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Tokyo File 212

Tokyo File 212 (Japanese: 東京ファイル212) is a 1951 spy film directed by Dorrell McGowan [fr] and Stuart E. McGowan [fr]. George Breakston wrote the film's script and co-produced it with Dorrell McGowan jointly under the banner of their newly formed Breakston–McGowan Productions and Japanese Tonichi Enterprises Company [ja]. Californian lawyer Melvin Belli executive-produced the feature while composer Albert Glasser provided the film's score.

Tokyo File 212
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
  • Dorrell McGowan [fr]
  • Stuart E. McGowan [fr]
Written by
  • Dorrell McGowan
  • Stuart E. McGowan
Story byGeorge P. Breakston
Produced by
  • George P. Breakston
  • Dorrell McGowan
StarringSee below
CinematographyHerman Schopp
Edited byMartin G. Cohn
Music byAlbert Glasser
Production
companies
  • Breakston–McGowan Productions
  • Tonichi Enterprises Company [ja][1]
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures (United States)
Release dates
  • January 24, 1951 (1951-01-24) (Japan)
  • May 5, 1951 (1951-05-05) (United States)
Running time
84 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Japan
LanguageEnglish
BudgetUS$700,000 (approx.)[2]

The film, a Japanese-American co-production, starred Florence Marly and Robert Peyton in the lead roles while Tetsu Nakamura played the antagonist. Katsuhiko Haida, Reiko Otani, Tatsuo Saitō and Heihachirô Ôkawa featured as supporting characters. Real life geisha Ichimaru appeared in a song sequence. The plot revolved around an American Intelligence agent (Peyton) sent to Japan to track down a suspected communist who was previously his college-mate (Haida).

Principal photography commenced on July 21, 1950 in Japan and was completed in 36 days; making it Hollywood's first feature film to be shot entirely in Japan. RKO Pictures distributed the film in the US. Upon release the film received mixed reviews from critics who found the story unconvincing, though they appreciated the scenic settings. It turned out to be a commercial failure too.

Plot

The film begins with the scene of a bomb explosion. The story then cuts back to a few days earlier. U.S. intelligence agent Jim Carter is sent to Japan as a National Weekly Indicator journalist to find Taro Matsudo who is helping the Communists there. Matsudo happens to be Carter's college friend. In his hotel, Carter meets Steffi Novak, a mysterious woman who speaks six languages and wishes to accompany him. Together they are taken to a bar by Joe, an undercover agent posing as a taxi driver. Carter tries to approach Taro but he does not want to meet Jim. Back at his hotel, Jim receives a telegram informing him to reach Enoshima island. Here he meets Taro who refuses to divulge any information about his commander. He meets Taro's father Matsudo, a government official, who tells him that Matsudo aspired to be a kamikaze pilot but when Japan surrendered during World War II, he was disappointed with the government and sided with the Communists. When Jim returns to his hotel room, he is beaten by a group of Japanese men who tell him to stay away from Taro.

Meanwhile, Steffi meets Oyama who promises her that in return for spying on Carter she would be able to meet her sister in North Korea. Unknown to Steffi her sister is dead. She takes Cater to meet Oyama at an enkai party at a resort in Atami. Somehow, Carter learns that the food offered to him is poisoned. He is forced to eat it and heads back to the hotel and unexpectedly survives. Next, he goes to Tokyo's Takarazuka Theater where he meets Taro's lover Namiko. Here he gains a lot of information about Taro. After he leaves, Namiko is kidnapped and thrown from a moving car; she is hospitalized soon after. Once Taro learns of the incident, he rushes to meet her but refuses to believe that his organization had any involvement with the accident. After having gained evidences of Steffi spying on him, Carter arrests her. When she tells him that she was doing this to meet her sister, Carter informs her that her sister was murdered at Oyama's orders. Steffi vows revenge against Oyama and resolves to help Carter.

Oyama intends to provoke a railroad strike in order to halt the war efforts. Matsudo and Taro face each other at the railway tracks, where both of them give speeches to the workers. In a short period the gathering turns into a brawl and several people, including Matsudo are badly injured. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department intervenes to restore peace. Taro decides to meet Namiko at the hospital but finds her dead. Oyama's henchmen take him to his office and when Taro learns of Oyama's plan to kill Carter, Steffi and Matsudo by a time bomb explosion, he jumps out of the window to draw them away from the bench under which the bomb is placed. Carter reaches Oyama's place with his associates and the police. Seeing no option left, Oyama confesses his crimes, angering his right-hand man who stabs him for disloyalty towards their organization; the man is shot and Oyama dies. After completing his mission Carter returns to the United States, with Steffi and Matsudo seeing him off.

Cast

  • Florence Marly as Steffi Novak; an informer working for the communist later but changes side after learning about her sister's death at the hands of communists. Marly declared that Tokyo File 212 was her best film since coming to the United States.[3]
  • Lee Frederick (Robert Peyton)[4] as Jim Carter; an undercover US agent sent to Japan to thwart a communist ring's purpose
  • Katsuhiko Haida as Taro Matsuto; a former kamikaze pilot who defected with the communists after Japan surrendered in World War II
  • Reiko Otani as Namiko; Taro's girlfriend who is killed by the communists. Her death turns Taro against his allies.
  • Tatsuo Saitō as Mr. Matsuto; Taros's father, a politician.
  • Tetsu Nakamura as Mr. Oyama; leader of a Communist ring in Japan and the boss of Taro.
  • Suisei Matsui as Joe; an undercover agent posing as a taxi driver
  • Maj. Richard W.N. Childs, U.S. Army Reserve as himself
  • Lt. Richard Finiels GHQ, U.S. Army Far East Command as himself
  • Cpl. Stuart Zimmerley, Military Police, U.S. Army as himself
  • Pvt. James Lyons Military Police, U.S. Army as himself
  • Byron Michie as Mr. Jeffrey
  • Ichimaru as herself (Geisha Singer)

