Across the Pacific
Director Vincent Sherman met with John Huston just before Huston left the project to join the United States Army Signal Corps to shoot documentaries for the war effort.

The two directors conferred just before they were about to shoot the scene in which Leland is trapped in the movie theatre and three assassins are trying to kill him.

"How does he get out?" Sherman asked. Huston replied, "That's your problem! I'm off to the war!"

John Huston then went off to join the war effort before the film was finished, taking the film script with him, explaining "Bogie will know how to get out." The studio's solution to the problem was to discard Huston's footage of the impossible dilemma and write a new scenario. Vincent Sherman directed the final scenes.,The background for the opening titles is a map of the Panama Canal. The orientation of the map and the compass is correct, but the labeling of the map is incorrect. In fact, the Atlantic end of the canal and the city of Colon are at the upper left (Northwest), and the Pacific end of the canal and Panama City are at the lower right (Southeast). The map is correctly labeled behind the closing credits.,Rick Leland: [comparing his gun to Dr. Lorenz's, which he points at him] Remember: mine is bigger than yours!,Opening Card:

Governor's Island

New York,Also available in a computer colorized version.,Featured in Frances Farmer Presents: Across the Pacific (1959),This film contains many aspects of the noir, including the clipped bantering dialogue with the clever intent. Coming soon after The Maltese Falcon, Across the Pacific is something of a mystery movie too.

Rick Leland (Humphrey Bogart) is a disgraced military man with dubious loyalties. He gets on a Japanese ship that is sailing to New York City, the Canal Zone and the Orient. While onboard, he becomes familiar with the other passengers: a western businessman named Dr. Leland (Sydney Greenstreet) who has a penchant for all things oriental and a smalltown woman named Alberta (Mastor Astor) who is taking a pleasure cruise.

But we sense all is not as it seems. Will Rick sail off into the Japanese sunset, bitter at the country that snubbed him? Will the doctor reveal an insidious intent? Will Alberta prove to be more than a romantic foil for Rick?

The action takes place not long before the U.S. would be forced to enter the war. Tensions are high. Eventually there is gunplay and all motives are revealed. Along the way, ATP proves to be an interesting film. The ending reminded me of another film that would follow in 1959--North by Northwest. ATP is a high stakes game of cat and mouse that coexists with a lighthearted romance.

My one complaint is that Mary Astor is not an actress I think would inspire lust in Bogart's Rick. Someone like Rita Hayworth would better fit the bill.,