AN AMERICAN GUERILLA IN THE PHILIPPINES is by far still the best Hollywood movie ever made in our country. No other film can match it's finesse, story line, star power and dramatic suspense. Fritz Lang directed it and he is no two bit director when it comes to movie making.
I saw the movie several times when I was young: once in Dagupan, then in Urdaneta and when it was shown on TV, I never missed any broadcast. That is how much I like the movie.
The film's main star is Tyrone Power, the top money maker for 20th Century Fox during its hey day. Until his untimely death, he was drawing fans and money into the box office. Among his popular movies are: PRINCE OF FOXES ( a costume film about the Borgias, ) EDDIE DUCHIN STORY ( a movie about the brilliant pianist Eddie Duchin whose face carries an uncanny resemblance to his ).
There were also hits like BLOOD AND SAND (he was a doomed bullfighter who was helplessly in love with a vixen played by Rita Hayworth,) BLACK ROSE,( he played a an exiled European who went all the way to Asia to escape from his persecutors and in China, he met and befriended Kublai Khan. The noted Asian conqueror played by the legendary ORSON WELLES.)His last assignment was SOLOMON AND SHEBA but unfortunately he died while the film was in production. In his place, the producers took in YUL BRYNNER and they have to let him wear a wig for his part as SOLOMON.
In AMERICAN GUERILLA..he played the title role. When the Americans lost the Philippines to the Japanese all US troops were told to escape, hide in the mountains or surrender. He opted for the second and his true to life escapades make up the plot for this war thriller. It was filmed on location in the Philippines in Technicolor and during those years, the 50s, this film process was still very expensive. It showed some very beautiful shots in the Philippines during that era when all Filipino movies were still shot in Black and White.
He engaged in a cat and mouse game with some Japanese soldiers led by Filipino actor Cris de Vera. Other local stars like Rosa del Rosario, ( who one time played Darna ) Eddie Infante, Ben Perez appeared in cameo roles. Cris ( who was then also a comedian appearing in a radio weekly EDONG MAPANGARAP with Pugo and Togo ) stole the thunder from all of them. After seeing the movie for the first time, I began to develop a phobia for any Japanese. I thought they were all mean like the character played by Cris who slapped, shot and brutalized so many Filipinos in the movie.
The music director also used some familiar Filipino melodies in the soundtrack like Dandansoy for the love scenes between Tyrone and Micheline Prelle who played his leading lady.
The movie ended with a thrilling shoot out inside a church. Then when things seemed to be lost, the American troops led by Gen. McArthur arrived. A close up of him ( the real General ) appeared in the movie spliced into a long shot of the warm reception given to General ( played by a look alike ) just minutes before the movie ended.
The setting is in Leyte. I read somewhere that some people are questioning whether the General landed first in Leyte or in Lingayen..
Anyways, the DVD version has just appeared a few weeks ago, thus ending my search for this title ever since I arrived in Toronto in the '70s.---#
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