Watch American Guerrilla in the Philippines For Free

People are voting emotionally.

Lack of good storyline.

I wanted to but couldn't!

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

One of the few remaining Lang films that I hadn't seen and that was at all accessible, I finally caught up with this color war film on AMC. Though not amongst the directors finest works, it was certainly worth a watch, with Tyrone Power leading a group of Navy enlisted men on a circuitous journey across the islands, at first in the hopes of making their way to safe Australia but eventually settling for becoming part of an American guerrilla warfare effort. The film is notable for not presenting the Japanese in as brutal a light as was common at the time -- though they certainly are "the enemy" in every way, and the film definitely has a rah-rah go America feeling to it at times, particularly the ending. The use of color is outstanding as I've found it always to be with this director despite his favoring black and white, and the performances are all quite solid. The problems lie mostly in the central third of the film as the guerrilla mission gets going; there's a little too much repetition here, and the romance between Power's ensign Palmer and Micheline Presle's Jeanne Martinez doesn't really seem necessary nor is it well thought out; overall the film feels a little too long and verges on tedious. But the final shootout is pretty well done and I certainly wasn't bored, even if this is a far from typical Lang effort that does not show him at his best.

The great Tyrone Power does it again! Not only does he wow the audience with his fabulous looks, he also makes you feel like you're really there, with his great acting ability. It is natural, not put on. The real chemistry with Michelle Perelle is very evident. (It's easy to see why Ty had thousands swarm to see him where ever he went.) You not only get a history lesson about the war in the Philippines, you also get to see it through the eyes of those who risked their lives and suffered through it! This includes Ty Power who sacrificed big bucks in offered movie contracts to go fight for our freedom instead. What a great American! It has dynamic movement, not a dull moment in it anywhere. The scenery is great, too! I must say I like having Tyrone Power doing the areas of narration, also. A real must to see with the whole family.

As an ex-military person, the discrepancy of rank in this movie is very glaring to me. Chuck Palmer is an Ensign (the lowest navy officer rank), but wears silver clusters (the rank of a Lt. Commander). At one point he is talking to an army Major and mentions that, although he is in the navy, they are of the same rank (the navy equivalent of an army major is a Lieutenant). It's an interesting movie to watch when you're up at 2 am and can't sleep. But, overall, I think this is a very sanitized version of the guerrilla fight in the Philippines during World War 2. If you've just tuned into the film at some parts, you'd think you were watching a documentary. An interesting trivia note: Jack Elam is the narrator in this film, but he also has a cameo in which he plays a con artist who bilks the locals of money in order to "buy guns and ammunition to fight the Japanese".

An entertaining film, filmed in the Philippines where the story is set and with some excellent local colour. And Micheline Presle, in one of her few non-French films, reminds me of a former girl-friend! At 37, Tyrone Power looks a little old. (Quinlan's notes that "when he returned from war service, his face had hardened into earnestness and gravity".) But he fills the starring role well.I feared early on that the film might descend into the cliché of "attractive woman among hardbitten men in trouble" when Power invites Presle to accompany his motley crew on their primitive craft, but luckily she declines (and she looks too classy to have had the experience of such craft that she claims).Some producers might have been tempted to make more of the American "phonies" (led by the ever impressive Jack Elam) Power observes collecting money from the villagers - a showdown between the good and bad Yanks, perhaps, but they're allowed to slink off. And I wondered if the woman with her head hidden as she denounced collaborators to the Japanese might later be identified and dealt with. Lesser films might have made more of these incidents in the interests of drama The end of the film was a bit unconvincing, with the Japanese soldiers withdrawing just as the survivors of Power's band look to be beaten; they had enough time to finish the job before getting away.