyte	....	technical advisor (as Major M.H. Whyte, British Indian Army 8 [F.F.] Battalion, Burma Rifles)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (presents) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. A Warner Bros.-First National Picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1945) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Objective Burma (International: English title) (DVD box title) (USA) (poster title)
Operation Burma

Runtime:

142 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (No. 10098) | Canada:G (video rating) | Norway:16 | UK:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden - 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

All the weapons, uniforms, and gear used in this movie are original and accurate. This was possible due to the fact that these were still in use to the US military when this film was made. WW2 movies made in recent times use reproduction weapons and gear.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): During the retreat action sequence, after the firefight in the swamp, the machine gun is picked up by the barrel.

Quotes:

Mark Williams: What if my parachute doesn't open?
Capt. Nelson: Then you'll be the first one on the ground.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Comedians (1967)

Masterful, gritty, absorbing - Errol Flynn? -You bet!

I first saw Objective Burma as a Saturday afternoon movie, probably on WGN TV in Chicago around 1963 at the tender age of 14. I was expecting the usual Errol Flynn fare (which was fine by me) but this blew my socks off! It rates right up there with Cagney's unbelievable turn in Yankee Doodle Dandy or Bogart's African Queen – If you never thought Flynn could act, this flick will turn your head around.

The usual TV Guide description goes something like – "American paratroopers are dropped into Burma to destroy a radar station". Yes, but that's only the first half hour! The real story begins when they find out they can't be picked up and are going to have to 'walk out', and it ain't no Robin Hood swash buckles his way through the castle sequence!

The dialog, music, photography, settings, along with major and minor players all work exquisitely to deliver what I humbly consider to be the finest war movie ever made. The depth is incredible, Raoul Walsh's touch is perfect, Flynn soars beyond what anybody ever thought he could. My God, there's even a scene where a tortured comrade begs to be put out of his misery and Flynn pulls it off. This ain't -Santa Fe Trail, Baby!

Yes, there is some dialog that today would not be politically correct, but, come on – We were at WAR, and I'm sure the Japanese had some equally colorful words to describe us! Yes, there is little mention of the British who were the major heroes of Burma – Well let them go ahead and make their own damn movie and shut the hell up about it! And, sorry, it's NOT 92 minutes long, Walsh takes his time bringing the story along, showing the deteriorating situation, the heat, the worry, the exasperation – If you want MTV, go somewhere else.

So many scenes stand out. Jacobs death, signaling to the supply plane with a mirror, the rendezvous scene, the night battle – Jeez, they're all so damn good. But maybe the one that gets to me the most is in the heat of a skirmish when Flynn's men ask him where to go, what to do – His face contorts into anguish and he gives the unheard of (in Hollywood) answer – But I won't spoil it for you, go see it for yourself.

I moved to LA in 1975 and about 20 years later I happened to be visiting the Los Angeles County Arboretum (formerly Lucky Baldwin's Estate in Baldwin Park next to Santa Anita Race Track) and got to talking with someone in the office about all the movies, television shows and commercials shot there (hundreds). I suggested that someone ought to do a book about it. The gal smiled, reached into a cabinet and handed me a well worn, out of print volume – "You mean like this"? I eyed the index eagerly and almost couldn't believe my eyes when I found Objective Burma there. Oh my God, I'd been coming to the park for over 15 years and never realized that the main Victorian house (popularized in the TV series Fantasy Island) is the exact same building used in the 'native village scene' where the big fight takes place. Later I walked over to the building, climbed onto the porch and chuckled to myself – This is where they set up the machine gun to cover their escape when the Japanese attacked. Over there is where they crossed the 'swamp' and here is where Jacobs died. I actually shivered with the realization that I was standing right on the very spot where a large portion of one of my all time favorite movies was filmed. If you happen to be a fan and are in LA, it's only about 7 dollars to get in, and be sure to bring some unsalted popcorn to feed the ducks, Errol probably did…