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Average Rating:
-
Casablanca in the Jungle
With James Stewart and Spencer Tracy starring together, "Malaya" seemed a good bet to be a movie worth seeing. It is a rather decent movie for its' time but there were some issues I had with its' factual content. I mention that because the movie does a good job of dealing with an actual issue that existed during the war; the shortage of raw rubber. If I'm not mistaken, the need for other habitats for the rubber plant (Brazil) and the development (out of necessity) for synthetic rubber, led to the eventual demise of the Southeast Asian rubber market. However, that came later and, at the outset of WWII, Japanese control of the rubber producing area caused a critical shortage for the US and its' Allies.
The objection I had with "Malaya" was the cosy relationship that existed in the Malayan setting between the Japanese, the Dutchman, and the Americans. In case you missed any other clues that the US was already at war with Japan, Stewart's remark about his brother dying at Wake Island ought to have let you know that war was already underway. The Dutchman, played with his usual excellence by Sidney Greenstreet, was just as much a target of the Japanese as the Americans. The quick demise of The Netherlands in the initial days in Europe often obscures the role the Dutch soldiers played in the Pacific Theater of War. So what? Well, I had the feeling that "Malaya" was meant to be a cross between "Casablanca" and "Across the Pacific" with Sidney Greenstreet, rather than Humphrey Bogart, being the connection between the three movies. However, this was not a neutral site to those involved and that kept me distracted throughout the bulk of the movie.
Other than the probably overstated objection, the movie moves along well. There's a lot of tough guys in this film including Gilbert Roland playing a person of Hispanic descent made up to look like a Frenchman. (I guess that confused me as well). Nonetheless, he did well in his schizophrenic role.
Enjoy the movie and not the historical issues. It's not one of Hollywood's classics by any means but it's still worth a look.
Rating: -
Excellent leading cast
Although one could not exactly call this film memorable, it is certainly worth watching if you are a fan of either Spencer Tracy or James Stewart. The two mammoth Hollywood ledgends make this film entertaining despite the script's forgettable status.
