One For Anime Fans: Go For Broke!

                                      One For Anime Fans: Go For Broke!

                                                                 by

                                                                    Jay Agan

      Hey anime fans! Got a movie for ya. Yes. Movie. Not anime. Not the "c" word (kartune). MOVIE. You know. Real live people, not fantastically drawn characters. Oh yes. You younger ones might want to stop right here & go on to something else as this flick is ..... Ya ready? ..... in black & white!
     
      So it must not be worth a look-see right? Wrong! You just might find it interesting. And so .....

      Go For Broke! (MGM 1951)- A fictionalized account of several officers & men of the 100th Battalion & 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Composed mainly of Nisei (2nd generation Americans of Japanese descent.), the unit was deployed in Italy & France during the Second World War. Eager to prove their loyalty (Even after the shoddy treatment they & their families recieved after Dec. 7, 1941.), the regiment became the most decorated unit in the U.S. Army.

      Van Johnson stars as a less than eager platoon commander, unwilling to lead troops who "look like the enemy". As he continues in his assignment, both he & they come to respect one another as fellow soldiers fighting a two front war against the Axis & hostility from their own side. Other members of the cast (Lane Nakano, George Miki, Akira Fukunaga, Ken Okamoto, Henry Oyasato, Harry Hamada) are combat veterans of the unit.
     
      By the way, Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D Hawaii) is a decorated (Medal of Honor) veteran of the 100th.

      This film is usually found on disc copied from poor condition "public domain" prints. Warner Video sells an excellent example as part of a triple bill (Never So Few & Objective Burma. Two you may not be crazy about. I love em! But then, I'm not as "into anime" as you are.)

      Captured German officer: "These men. What are they? Chinese?"

      Van Johnson: "No! Didn't ya hear? Japan surrendered. Now they're fighting for us!"

                                            Article copyright © 2-10-2011 Jay Agan

Go For Broke movie link to You Tube here.

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