Espionage in the Far East

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Movie
German title Espionage in the Far East
Original title Blood on the Sun
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1945
length 94 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Frank Lloyd
script Garrett Fort
Lester Cole
production William Cagney
music Miklós Rózsa
camera Theodor Sparkuhl
cut Walter Hannemann
Truman K. Wood
occupation

Far East Espionage is a 1945 American drama directed by Frank Lloyd starring James Cagney .

action

The American reporter Nick Condon reported from Tokyo in 1929 for an English-language newspaper, the Tokyo Chronicle , in which he wrote about Japanese politics. One day, Condon learns of an explosive secret Japanese document, the so-called Tanaka Paper, named after the Japanese Prime Minister of the same name , in which the politician rants about his country's future expansion efforts. These intentions are of the greatest interest to the United States in particular, as they put Japan in a serious conflict of interest with the United States, which, like Japan, see itself as a major power in the Pacific. When Condon publishes his sensitive revelation, the devil soon breaks loose. Shortly after its publication, the Tokyo Chronicle received a visit from the Japanese secret police. Condon himself is initially unaware of the avalanche he set off by his article. At first his publisher is exposed to sharp attacks, then the Japanese military police, in the form of Captain Oshima, show an immediate interest in Condon. He is asked about his source, but is absolutely silent. When the police realize that Condon will not be willing to collaborate, they first arrest the American in order to put him under pressure.

Condon consults his fellow reporter Ollie Miller of the Tokyo Chronicle and persuades him to investigate the matter further. When Ollie and his wife Edith want to leave Japan a little later, the Japanese secret police assume that he wants to escape with the document on a casting ship for the United States and takes deadly countermeasures. Condon, who is also on board, discovers the strangled Edith Miller, while Ollie Miller is shot dead in front of Condon's house shortly afterwards. Before Ollie dies, he can hand over the obviously stolen, original Tanaka plan to Condon. A little later, Condon received an unpleasant visit from Captain Oshima, who turned Condon's house upside down, but did not discover the document because the American had cleverly hidden it behind a portrait of Emperor Hirohito , who, as the Tenno of the country, is considered inviolable as a photograph. Condon is nevertheless led away by Oshima and thrown into a Japanese dungeon. Now the highest Japanese authorities are also beginning to show an interest in Condon and his knowledge. The American reporter is brought before the author of the document, Prime Minister Tanaka, who asks him again, subtly and emphatically, to get the document out. Now Condon knows firstly that the contents of the paper reflect the official Japanese intentions and secondly that the Japanese have not yet discovered it behind the Tenno image.

To increase pressure for his release, Condon publicly claims that he intends to travel home to the United States soon. Condon's activities are also well received in liberal Japanese circles who reject a Japanese policy of expansion and hegemony. Condon meets Iris Hilliard, a half-Chinese woman, who he suspects may have had something to do with the murder of Edith. Nevertheless, he is fascinated by the enigmatic Eurasian and falls in love with her. Little does he know that Iris is in Tanaka's service and is supposed to spy on Condon and get the explosive document back. Nick learns through his colleague Joseph Cassell that Iris was put on him by the Japanese. Confronted with this knowledge, Iris admits to Nick that she is indeed in Tanaka's service, but that she secretly sympathizes with Japan's liberals. Since her awe of Emperor Hirohito was limited, she had no problem looking behind the portrait. There she found the document that she is now handing over to Nick. Since Iris and Nick were bugged by the secret police, Nick's opponents know that Iris is playing a double game and arrest her. But the half-Chinese escapes, whereupon the dishonored Tanaka hara- kiri.

Before Condon leaves the country for the USA, the escaped Iris contacts him and asks to be able to meet him again. Condon is able to shake off the secret police who are chasing him at every turn and meets with Iris at the harbor dock. She came with Prince Tatsugi, a seasoned liberal of Japan. It is clear to the senior government official that Japanese officials will claim the paper is a forgery, so Tatsugi is putting his official seal on the document to authenticate it. When the police arrive, Condon gives the now legally valid document to Iris, who escapes on a fishing boat while Tatsugi is killed by her own people. Condon tries to stop the pursuers as long as he can and distract them from Iris. Condon can even defeat the arrived Captain Oshima in a judo fight and escape his secret police henchmen. Then Nick flees to his country's embassy. Before he can step on their floor, he is gunned down and arrested. However, they cannot find the Tanaka paper that the Japanese are desperately looking for in him. A US diplomat comes to the door to help the seriously wounded Nick get to the embassy.

Production notes

Espionage in the Far East originated in the late phase of the Second World War , from mid-October 1944, and was premiered on April 26, 1945. The New York premiere was on June 28, 1945. The mass start was on October 15 of the same year. The German premiere took place on October 6, 1950.

The film cost about $ 750,000 and grossed around $ 3.4 million. This made the film a great box office success.

The film architects Wiard dich and A. Roland Fields each received an Oscar in 1946 for the best film architecture / equipment for a black and white film. Producer William Cagney was James Cagney's younger brother.

The original Blood on the Sun was transformed into a radio play after the cinema premiere, which was broadcast on December 3, 1945 as an episode of the Lux radio theater series with James Cagney and Sylvia Sidney in their old roles. On October 16, 1946 there was a new version as part of the Academy Award Theater, this time with John Garfield in the Cagney role.

useful information

That a US journalist discovered and published the real Tanaka document in 1929, as is claimed in this film, is pure fiction.

synchronization

role actor Voice actor
Nick Condons James Cagney Hans Emons
Iris Hilliard Sylvia Sidney Friedel Schuster
Prime Minister Tanaka John Emery Friedrich Joloff
Colonel Tojo Robert Armstrong Manfred Meurer
Ollie Miller Wallace Ford Erwin Bootz
Edith Miller Rosemary DeCamp Ruth Hellberg
Captain Oshima John Halloran Gerhard Bienert
Joseph Cassell Rhys Williams Erich Poremski
Prince Tatsugi Frank Puglia : Otto Stoeckel

Reviews

Bosley Crowther wrote in the New York Times : "So here we have an entertaining film in the time-honored Cagney groove - hard, badass and explosive, with just enough rudimentary tension."

The Movie & Video Guide called the film a “good melodrama”.

Halliwell's Film Guide stated: "Satisfying star action film in good production and with exciting highlights."

In 1945, The New Yorker mocked: "Could be nice for all those who enjoy a 90-minute massacre."

In the lexicon of international films it says: "Naive, adventurous agent film, tinged with contemporary anti-Japanese."

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Espionage in the Far East in the German synchronous file .
  2. ↑ Blood on the Sun in The New York Times, June 29, 1945.
  3. ^ Leonard Maltin : Movie & Video Guide, 1996 edition, p. 136.
  4. ^ Leslie Halliwell : Halliwell's Film Guide, Seventh Edition, New York 1989, p. 121.
  5. ^ Espionage in the Far East. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed January 8, 2020 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 

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