Across the Pacific

Across The Pacific should have been a different movie.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor forced filmmakers to rewrite the script at the last minute and change the setting from an American Naval base in the Pacific to the Panama Canal. Once the rewrites were complete, John Huston began directing the film, only to leave midway through production to make war documentaries for Army. Vincent Sherman ended up finishing the picture. Given all this turmoil, it’s a wonder the picture didn’t turn out worse.

Much of the blame can fall on the script. It’s clearly a patched together piece, as the first half plays out like a mystery before abruptly shifting to a wartime actioner at the halfway mark. It’s also very talky, using exposition as a crutch, and suffers because of it.

The plot sees Humphrey Bogart play disgraced Army officer who becomes involved with a shady professor, played by Sydney Greenstreet, and a mysterious woman, played by Mary Astor.

At least the performances are enjoyable, if a bit soft. Bogart, Greenstreet and Astor are all fine enough, but their roles simply lack the edge they had in their last collaboration, The Maltese Falcon.

Maybe with a single director and a tighter script this could have been something special, but as it stands, it’s a disappointment.