In addition to the above, Heihachirô Ôkawa, Jun Tazaki and Dekao Yokoo also played minor roles. The Takarazuka Revue performed the Imperial Theater sequence.[1]

Production

Development and casting

George Paul Breakston, who had appeared in It Happened One Night (1934) and The Grapes of Wrath (1940) as a child actor, worked in the Signal Corps during World War II and also visited Tokyo. After the war ended, Breakston shifted his focus towards films, directing Urubu: The Story of Vulture People (1948) and Jungle Stampede (1950). During this time, he drafted Tokyo File 212 and met Hollywood studio executives and producers with the script. Dorrell and Stewart McGowan, in addition to writing the film's screenplay, agreed to back the production and established the company Breakston–McGowan Productions, Inc. for this venture.[5][6] Lawyer Melvin Belli invested $10,000 in the project and was credited as executive producer.[7] Irene Breakston and C. Ray Stahl were the assistant and associate producer respectively. Herman Schopp handled the cinematography while Albert Glasser provided the musical score.[6] The production company joined hands with Japanese Suzuki Ikuzo [ja]'s Tonichi Enterprises Company [ja]. The latter agreed to provide half of the budget and Japanese actors and crew members in return for half of the film's earnings in both Japan and the United States.[8]

Tokyo File 212 was approved by Douglas MacArthur in May 1950 with Lloyd Nolan as the male lead though eventually Robert Peyton was finalized, marking his first appearance in a leading role.[9] Contemporary newspaper reports indicated that Leif Erickson and Sessue Hayakawa were also considered for the protagonist and antagonist's roles respectively. The former left 20th-Fox's Half Angel (1951) in hopes of gaining this project.[1][10] Florence Marly, due to star in a big-budget Mexican feature and under contract with Allied Artists at that time, was borrowed for the film.[1][11] The cast also included Tatsuo Saitō, Suisei Matsui, Tetsu Nakamura, Katsuhiko Haida and Reiko Otani, who was cast after an audition.[8] It was the only film approved by MacArthur for filming in Japan and he provided the filmmakers with intelligence files to facilitate their research for the film. He also provided interpreters and several intelligence officers appeared in the film.[12] Real military generals and detectives were cast for the respective roles.[13] Tokyo File 212 was the film debut of geisha Ichimaru. Katsuhiko was initially uncomfortable with his kiss scene with Marley. Marley said of Katsuhiko that "[He] could give the Clark Gables and Tyrone Powers a run for their money." Incidentally, she happened to be the first American actress to visit Japan in 15 years.[14] 40 Kamikaze pilots were also included in the cast.[3]

Filming

 
A key scene was filmed in the sea side resort Atami.
 
Another key scene was filmed on the island of Enoshima.

American actors and crew members reached Japan on July 21, 1950. Principal photography began on the same day under the working title of Danger City.[1] The film was completed in 36 days and its final version was prepared in 2 months.[15] Tokyo File 212 was Hollywood's first feature film to be shot entirely in Japan. Most of the film was shot in Tokyo, and some key scenes were shot in Atami and Enoshima.[1] A communist group wished to appeal to Marly, who was born in Czechoslovakia, not to act in the film. She was told about it only after the crew had returned to the US after completing the principal photography. At the Ohuzumi studio in Tokyo, 26 sets were constructed for the film's shooting. The 100 feet (30 m) long and 70 feet (21 m) wide ballroom set for the underground bar scene, where Carter meets Taro for the first time after the war, was built in $160. For the final bomb explosion scene, the Japanese used 15 black-powdered bombs instead of the pre-planned six. The blast caused Dorrel McGowan to fall on his back and alarmed the city's air patrol and the military police, fire wagons along with riot squads rushed to the shooting location. They were unaware that the explosion was done for a film.[2] A few crew member including Marly were hurt in the explosion. The scene where Taro leaps from a window was shot by two cameramen and he was pushed from the window with one cameraman recording just above the window.[3] For a street celebration scene shot in Enoshima, the Japanese extras drank a lot of sake to make the scene authentic. The rail strike scene took inspiration from a similar strike that occurred in 1949.[2] 8 trains and 200 engineers were provided for the same scene.[3] During this particular scene several actors were injured.[16] The communists did not want its filming to occur and their threats made the Japanese cast and crew members unwilling to work unless more security was provided.[2]

The production team had access to places where only military cars and trucks were allowed.[3] Location shooting in Japan helped reduce the production costs significantly and the film was completed with a budget of approximately US$700,000 with Dorrel McGowan later stating it would have cost millions of dollars if the film was shot in the US.[2][3] During her visit, Marly also entertained American soldiers stationed there.[17][18] She gave instructions in kissing to five Japanese actors, including Toru Abe and Teiji Takahashi, at Meguro Gajoen hotel during a press conference.[19][20] This incident did not go down well with some sections of the Japanese who loathed Abe for being kissed by a foreigner and even accused him of bringing shame to the nation.[19] After returning from Japan, Dorell McGowan declared that the Japanese were the greatest actors in the world. He also praised the set building techniques employed by the Japanese. One scene was shot at Tokyo's Imperial Theater.[21]

Release

Due to the film's content RKO executives were eager to release Tokyo File 212 soon.[22] The Japanese and US premieres were scheduled for December 15, 1950 and May 2, 1951 respectively.[2][23] Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the Japanese emperor Hirohito were invited to attend the former event at Tokyo's Ernie Pyle theatre.[2][24] However it opened in Japan on January 24, 1951 and released in the United States on May 5.[15] Geisha girls were brought from Japan to perform at the film's opening in major US cities including Washington, D.C.[25][26] The Catholic organisation National Legion of Decency considered the film morally objectionable in part and gave it a B rating.[27]

