Go for Broke! (1951 film)
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| Go for Broke | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Robert Pirosh |
| Produced by | Dore Schary |
| Written by | Robert Pirosh |
| Starring | Van Johnson Lane Nakano George Miki |
| Release date(s) | 1951 |
| Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | U.S.A. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Go for Broke! is a war film released in 1951. It was directed by Robert Pirosh, produced by Dore Schary and starred Van Johnson, several veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Henry Nakamura.
The film dramatizes the real-life story of the 442nd, which was composed of Nisei (second-generation Americans born of Japanese parents). Fighting in the European theater during World War II, this unit became the most heavily decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of the United States Army, as well as one of the units with the highest casualty rates. This film is a Hollywood rarity which features Asian-Americans in a positive light and even more rare in highlighting the irony of Japanese-Americans who fought bravely for their country while that same country interned their families in camps.
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[edit] Plot
The film begins in 1943, with newly-commissioned Lieutenant Grayson (Johnson) reporting for duty with the 442nd, then training for deployment to Europe. He discovers that he has been sent to a unit composed primarily of Nisei, when he had expected to return to the U.S. 36th Infantry Division, a Texas National Guard unit with which he had served as an enlisted man. Having joined the war to fight against the Japanese, he is disturbed to find he is expected to fight alongside people who he sees as Japanese, rather than Americans.
He (and the audience) learn that "Go for broke" is a pidgin phrase (used in Hawaii) meaning to gamble everything -- one will be broke, bankrupt if he loses. Eventually, Grayson also learns the meaning of the frequently-repeated expletive Baka tare, which, loosely translated, means "very stupid."
There is only brief mention of the internment camps from which most of the men have come, but throughout the film, there are references to the camps. There are also a few brief references to the distinctions between the Nisei from Hawaii ("Buta-heads") and those from the mainland ("Katonks"). While Buta-heads (the phrase later devolved to "Buddha-Heads") were a key part of the Hawaiian economy and society, Katonks were largely distrusted and disliked by their neighbors.
Arriving in Italy, the unit is joined by the 100th Battalion, the Nisei unit formed in Hawaii before the 442nd was created on the mainland. The troops of the 100th are seasoned veterans and the new arrivals look to them for advice.
Through fighting in Italy and France, Grayson eventually comes to respect the Nisei, and his bigotry fades. Eventually, he is transferred back to his old unit, the 36th as a liaison -- over his objections -- when the 442nd is attached to the larger unit.
As he has misjudged the Nisei, they have misjudged Grayson. They eventually learn that he has defended them against bigotry, even getting into a fistfight with an old friend of his from the 36th who had insulted them.
The climax of the movie comes with the "Buddha-heads'" famous rescue of the "Lost Battalion," after the 36th is surrounded by the German army. Then comes their return home, and the award of the Presidential Unit Citation.
[edit] Cast
- Van Johnson as Lieutenant Michael Grayson
- Lane Nakano* as Sam
- George Miki* as Chick
- Akira Fukunaga* as Frank
- Ken K. Okamoto* as Kaz
- Henry Oyasato* as Takashi Ohhara
- Harry Hamada* as Masami
- Henry Nakamura as Tommy Kamakura
- Warner Anderson as Colonel Charles W. Pence
- Don Haggerty as Sergeant Wilson I. Culley
- Gianna Maria Canale as Rosina
- Dan Riss as Captain Solari
* actual veterans of the 442nd
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Go for Broke! at the TCM Movie Database
