1942 - ACROSS THE PACIFIC, the cast of The Maltese Falcon is reunited.

Humphrey Bogart is an undercover army officer on a slow boat to China Japan.  Also on board are Mary Astor and Sidney Greenstreet.  John Huston is the director and Arthur Edeson is the cinematographer which makes Across the Pacific a reunion of some of the major principals of The Maltese Falcon but this film is far below the class and quality of that one.

This is just another cookie cutter World War II film classed up with a good cast and director.  The first part of the film isn't that bad, with Bogart basically playing Sam Spade as he attempts to figure out what the  crew and passengers of a Japanese freighter are up to.  The last part of the film involves a plot to blow up the Panama Canal by some sneaky Japanese that is about as ridiculous as can be possible.

The film is full of racial stereotypes with buck toothed Japanese and Panamanian banana planters.  Greenstreet is the usual cultured slime ball working for the Japanese government and the whole thing was clearly filmed on fake jungle sets on the Warner Brother's lot. 

The film's high points are the romance between Astor and Bogart who are very good together, the photography of Arthur Edeson and some cool montage pieces from future director Don Siegel.  Other than that, Across the Pacific is really not deserving of much respect. 

97 minutes, screenplay by Richard Macaulay.