The New York daily Plattsburgh Press-Republican predicted that the film would be an outright purchase.[28] Prominent films it was double billed with included Sealed Cargo and Cyclone Fury (both 1951).[29][30] It premiered on television on May 13, 1959.[31] The Danish and Portuguese titles for the film were Mysteriet i Tokio and Tóquio, Intriga Oriental respectively.[32][33] It was released in Sweden on September 8, 1952 as Attentat i Tokyo.[34] The fact that it was filmed in Japan was well publicized.[35] In Japan, Toyoko and Toei managed the film's promotion.[36]

Soundtrack

Tokyo File 212
 
Film score by
Released1987[37]
ProducerScreen Archives Entertainment[37]
Albert Glasser chronology

Albert Glasser provided the music score.

Original Soundtrack[38]
No.TitleMusicLength
1."Main Title"Albert Glasser1:46
2."This Is Tokyo"Albert Glasser2:37
3."Jazz Cues"Albert Glasser1:53
4."Jim Meets Steffi"Albert Glasser2:10
5."Steffi Is Tired"Albert Glasser2:00
6."Kamikaze Class"Albert Glasser2:08
7."The Telegram"Albert Glasser1:39
8."The Big Shrine"Albert Glasser3:19
9."At the Russian Consulate"Albert Glasser1:38
10."The Kubuki Theatre"Albert Glasser1:23
11."Jim Gets the 3rd Degree"Albert Glasser1:24
12."Newspaper Headline"Albert Glasser0:33
13."Hello Mamiko"Albert Glasser1:18
14."Mamiko Is Kidnapped"Albert Glasser0:58
15."Taro in the Hospital"Albert Glasser3:34
16."Steffi Cries"Albert Glasser2:15
17."Jim Gives Her a Gun"Albert Glasser1:25
18."Railroad Strike"Albert Glasser0:38
19."Mamiko Dies in Taro's Arms"Albert Glasser1:49
20."Taro Gets Caught"Albert Glasser1:25
21."Taro Commits Suicide"Albert Glasser1:05
22."End Title"Albert Glasser0:20

In addition to the above titles "Oyedo Boogie" by Yasuo Shimizu & Shizuo Yoshikawa was also included.[6] The soundtrack's LP record was released in 1987 under the label of Screen Archives Entertainment.[37]

Reception

 
Marly's performance received favorable response from critics.

Reviewers criticized the film's plot but praised the scenic settings. Reviewer from Monthly Film Bulletin found the Japanese settings "interesting", but called the story confusing and felt that the depiction of communist activities was childishly silly.[39] Brog in Variety opined that Marly had fulfilled her role and Peyton's acting was okay. He praised the "Oyedo Boogie" song sequence and the Japanese background. He stated that despite having good "exploitation values", the story had turned out be at "pulp fiction level".[40] The Christian Science Monitor's reviewer was of the view that the work was "more or less routine entertainment" but praised Marly's "expert job" and the Japanese settings. However, he felt that the dialogues in Japanese language were a little confusing and Peyton's performance was not worth arousing sympathy for its "professional detachment" and "unemotional determination".[41] The Washington Post's critic Richard L. Coe termed the film a "low-level, pulp magazine job" and a "less worthy buck-catcher" but felt that it had advantage of realistic settings. He also criticized the approval note before the film and advised the government departments to be more careful while approving them.[42] A. H. Weiler of The New York Times questioned why "the long trip" to Japan was made for the "awkward melodrama". He called the story "comic-strip level" fiction, Peyton's performance "[stony]", criticized the "muscular and uninspired" acting and dialogues. He concluded his review by stating that the film was "one "file" that should never have been plucked from the archives."[43] John L. Scott wrote in Los Angeles Times that the "production moves slowly and abrupt cutting doesn't help the matter much" and termed the picture a "routine spy business".[44]

