Director John Huston, right from the big success of THE MALTESE FALCON, recruits Humphrey Bogart to play ex-Army officer Rick Leland in this World War II propaganda flick. Espionage, treason, a bit of romance in this drama aboard a Japanese steamer. The viewer gradually discovers a few of the passengers are not who they claim to be...including Leland. Bogart woos a small-town girl Alberta Marlow(Mary Astor)...not so innocent. Sydney Greenstreet plays spy Dr. Lorenz, willing to pay for military information. A Japanese-American(Victor Sen Young) making a trip to see the old country may just be the most mysterious passenger aboard. Bogart and Astor trade flirty banter and lighten up some of the drama. Also in the cast: Monte Blue, Charles Halton, Keye Luke and Frank Wilcox.

Captain Rick Leland (Humphrey Bogart) is court-martialed and discharged from the Army. Due to his infamy, the Canadians won't accept him as a recruit. He heads off to join the Chinese Nationals on board a Japanese ship. The Japanese crew notices him. He begins a romance with fellow passenger Alberta Marlow (Mary Astor).

This is an early effort from director John Huston. He is reunited with Bogie after The Maltese Falcon (1941). He gets called up by the Army and has to be replaced by Vincent Sherman for the final scenes. Apparently, there are some big differences. This movie starts off with a good tense premise when he initially gets on the boat. He's trapped in contained space with lots of secrets and lots of possibilities. It loses some of that intensity when they stop in New York and reveals something important. This should have been a non-stop cruise without stops. That would allow the movie to be confined.

This does try to be sincere with its Japanese subject and this might be the earliest Hollywood mention of Jujutsu. Apparently, the internment action meant that most of the Japanese characters are played by Chinese actors. There is also the greatness of Bogie at the height of his powers. The potential is so much greater than what appears on the screen. It's fine and it's good wartime propaganda without demeaning the Japanese culture.

While this isn't one of Humphrey Bogart's best films, even his mediocre stuff shines compared to the films of his peers. In this case, Bogart made a wartime propaganda film about uncovering a Japanese spy ring just before the US was pulled into the war. And, like most similar types of films, it is a bit hard to believe but also a lot of fun to watch. And the most unbelievable part? Sidney Greenstreet plays a die-hard Japanese spy!! The main plot is a tad familiar and is reminiscent of SPRINGFIELD RIFLE and KEY LARGO--the main character is disgraced or seems to be a coward until it is ultimately revealed that he is in this role in an attempt to do good. Sure, it is familiar, but it's also Bogart--one of the most down-to-earth and natural actors of his age. So, the wonderful acting of Bogie along with Mary Astor and Greenstreet (both who appeared with Bogart in THE MALTESE FALCON),the acting is the best part of the film. The actual plot is a tad confusing, or more accurately "busy"--a lot takes place in the film--particularly in the last 30 minutes. The ending, though extremely rousing, is also a tad tough to believe--but for this genre, this is to be expected.

So all-in-all, this is a very, very enjoyable film with modest goals and pretensions. For what it is, it is very good and even into the 21st century, it's still a great film to watch.