This is the story of the crew of a downed bomber, captured after a run over Tokyo, early in the war. Relates the hardships the men endure while in captivity, and their final humiliation: bei... Read allThis is the story of the crew of a downed bomber, captured after a run over Tokyo, early in the war. Relates the hardships the men endure while in captivity, and their final humiliation: being tried and convicted as war criminals.This is the story of the crew of a downed bomber, captured after a run over Tokyo, early in the war. Relates the hardships the men endure while in captivity, and their final humiliation: being tried and convicted as war criminals.
- Lt. Peter Vincent
- (as Donald Barry)
- Saburo Goto
- (uncredited)
- Anne
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Court Stenographer
- (uncredited)
- Naval Aide
- (uncredited)
- Adm. Kentara Yamagichi
- (uncredited)
- Geisha
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Jerome Cady
- Darryl F. Zanuck
- Richard Carroll(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe trial, as depicted in the film, was held at police headquarters in Shanghai, China, on 14 October 1942. The 8 men were condemned to death. Hallmark, Farrow and Spatz were executed by a Japanese army firing squad at sunset the next day. The remainder were given an Imperial commutation to life in prison. In 1943 Meder died from mistreatment and a variety of diseases he contracted because of it. The remaining four survived and were freed upon Japan's surrender in August 1945.
- GoofsThe son of the Chinese Governor bows to the American aviators to return the honor they gave him. But the Chinese don't bow in this fashion. It is the Japanese who bow to show respect. So a Chinese man would never use this to show respect. Since it would align himself with Japanese custom.
- Quotes
Captain Harvey Ross: No your excellency. It's true we Americans don't know very much about you Japanese. And we never did. And now I realize you know even less about us. You can kill us. All of us, or part of us. But if you think that's going to put the fear of god into the United States of America, and stop them from sending other flyers to bomb you, you're wrong. Dead wrong. They'll come by night, they'll come by day. Thousands of them. They'll blacken your skies and burn your cities to the ground and make you get down on your knees and beg for mercy. This is your war. You wanted it. You asked for it. You started it. And now you're going to get it. And it won't be finished until your dirty little empire is wiped off the face of the earth.
- ConnectionsEdited into All This and World War II (1976)
- SoundtracksMemories
Music by Egbert Van Alstyne
The music that Canelli hears in the cell
Also played at the end of Ross' flashback
The other five captured airmen remained in solitary confinement, tortured and starved, these men contracted dysentery and beriberi, their health deteriorating. In 1943, they were moved from Shanghai to Nanking. December 1, 1943, Meder died of the mistreatment. The remaining four men, Nielsen, Hite, Barr and DeShazer survived until they were freed by American troops in August 1945 after the surrender of the Japan.
In February 1946, a War Crimes trial was held in Shanghai. Four Imperial Japanese officers were tried for the mistreatment and executions of the Doolittle Raiders. All were found guilty. Three of them were sentenced to five years at hard labor, the fourth to a nine-year sentence. The light sentences were met with outrage in the United States, that the Japanese soldiers were let off with murder. Hirohito in 1975, during a visit to the United States, refused to answer questions about the executed Doolittle Flyers.
This movie was popular with the American public in 1944.
- ustye
- Oct 19, 2011
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Purpurhjärtat
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $1,500,000
- Runtime1 hour 39 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1