For Eiga no tomo's editor Nagaharu Yodogawa who called it a "failure", viewing the feature was a "truly painful" experience. Critic Kodama Kazuo noted in his book that the film's "reputation [was] terribly bad" in Japan.[45] Tasmanian daily Examiner called the film an "explosive melodrama".[46] The Newcastle Sun called it a "rather unusual film", its background atmosphere "excellent" and praised Marly's performance. However, the reviewer felt that her character was "made-up a little too heavily".[47] James King wrote in his book Under Foreign Eyes that Korea and Communist menace was underscored and the Japanese characters were portrayed as having conflicting emotions with the Western ones. He further said that the film created a notion that Japanese had to be rescued from themselves and Oyama represents the Japanese who think of foreigners as enemies.[48] Jeanette Roan felt that the storyline was "well suited to the ideological goals of the reconstruction"[49] but location shooting was unnecessary.[50] In his book Korean War Filmography, Robert J. Lentz stated that Marly had given the film's "best performance" and made the feature worth watching.[51] He was surprised that a few more shots of "scenic Tokyo" had not been included and called the Communist bar scene "unintentionally comic". Lentz was critical of the script,[52] likened Peyton's voice to that of a TV series actor and rated the film, best of the three produced by Breakston.[51] 42–58% turnout was reported during the first week of the film's screening in Tokyo and it was declared a commercial failure.[53] In 2004, it was released on DVD by Alpha Video.[54]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f . American Film Institute. Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Spiro, J. D. (November 12, 1950). "Produced in Occupied Japan". The New York Times. p. 100.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Schallert, Edwin (October 15, 1950). "Tokyo Movie Hectic Thrill to U.S. Cast: First American-Made Film in Japan Stirs Actress, Producers". Los Angeles Times. p. D1.
  4. ^ King 2012, pp. 87–88.
  5. ^ Kitamura 2009, p. 507.
  6. ^ a b c Lentz 2003, p. 374.
  7. ^ Belli & Kaiser 1976, p. 133; Lentz 2003, p. 374.
  8. ^ a b Kitamura 2009, p. 508.
  9. ^ "Tokyo File 212 approved". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. May 17, 1950. p. 14. from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  10. ^ Gwynn, Edith (June 28, 1950). "Hollywood". Pottstown Mercury. Pottstown, Pennsylvania. p. 4. from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  11. ^ Gwynn, Edith (July 8, 1950). "Hollywood". Pottstown Mercury. Pottstown, Pennsylvania. p. 4. from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  12. ^ "Here is What War Message Means to you". Ames Daily Tribune. Ames, Iowa. July 20, 1950. p. 11. from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  13. ^ Kitamura 2009, p. 510.
  14. ^ "Hollywood Newsreel". Lebanon Daily News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. International News Service. September 14, 1950. p. 36. from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  15. ^ a b Kitamura 2009, p. 509.
  16. ^ Thomas, Bob (September 30, 1950). "Hollywood Producers say Japs are Greatest Actors". The Dixon Telegraph. Dixon, Illinois. p. 6. from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  17. ^ "Number One". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. September 19, 1950. p. 18. from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  18. ^ MacPherson, Virginia (September 25, 1950). "Actress Has to Teach Jap How To Kiss in Movie Scene in Japan". Daily Capital Journal. Salem, Oregon. from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  19. ^ a b Kamei 1981, p. 118.
  20. ^ Handsaker, Gene (October 20, 1950). "Hollywood". The Pocono Record. Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. p. 4. from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  21. ^ Corby, Jane (April 25, 1951). "Film notes". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. p. 14. from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  22. ^ "[Untitled]". The Brookshire Times. Brookshire, Texas. March 30, 1951. p. 11. from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  23. ^ "What's Doing in Hollywood". Ukiah News. Ukiah, California. April 19, 1951. p. 7. from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  24. ^ Parsons, Louella (November 10, 1950). "Keeping up with Hollywood". The Cumberland News. Cumberland, Maryland. p. 25. from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  25. ^ Kitamura 2009, p. 514.
  26. ^ "Geisha Girls on Stage". Washington Afro-American. Washington, D.C. May 1, 1951. p. 4. Retrieved April 15, 2015 – via Google News Archive.
  27. ^ National Legion of Decency, p. 245.
  28. ^ "Mexico Confab". Plattsburgh Press-Republican. Plattsburgh, New York. February 3, 1951. p. 6. from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  29. ^ "[Advertisement]". Plattsburgh Press Republican. Plattsburgh, New York. September 24, 1951. p. 3. from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  30. ^ "Schine's Regent". Newark Courier-Gazette, the Marion Enterprise, Clifton Springs Press. Newark, New York. September 13, 1951. p. 14. from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  31. ^ "Late TV Show Listing". The Massena Observer. Massena, St. Lawrence County, New York. May 11, 1959. p. 12. from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  32. ^ Rasmussen 1968, p. 631.
  33. ^ "[Advertisement]". Diário de Lisboa (in Portuguese). February 27, 1952. p. 3. from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  34. ^ . Swedish Film Database. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  35. ^ Roan 2010, p. 164.
  36. ^ Kitamura 2009, p. 515.
  37. ^ a b c "LP: Tokyo File 212 (1951)". KQEK. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  38. ^ . iTunes (Apple Inc.). February 19, 2014. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  39. ^ "Tokyo File 212". Monthly Film Bulletin. 18 (204): 333. January 1, 1951.
  40. ^ "Tokyo File 212". Variety: 14. April 25, 1951.
  41. ^ "Spy Story Filmed in Japan on View at Keith-Boston". The Christian Science Monitor. May 17, 1951. p. 6.
  42. ^ Coe, Richard L. (May 3, 1951). "One on the Aisle: '212 Is No Credit To Its 'Sponsors'". The Washington Post. p. B8.
  43. ^ Weiler, A. H. (June 1, 1951). "The Screen in Review" (PDF). The New York Times. p. 20. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  44. ^ Scott, John L. (July 6, 1951). "Amazon, Japan Provide Locales for New Films". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. B7.
  45. ^ Kitamura 2009, p. 518.
  46. ^ "The Theatres Present". Examiner. Launceston, Tasmania. July 26, 1952. p. 12. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Trove.
  47. ^ "Newcatle Theatre Reviews". The Newcastle Sun. November 30, 1951. p. 10. Retrieved May 17, 2015 – via Trove.
  48. ^ King 2012, p. 89.
  49. ^ Roan 2010, p. 163.
  50. ^ Roan 2010, p. 166.
  51. ^ a b Lentz 2003, p. 377.
  52. ^ Lentz 2003, p. 376.
  53. ^ Kitamura 2009, p. 517–8.
  54. ^ . Oldies.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2015.

