Objective, Burma! (1945)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

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		(director of photography)

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:

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:

This was remade as Distant Drums with Gary Cooper, Richard Webb and Arthur Hunnicutt circa 1950 and set in the Florida Everglades.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the scenes with the Japanese reacting to the destruction of the radar station, the spoken dialogue is obviously overdubbed and out of sync.

Quotes:

Paratrooper: [upon following the dead body of young paratrooper Hollis] So much for Mrs. Hollis' nine months of pain and twenty years of hope.

Movie Connections:

Featured in War Stories (2006) (TV)

One of my favorites

I saw this movie when it came out in 1945.As a kid of 8 years it was terrific.I watch it every time it is on TV.I can almost repeat all the dialog in it.I think the part that Henry Hull says when they find our men captured in the village.I think it is very fitting today as to what is going on in Iraq.Colorizing this movie wasn't such a good idea in my opinion.Black and white seems to add realism to the film.I have been googleing all the actors in the film.Where Errol says to Henry Hull,"you know how old the colonel is in there? 34"And our general is 37.He was right.Warner Anderson was 34 years old.Errol of course was 30.All young men who jump out of planes.However,George Tobias was 44,a little old to be jumping out of airplanes.And Henry Hull was 55.I guess he was the oldest in the cast.I met William Prince in NYC many years ago. And talked to him just about this film.I should have asked him more questions but he and I both had appointments to make.Nice guy.