 The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957   N/R, 161 min.
Genre: Adventure / Drama
Director: David Lean
Cast: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa, James Donald, Geoffrey Horne, Andre Morell, Percy Herbert, Harold Goodwin, Peter Williams, John Boxer, Ann Sears
A Japanese colonel (Sessue Hayakawa) is in charge of building a bridge with a work force of British and American prisoners of war. Alec Guinness plays the proud Col. Nicholson who starts out proving British superiority and ends up devoted to the successful completion of "his" bridge. This great film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, David Lean won for Best Director, and Alec Guinness won for Best Actor. It won four other Oscars as well: Best Writing, Cinematography, Film Editing, and Musical Score. 2 User Reviews
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| | The ultimate true story of survival | KingJames 10/30/2010 | This movie is the extremely accurate rendition of the incredible heroics of the brave men in Japanese prison camps that were made to build railroads. Many of these men after surviving battle on ships, ship sinkings, environmental and weather elements, were then subjected to cruel and inhuman treatment of Japanese soldiers. This movie is an accurate portrayal of these conditions with a few exceptions: (1) They did not whistle when entering the camp(although they did marxh in military formation, even when captured). (2) In the movie, Cdr. Shears tells the story of how he was on the USS Houston whenThe USS Houston was sunk ,and how he and a Commander was seperated from everyone else and drifted to the other side of the island. The commander died and he took his rank...etc. In real life, there was a USS Houston that was sunk and there was a Commander Maer that did drift to the other side of the island with a Seaman Elam ,which is consistant with Cdr. Shears story of the Houston sinking. However, both Cdr. Maer and Seaman Elam survived amd were captured.(3) Real conditions of the prison camps were far more deplorable than depicted ,as well as the work details.(Men that couldnt walk were put on stretchers and given a hammer to bust up rock etc). (4) There were more American than British POWS, (the British often referred to the Americans as "Rabble"). and (5) They did not blow up the Bridge in the end and Col Nicholson certainly didnt turn on his own people to attempt to keep the bridge from blowing up.
Still an awesome movie that is a must see. |
| | TREMENDOUS, BUT SECOND TO BRIDGES OVER TOYKO REA | DIAMONDQB 03/27/2007 | | |
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The Cheat 1915  N/R, 50 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Cast: Fannie Ward, Jack Dean, Sessue Hayakawa, James Neill, Yutaka Abe, Dana Ong, Hazel Childers, Arthur H. Williams, Lucien Littlefield, Raymond Hatton, Dick La Reno
This is a good, early Cecil B. DeMille film that involves Edith Hardy's (Fannie Ward) dilemma when she gambles away money destined for charity without her husband Richard's (Jack Dean) knowledge. Edith makes a deal with Tori (Sessue Hayakawa) to replace the money–all of which leads to a tragic end because Tori wants more than Edith realized for his investment.
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The Geisha Boy 1958  N/R, 98 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Frank Tashlin
Cast: Jerry Lewis, Marie McDonald, Sessue Hayakawa, Barton MacLane, Suzanne Pleshette, Nobu McCarthy, Robert Hirano, Ryuzo Demura, Los Angeles Dodgers, Carl Erskine
Magician Gilbert Wooley (Jerry Lewis) heads for Japan where he aspires to work in a USO show and, in the process, creates mayhem in the Orient.
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Green Mansions 1959 N/R, 104 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Mel Ferrer
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Lee J. Cobb, Anthony Perkins, Sessue Hayakawa, Henry Silva, Nehemiah Persoff, Michael Pate, Estelle Hemsley
Set in a South American jungle, this is a W.H. Hudson love story about forest sprite Rima (Audrey Hepburn) and a mere human being, Abel (Anthony Perkins).
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Hell to Eternity 1960 N/R, 132 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Phil Karlson
Cast: Jeffrey Hunter, David Janssen, Vic Damone, Patricia Owens, Richard Eyer, John Larch, Miiko Taka, Sessue Hayakawa, Tsuru Aoki, Bill Williams, Michi Kobi, George Shibata, Reiko Sato
This film is based on the real-life experiences of World War II hero Guy Gabaldon. The story begins when Guy (Richard Eyer) is being raised by a Japanese-American family and how, after the family is sent to a relocation camp following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Guy (now played by Jeffrey Hunter) enlists in the U.S. Marine Corps. After a fling with his buddies (David Janssen and Vic Damone), Guy is sent to Saipan. Because of his knowledge of Japanese customs and language, he is able to help save Saipan civilians hiding in caves and even persuades Gen. Matsui (Sessue Hayakawa) and his troops to surrender.
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House of Bamboo 1955 N/R, 102 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Samuel Fuller
Cast: Robert Ryan, Robert Stack, Shirley Yamaguchi, Cameron Mitchell, Brad Dexter, Sessue Hayakawa, Biff Elliot, Sandro Giglio, Harry Carey Jr., Robert Quarry, DeForest Kelley
In this remake of "The Street With No Name" (1948), the setting is changed to Japan. Robert Stack takes on the role of a down-on-his-luck ex-GI who arrives in Tokyo and goes undercover to join a well-organized syndicate in an effort to stop the burglaries and bring down its psychotic leader (Robert Ryan).
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Swiss Family Robinson 1960  N/R, 126 min.
Genre: Family / Adventure
Director: Ken Annakin
Cast: John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, James MacArthur, Janet Munro, Sessue Hayakawa, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, Cecil Parker, Milton Reid, Larry Taylor, Andy Ho
This is the Disney version of the story based on Johann Wyss' tale of a family, shipwrecked on a South Seas island, that learns how to survive away from civilization. A robust, fun adventure.
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Three Came Home 1950 N/R, 106 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Jean Negulesco
Cast: Claudette Colbert, Patric Knowles, Florence Desmond, Sessue Hayakawa, Sylvia Andrew, Helen Westcott, Patrick O'Moore, Mark Keuning, Phyllis Mooris, Howard Chuman, Alex Frazer, Sung Li, John Mantley, Harry Maratin, James Logan
Based on Agnes Newton Keith's autobiography, this excellent film concerns the struggle for survival of American and British families who were POWs in Borneo during World War II. Agnes (Claudette Colbert), her husband Harry (Patric Knowles), and their small son George (Mark Keuning) are among the concentration camp prisoners who suffer torture and starvation. But, Agnes keeps up her spirit and maintains her dignity while waiting to be rescued.
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Tokyo Joe 1949 N/R, 87 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Stuart Heisler
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Alexander Knox, Florence Marly, Sessue Hayakawa, Jerome Courtland, Gordon Jones, Rhys Williams, Charles Meredith, Harold Goodwin, James Cardwell, Teru Shimada, Hideo Mori, Lora Lee Michel, Whit Bissell, Fred F. Sears
Three years after World War II ends, an American soldier, Joe Barrett (Humphrey Bogart), returns to Japan on a business venture. He believes that his wife Trina (Florence Marly) died in a concentration camp, but now finds that Trina is alive, has remarried Mark Landis (Alexander Knox), and has a seven-year-old daughter Anya (Lora Lee Michel) who Barrett suspects is his own child. Ex-Japanese intelligence officer Baron Kimura (Sessue Hayakawa) wants Barrett to use his airline to fly war criminals back to Japan and kidnaps Anya to ensure Barretts cooperation. Events escalate and culminate in a bloody shoot-out.
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| 1. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
2. The Cheat (1915)
3. The Geisha Boy (1958)
4. Green Mansions (1959)
5. Hell to Eternity (1960)
6. House of Bamboo (1955)
7. Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
8. Three Came Home (1950)
9. Tokyo Joe (1949)
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