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

tokyo, file, japanese, 東京ファイル212, 1951, film, directed, dorrell, mcgowan, stuart, mcgowan, george, breakston, wrote, film, script, produced, with, dorrell, mcgowan, jointly, under, banner, their, newly, formed, breakston, mcgowan, productions, japanese, tonich. Tokyo File 212 Japanese 東京ファイル212 is a 1951 spy film directed by Dorrell McGowan fr and Stuart E McGowan fr George Breakston wrote the film s script and co produced it with Dorrell McGowan jointly under the banner of their newly formed Breakston McGowan Productions and Japanese Tonichi Enterprises Company ja Californian lawyer Melvin Belli executive produced the feature while composer Albert Glasser provided the film s score Tokyo File 212Theatrical release posterDirected byDorrell McGowan fr Stuart E McGowan fr Written byDorrell McGowan Stuart E McGowanStory byGeorge P BreakstonProduced byGeorge P Breakston Dorrell McGowanStarringSee belowCinematographyHerman SchoppEdited byMartin G CohnMusic byAlbert GlasserProductioncompaniesBreakston McGowan Productions Tonichi Enterprises Company ja 1 Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures United States Release datesJanuary 24 1951 1951 01 24 Japan May 5 1951 1951 05 05 United States Running time84 minutesCountriesUnited States JapanLanguageEnglishBudgetUS 700 000 approx 2 The film a Japanese American co production starred Florence Marly and Robert Peyton in the lead roles while Tetsu Nakamura played the antagonist Katsuhiko Haida Reiko Otani Tatsuo Saitō and Heihachiro Okawa featured as supporting characters Real life geisha Ichimaru appeared in a song sequence The plot revolved around an American Intelligence agent Peyton sent to Japan to track down a suspected communist who was previously his college mate Haida Principal photography commenced on July 21 1950 in Japan and was completed in 36 days making it Hollywood s first feature film to be shot entirely in Japan RKO Pictures distributed the film in the US Upon release the film received mixed reviews from critics who found the story unconvincing though they appreciated the scenic settings It turned out to be a commercial failure too Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3 1 Development and casting 3 2 Filming 4 Release 5 Soundtrack 6 Reception 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 Further reading 10 External linksPlot EditThe film begins with the scene of a bomb explosion The story then cuts back to a few days earlier U S intelligence agent Jim Carter is sent to Japan as a National Weekly Indicator journalist to find Taro Matsudo who is helping the Communists there Matsudo happens to be Carter s college friend In his hotel Carter meets Steffi Novak a mysterious woman who speaks six languages and wishes to accompany him Together they are taken to a bar by Joe an undercover agent posing as a taxi driver Carter tries to approach Taro but he does not want to meet Jim Back at his hotel Jim receives a telegram informing him to reach Enoshima island Here he meets Taro who refuses to divulge any information about his commander He meets Taro s father Matsudo a government official who tells him that Matsudo aspired to be a kamikaze pilot but when Japan surrendered during World War II he was disappointed with the government and sided with the Communists When Jim returns to his hotel room he is beaten by a group of Japanese men who tell him to stay away from Taro Meanwhile Steffi meets Oyama who promises her that in return for spying on Carter she would be able to meet her sister in North Korea Unknown to Steffi her sister is dead She takes Cater to meet Oyama at an enkai party at a resort in Atami Somehow Carter learns that the food offered to him is poisoned He is forced to eat it and heads back to the hotel and unexpectedly survives Next he goes to Tokyo s Takarazuka Theater where he meets Taro s lover Namiko Here he gains a lot of information about Taro After he leaves Namiko is kidnapped and thrown from a moving car she is hospitalized soon after Once Taro learns of the incident he rushes to meet her but refuses to believe that his organization had any involvement with the accident After having gained evidences of Steffi spying on him Carter arrests her When she tells him that she was doing this to meet her sister Carter informs her that her sister was murdered at Oyama s orders Steffi vows revenge against Oyama and resolves to help Carter Oyama intends to provoke a railroad strike in order to halt the war efforts Matsudo and Taro face each other at the railway tracks where both of them give speeches to the workers In a short period the gathering turns into a brawl and several people including Matsudo are badly injured The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department intervenes to restore peace Taro decides to meet Namiko at the hospital but finds her dead Oyama s henchmen take him to his office and when Taro learns of Oyama s plan to kill Carter Steffi and Matsudo by a time bomb explosion he jumps out of the window to draw them away from the bench under which the bomb is placed Carter reaches Oyama s place with his associates and the police Seeing no option left Oyama confesses his crimes angering his right hand man who stabs him for disloyalty towards their organization the man is shot and Oyama dies After completing his mission Carter returns to the United States with Steffi and Matsudo seeing him off Cast EditFlorence Marly as Steffi Novak an informer working for the communist later but changes side after learning about her sister s death at the hands of communists Marly declared that Tokyo File 212 was her best film since coming to the United States 3 Lee Frederick Robert Peyton 4 as Jim Carter an undercover US agent sent to Japan to thwart a communist ring s purpose Katsuhiko Haida as Taro Matsuto a former kamikaze pilot who defected with the communists after Japan surrendered in World War II Reiko Otani as Namiko Taro s girlfriend who is killed by the communists Her death turns Taro against his allies Tatsuo Saitō as Mr Matsuto Taros s father a politician Tetsu Nakamura as Mr Oyama leader of a Communist ring in Japan and the boss of Taro Suisei Matsui as Joe an undercover agent posing as a taxi driver Maj Richard W N Childs U S Army Reserve as himself Lt Richard Finiels GHQ U S Army Far East Command as himself Cpl Stuart Zimmerley Military Police