Bombs Over Burma
| Bombs Over Burma | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Joseph H. Lewis[1] |
| Screenplay by | Joseph H. Lewis George Wellington Pardy |
| Story by | Milton Raison |
| Produced by | Arthur Alexander Alfred Stern |
| Starring | Anna May Wong |
| Cinematography | Robert E. Cline |
| Edited by | Charles Henkel Jr. |
| Music by | Lee Zahler |
| Distributed by | Producers Releasing Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 65 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English Mandarin |
Bombs Over Burma (also known as The Devil's Sister) is a 1942 American war film directed by Joseph H. Lewis, based on a story by Milton Raison.[2] To depict the Chinese character faithfully, the star, Anna May Wong, and other characters speak Mandarin in the first few minutes.[3]
Plot[edit]
In 1942, Chinese guerrillas fighting for the Allied cause in Burma during World War II are helping to build a road. During the construction of a military supply road like the Burma Road and Ledo Road, the project is sabotaged by an English nobleman who is a German agent.
Using a scientific device, the English nobleman is instrumental in the coordination of a Japanese air attack on supply trucks attempting to cross a key bridge. A Chinese school teacher (Anna May Wong) reveals the schemes of the traitor, and brings about his destruction at the hands of Chinese peasants armed with picks and shovels.
Cast[edit]
As appearing in Bombs Over Burma, (main roles and screen credits identified):[4]
- Anna May Wong as Lin Ying
- Noel Madison as Me-Hoi
- Leslie Denison as Sir Roger Howe
- Nedrick Young as Slim Jenkins
- Dan Seymour as Pete Brogranza
- Frank Lackteen as Hallam
- Teala Loring as Lucy Dell
- Dennis Moore as Tom Whitley
- Connie Leon as Ma Sing
- Hayward Soo Hoo as Ling
- Richard Loo as Col. Kim
- Paul Fung as Toy Vendor
- Richard Wong as Servant
Production[edit]
Lack of an adequate budget and a two-week shooting schedule hampered the production, limiting Bombs Over Burma to "B-fare".[5][6]
Reception[edit]
Production values doomed Bombs Over Burma both at the box office and with critics. The review in The New York Times succinctly called it a "dud", loaded with stock shots, even recognizable "California architecture."[7] Later reviews such as that of Leonard Maltin, noted that the film was an "... interesting if failed attempt to make a hard-hitting, topical film ... Director/cowriter Lewis' visual flair can't save a talky, pedestrian script. Wong comes off well, as usual."[8]
Availability[edit]
Alpha Video released the film on region-1 DVD on June 28, 2005.[9]
References[edit]
- Notes
- ^ Bombs Over Burma (1942) at IMDb
- ^ Evans 2000, p. 30.
- ^ Leong 2005, p. 191.
- ^ "Credits: Bombs Over Burma (1942)." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: May 7, 2012.
- ^ Leong 2005, p. 101.
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "Bombs Over Burma." Archived April 26, 2006, at the Wayback Machine Allmovie. Retrieved: March 22, 2012.
- ^ T.S. "Movie Review: Bombs Over Burma (1942)." The New York Times, August 10, 1942.
- ^ "Leonard Maltin Film Review: Bombs Over Burma (1942)." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: May 7, 2012.
- ^ "Bombs Over Burma." oldies.com. Retrieved: March 22, 2012.
- Bibliography
- Evans, Alun. Brassey's Guide to War Films. Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books, 2000. ISBN 1-57488-263-5.
- Leong, Karen J. The China Mystique: Pearl S. Buck, Anna May Wong, Mayling Soong, and the Transformation of American Orientalism. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 2005. ISBN 0-5202-4422-2.
- Taves, Brian. Joseph H. Lewis, Anna May Wong, and Bombs Over Burma. In Gary Rhodes, ed. The Films of Joseph H. Lewis. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press, 2012. ISBN 978-0814334621.
External links[edit]
- Bombs Over Burma at IMDb
- Bombs Over Burma at the TCM Movie Database
- Bombs Over Burma at AllMovie
- Bombs Over Burma is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
- Bombs Over Burma on YouTube