U S Army as himself Pvt James Lyons Military Police U S Army as himself Byron Michie as Mr Jeffrey Ichimaru as herself Geisha Singer In addition to the above Heihachiro Okawa Jun Tazaki and Dekao Yokoo also played minor roles The Takarazuka Revue performed the Imperial Theater sequence 1 Production EditDevelopment and casting Edit George Paul Breakston who had appeared in It Happened One Night 1934 and The Grapes of Wrath 1940 as a child actor worked in the Signal Corps during World War II and also visited Tokyo After the war ended Breakston shifted his focus towards films directing Urubu The Story of Vulture People 1948 and Jungle Stampede 1950 During this time he drafted Tokyo File 212 and met Hollywood studio executives and producers with the script Dorrell and Stewart McGowan in addition to writing the film s screenplay agreed to back the production and established the company Breakston McGowan Productions Inc for this venture 5 6 Lawyer Melvin Belli invested 10 000 in the project and was credited as executive producer 7 Irene Breakston and C Ray Stahl were the assistant and associate producer respectively Herman Schopp handled the cinematography while Albert Glasser provided the musical score 6 The production company joined hands with Japanese Suzuki Ikuzo ja s Tonichi Enterprises Company ja The latter agreed to provide half of the budget and Japanese actors and crew members in return for half of the film s earnings in both Japan and the United States 8 Tokyo File 212 was approved by Douglas MacArthur in May 1950 with Lloyd Nolan as the male lead though eventually Robert Peyton was finalized marking his first appearance in a leading role 9 Contemporary newspaper reports indicated that Leif Erickson and Sessue Hayakawa were also considered for the protagonist and antagonist s roles respectively The former left 20th Fox s Half Angel 1951 in hopes of gaining this project 1 10 Florence Marly due to star in a big budget Mexican feature and under contract with Allied Artists at that time was borrowed for the film 1 11 The cast also included Tatsuo Saitō Suisei Matsui Tetsu Nakamura Katsuhiko Haida and Reiko Otani who was cast after an audition 8 It was the only film approved by MacArthur for filming in Japan and he provided the filmmakers with intelligence files to facilitate their research for the film He also provided interpreters and several intelligence officers appeared in the film 12 Real military generals and detectives were cast for the respective roles 13 Tokyo File 212 was the film debut of geisha Ichimaru Katsuhiko was initially uncomfortable with his kiss scene with Marley Marley said of Katsuhiko that He could give the Clark Gables and Tyrone Powers a run for their money Incidentally she happened to be the first American actress to visit Japan in 15 years 14 40 Kamikaze pilots were also included in the cast 3 Filming Edit A key scene was filmed in the sea side resort Atami Another key scene was filmed on the island of Enoshima American actors and crew members reached Japan on July 21 1950 Principal photography began on the same day under the working title of Danger City 1 The film was completed in 36 days and its final version was prepared in 2 months 15 Tokyo File 212 was Hollywood s first feature film to be shot entirely in Japan Most of the film was shot in Tokyo and some key scenes were shot in Atami and Enoshima 1 A communist group wished to appeal to Marly who was born in Czechoslovakia not to act in the film She was told about it only after the crew had returned to the US after completing the principal photography At the Ohuzumi studio in Tokyo 26 sets were constructed for the film s shooting The 100 feet 30 m long and 70 feet 21 m wide ballroom set for the underground bar scene where Carter meets Taro for the first time after the war was built in 160 For the final bomb explosion scene the Japanese used 15 black powdered bombs instead of the pre planned six The blast caused Dorrel McGowan to fall on his back and alarmed the city s air patrol and the military police fire wagons along with riot squads rushed to the shooting location They were unaware that the explosion was done for a film 2 A few crew member including Marly were hurt in the explosion The scene where Taro leaps from a window was shot by two cameramen and he was pushed from the window with one cameraman recording just above the window 3 For a street celebration scene shot in Enoshima the Japanese extras drank a lot of sake to make the scene authentic The rail strike scene took inspiration from a similar strike that occurred in 1949 2 8 trains and 200 engineers were provided for the same scene 3 During this particular scene several actors were injured 16 The communists did not want its filming to occur and their threats made the Japanese cast and crew members unwilling to work unless more security was provided 2 The production team had access to places where only military cars and trucks were allowed 3 Location shooting in Japan helped reduce the production costs significantly and the film was completed with a budget of approximately US 700 000 with Dorrel McGowan later stating it would have cost millions of dollars if the film was shot in the US 2 3 During her visit Marly also entertained American soldiers stationed there 17 18 She gave instructions in kissing to five Japanese actors including Toru Abe and Teiji Takahashi at Meguro Gajoen hotel during a press conference 19 20 This incident did not go down well with some sections of the Japanese who loathed Abe for being kissed by a foreigner and even accused him of bringing shame to the nation 19 After returning from Japan Dorell McGowan declared that the Japanese were the greatest actors in the world He also praised the set building techniques employed by the Japanese One scene was shot at Tokyo s Imperial Theater 21 Release EditDue to the film s content RKO executives were eager to release Tokyo File 212 soon 22 The Japanese and US premieres were scheduled for December 15 1950 and May 2 1951 respectively 2 23 Gen Douglas MacArthur and the Japanese emperor Hirohito were invited to attend the former event at Tokyo s Ernie Pyle theatre 2 24 However it opened in Japan on January 24 1951 and released in the United States on May 5 15 Geisha girls were brought from Japan to perform at the film s opening in major US cities including Washington D C 25 26 The Catholic organisation National Legion of Decency considered the film morally objectionable in part and gave it a B rating 27 The New York daily Plattsburgh Press Republican predicted that the film would be an outright purchase 28 Prominent films it was double billed with included Sealed Cargo and Cyclone Fury both 1951 29 30 It premiered on television on May 13 1959 31 The Danish and Portuguese titles for the film were Mysteriet i Tokio and Toquio Intriga Oriental respectively 32 33 It was released in Sweden on September 8 1952 as Attentat i Tokyo 34 The fact that it was filmed in Japan was well publicized 35 In Japan Toyoko and Toei managed the film s promotion 36 Soundtrack EditTokyo File 212 Film score by Albert GlasserReleased1987 37 ProducerScreen Archives Entertainment 37 Albert Glasser chronologyThree Desperate Men Tokyo File 212 Oriental EvilAlbert Glasser provided the music score Original Soundtrack 38 No TitleMusicLength1 Main Title Albert Glasser1 462 This Is Tokyo Albert Glasser2 373 Jazz Cues Albert Glasser1 534 Jim Meets Steffi Albert Glasser2 105 Steffi Is Tired Albert Glasser2 006 Kamikaze Class Albert Glasser2 087 The Telegram Albert Glasser1 398 The Big Shrine Albert Glasser3 199 At the Russian Consulate Albert Glasser1 3810 The Kubuki Theatre Albert Glasser1 2311 Jim Gets the 3rd Degree Albert Glasser1 2412 Newspaper Headline Albert Glasser0 3313 Hello Mamiko Albert Glasser1 1814 Mamiko Is Kidnapped Albert Glasser0 5815 Taro in the Hospital Albert Glasser3 3416 Steffi Cries Albert Glasser2 1517 Jim Gives Her a Gun Albert Glasser1 2518 Railroad Strike Albert Glasser0 3819 Mamiko Dies in Taro s Arms Albert Glasser1 4920 Taro Gets Caught Albert Glasser1 2521 Taro Commits Suicide Albert Glasser1 0522 End Title Albert Glasser0 20 In addition to the above titles Oyedo Boogie by Yasuo Shimizu amp Shizuo Yoshikawa was also included 6 The soundtrack s LP record was released in 1987 under the label of Screen Archives Entertainment 37 Reception Edit Marly s performance received favorable response from critics Reviewers criticized the film s plot but praised the scenic settings Reviewer from Monthly Film Bulletin found the Japanese settings interesting but called the story confusing and felt that the depiction of communist activities was childishly silly 39 Brog in Variety opined that Marly had fulfilled her role and Peyton s acting was okay He praised the Oyedo Boogie song sequence and the Japanese background He stated that despite having good exploitation values the story had turned out be at pulp fiction level 40 The Christian Science Monitor s reviewer was of the view that the work was more or less routine entertainment but praised Marly s expert job and the Japanese settings However he felt that the dialogues in Japanese language were a little confusing and Peyton s performance was not worth arousing sympathy for its professional detachment and unemotional determination 41 The Washington Post s critic Richard L Coe termed the film a low level pulp magazine job and a less worthy buck catcher but felt that it had advantage of realistic settings He also criticized the approval note before the film and advised the government departments to be more careful while approving them 42 A H Weiler of The New York Times questioned why the long trip to Japan was made for the awkward melodrama He called the story comic strip level fiction Peyton s performance stony criticized the muscular and uninspired acting and dialogues He concluded his review by stating that the film was one file that should never have been plucked from the archives 43 John L Scott wrote in Los Angeles Times that the production moves slowly and abrupt cutting doesn t help the matter much and termed the picture a routine spy business 44 For Eiga no tomo s editor Nagaharu Yodogawa who called it a failure viewing the feature was a truly painful experience Critic Kodama Kazuo noted in his book that the film s reputation was terribly bad in Japan 45 Tasmanian daily Examiner called the film an explosive melodrama 46 The Newcastle Sun called it a rather unusual film its background atmosphere excellent and praised Marly s performance However the reviewer felt that her character was made up a little too heavily 47 James King wrote in his book Under Foreign Eyes that Korea and Communist menace was underscored and the Japanese characters were portrayed as having conflicting emotions with the Western ones He further said that the film created a notion that Japanese had to be rescued from themselves and Oyama represents the Japanese who think of foreigners as enemies 48 Jeanette Roan felt that the storyline was well suited to the ideological goals of the reconstruction 49 but location shooting was unnecessary 50 In his book Korean War Filmography Robert J Lentz stated that Marly had given the film s best performance and made the feature worth watching 51 He was surprised that a few more shots of scenic Tokyo had not been included and called the Communist bar scene unintentionally comic Lentz was critical of the script 52 likened Peyton s voice to that of a TV series actor and rated the film best of the three produced by Breakston 51 42 58 turnout was reported during the first week of the film s screening in Tokyo and it was declared a commercial failure 53 In 2004 it was released on DVD by Alpha Video 54 References Edit a b c d e f Tokyo File 212 1951 American Film Institute Archived from the original on October 9 2016 Retrieved March 22 2018 a b c d e f g Spiro J D November 12 1950 Produced in Occupied Japan The New York Times p 100 a b c d e f Schallert Edwin October 15 1950 Tokyo Movie Hectic Thrill to U S Cast First American Made Film in Japan Stirs Actress Producers Los Angeles Times p D1 King 2012 pp 87 88 Kitamura 2009 p 507 a b c Lentz 2003 p 374 Belli amp Kaiser 1976 p 133 Lentz 2003 p 374 a b Kitamura 2009 p 508 Tokyo File 212 approved The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Brooklyn New York May 17 1950 p 14 Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved May 9 2015 via Newspapers com Gwynn Edith June 28 1950 Hollywood Pottstown Mercury Pottstown Pennsylvania p 4 Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved May 9 2015 via Newspapers com Gwynn Edith July 8 1950 Hollywood Pottstown Mercury Pottstown Pennsylvania p 4 Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved May 9 2015 via Newspapers com Here is What War Message Means to you Ames Daily Tribune Ames Iowa July 20 1950 p 11 Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved May 9 2015 via Newspapers com Kitamura 2009 p 510 Hollywood Newsreel Lebanon Daily News Lebanon Pennsylvania International News Service September 14 1950 p 36 Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved May 9 2015 via Newspapers com a b Kitamura 2009 p 509 Thomas Bob September 30 1950 Hollywood Producers say Japs are Greatest Actors The Dixon Telegraph Dixon Illinois p 6 Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved May 9 2015 via Newspapers com Number One The Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake City Utah September 19 1950 p 18 Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved May 9 2015 via Newspapers com MacPherson Virginia September 25 1950 Actress Has to Teach Jap How To Kiss in Movie Scene in Japan Daily Capital Journal Salem Oregon Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved May 9 2015 via Newspapers com a b Kamei 1981 p 118 Handsaker Gene October 20 1950 Hollywood The Pocono Record Stroudsburg Pennsylvania p 4 Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved May 9 2015 via Newspapers com Corby Jane April 25 1951 Film notes The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Brooklyn New York p 14 Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved May 15 2015 via Newspapers com Untitled The Brookshire Times Brookshire Texas March 30 1951 p 11 Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved May 15 2015 via Newspapers com What s Doing in Hollywood Ukiah News Ukiah California April 19 1951 p 7 Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved May 15 2015 via Newspapers com Parsons Louella November 10 1950 Keeping up with Hollywood The Cumberland News Cumberland Maryland p 25 Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved May 9 2015 via Newspapers com Kitamura 2009 p 514 Geisha Girls on Stage Washington Afro American Washington D C May 1 1951 p 4 Retrieved April 15 2015 via Google News Archive National Legion of Decency p 245 Mexico Confab Plattsburgh Press Republican Plattsburgh New York February 3 1951 p 6 Archived from the original on July 22 2015 Retrieved May 11 2015 via NYS Historic Newspapers Advertisement Plattsburgh Press Republican Plattsburgh New York September 24 1951 p 3 Archived from the original on May 18 2015 Retrieved May 11 2015 via NYS Historic Newspapers Schine s Regent Newark Courier Gazette the Marion Enterprise Clifton Springs Press Newark New York September 13 1951 p 14 Archived from the original on May 18 2015 Retrieved May 11 2015 via NYS Historic Newspapers Late TV Show Listing The Massena Observer Massena St Lawrence County New York May 11 1959 p 12 Archived from the original on May 18 2015 Retrieved May 11 2015 via NYS Historic Newspapers Rasmussen 1968 p 631 Advertisement Diario de Lisboa in Portuguese February 27 1952 p 3 Archived from the original on May 18 2015 Retrieved May 12 2015 Tokyo File 212 1951 Swedish Film Database Archived from the original on May 18 2015 Retrieved May 12 2015 Roan 2010 p 164 Kitamura 2009 p 515 a b c LP Tokyo File 212 1951 KQEK Retrieved March 29 2018 Tokyo File 212 Original Soundtrack 1951 iTunes Apple Inc February 19 2014 Archived from the original on March 6 2016 Retrieved May 9 2015 Tokyo File 212 Monthly Film Bulletin 18 204 333 January 1 1951 Tokyo File 212 Variety 14 April 25 1951 Spy Story Filmed in Japan on View at Keith Boston The Christian Science Monitor May 17 1951 p 6 Coe Richard L May 3 1951 One on the Aisle 212 Is No Credit To Its Sponsors The Washington Post p B8 Weiler A H June 1 1951 The Screen in Review PDF The New York Times p 20 Retrieved August 28 2016 Scott John L July 6 1951 Amazon Japan Provide Locales for New Films Los Angeles Times Los Angeles California p B7 Kitamura 2009 p 518 The Theatres Present Examiner Launceston Tasmania July 26 1952 p 12 Retrieved May 9 2015 via Trove Newcatle Theatre Reviews The Newcastle Sun November 30 1951 p 10 Retrieved May 17 2015 via Trove King 2012 p 89 Roan 2010 p 163 Roan 2010 p 166 a b Lentz 2003 p 377 Lentz 2003 p 376 Kitamura 2009 p 517 8 Tokyo File 212 Oldies com Archived from the original on June 1 2008 Retrieved May 15 2015 Bibliography EditBelli Melvin Mouron Kaiser Robert Blair 1976 Melvin Belli My Life on Trial An Autobiography New York Morrow ISBN 978 0 688 03085 8 OCLC 2151198 Kamei Shunsuke June 1981 The Kiss and Japanese Culture after World War II Comparative Literature Studies Penn State University Press 18 2 114 123 ISSN 0010 4132 JSTOR 40246247 King James 2012 Under Foreign Eyes eBook Lanham Maryland O Books ISBN 978 1 78099 049 1 OCLC 779828016 Kitamura Hiroshi December 2009 Hollywood s New Orientalism The case of Tokyo File 212 1951 Historical Journal of Film Radio and Television International Association for Media and History 29 4 505 522 doi 10 1080 01439680903363248 ISSN 0143 9685 S2CID 194052454 Lentz Robert J 2003 Korean War Filmography Jefferson North Carolina McFarland amp Company ISBN 978 0 7864 1046 0 OCLC 50630520 Motion pictures classified by National Legion of Decency New York City National Legion of Decency 1959 OCLC 750484145 Rasmussen Bjorn 1968 Filmens hvem vad hvor Udenlanske film 1950 1967 The Movies Who What Where Foreign Movies 1950 1967 in Danish Vol 3 Politiken OCLC 928645048 Roan Jeanette 2010 Envisioning Asia On Location Travel and the Cinematic Geography of U S Orientalism Ann Arbor Michigan University of Michigan Press ISBN 978 0 472 05083 3 OCLC 671655107 Further reading EditTokyo File 212 Production File Margaret Herrick Library Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Beverly Hills California Tokyo File 212 Folder Box 696 Office of Public Information Records Record Group 330 National Archives College Park Maryland Tokyo File 212 Folder Box 5291 Records of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers Record Group 331 National Archives College Park MarylandExternal links EditTokyo File 212 at IMDb Tokyo File 212 is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive Tokyo File 212 at the TCM Movie Database Tokyo File 212 at the American Film Institute Catalog Tokyo File 212 at Rotten Tomatoes Portals 1950s Film United States Japan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tokyo File 212 amp oldid 1153116628, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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