HOUSE OF BAMBOO 1955
This 20th Century Fox film, shot in Cinemascope is a loose remake of the same studios 1948 production, THE STREET WITH NO NAME. The cast includes, Robert Ryan, Robert Stack, Cameron Mitchell, Shirley Yamaguchi, Brad Dexter, Sessue Hayakawa and Deforest Kelly. The film is set in Japan and was shot on location.
This one starts with a slick bit of robbery. An American military supply train travelling between Kyoto and Tokyo is held up and a supply of heavy machine guns and ammo lifted. The train's engine crew, and the military guards are killed. The Japanese Police and American MP's are called in to solve the case. Police Inspector, Hayakawa, and MP officer, Dexter, get nowhere fast trying to close the case.
Several weeks later, a man, Biff Elliot, is brought in suffering from several bullet wounds. The bullets match those from the train robbery. Elliot had been left for dead by his gang during a thwarted robbery. The Police and the MP's question the man but he refuses to spill any info on the gang. He does however let slip that he is secretly married to Japanese woman, Shirley Yamaguchi.
Next we have Robert Stack show up from the States. The man hunts up Yamaguchi and shows her a photo of her now dead husband and himself. He tells the woman that he is a longtime pal of the deceased hubby. (The photo is a faked up job) The whole thing is ploy by US Army Intelligence to get to the bottom of the arms robbery. Stack is undercover as a hood out to make some easy cash doing a protection racket bit. This soon draws the attention of just the people he is after. Robert Ryan and his group are making a fortune pulling robberies etc throughout Tokyo and surrounding area.
Stack is soon asked to join said enterprise by Ryan. Cameron Mitchell and Deforest Kelly are the main members of the criminal crew. Mitchell takes an immediate dislike to Stack, which soon has the two coming to blows. Ryan has Stack doing collection and other easy jobs before having him join in a real heist.
They hit a payroll office at a dockside factory. Guns are pulled, and several guards go down of severe lead poisoning, as does one of the gang. The gang has a rule about killing any gang member who gets wounded on a job. There is to be no one left behind to talk to the Police. Stack picks up a bullet but Ryan decides to break his own rule and grabs Stack up.
Now the film becomes a game of cat and mouse as Stack uses Yamaguchi to help hide the fact that he is really a MP. Yamaguchi is seen passing info to Army MP, Dexter by gang member, Kelly. The gang though just thinks that the woman is having a bit on the side. When a robbery goes wrong, Ryan is sure there is a rat in the house. He wrongly picks Cameron Mitchell as the duplicitous rodent, and ventilates him.
Ryan is soon put right by his newspaper reporter contact as to his error. Ryan now plans on mending his mistake, so he takes Stack and Kelly out on a robbery of a pearl seller. Once there, he lets Kelly in on Stack being an undercover man. They render Stack less than vertical, then, set him up with a gun and a pocket full of pearls. Ryan calls the Police and tells them there is a man with a gun at the shop. Ryan figures that the Police will show, see Stack with a gun and take care of Stack for him.
The idea goes sideways when Stack regains his senses early. Then the Police show up quicker than Ryan had expected. Shots are fired and Ryan slips out a side door. The Police though are all over the building and Ryan is pursued to the roof. The roof is covered with an amusement park. A brisk chase over various rides etc is needed before Ryan is cornered. Ryan, handy with a gun, manages to drop several of the Police before Stack puts him down for the count.
This one has some nice action scenes, particularly the opening train robbery. But, there are also several dead spots throughout the film. The colour Cinemascope vistas are nice, but work against any sort of gritty, film noir look. Some of the scenes come across as a bit too much travelogue like.
Director Sam Fuller did better work on his earlier films like, THE STEEL HELMET, FIXED BAYONETS and in particular, PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET. Fuller, a personal favourite was a triple threat working as a writer and producer on some of his films. This is not a bad film, but it could have been better.
The film was lensed by the talented Joe MacDonald. The 3 time Oscar nominated MacDonald was the cinematographer on, THE DARK CORNER, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, THE STREET WITH NO NAME, YELLOW SKY, NIAGARA, WARLOCK, THE YOUNG LIONS, THE CARPETBAGGERS and THE SAND PEBBLES.
The acting is quite good with Ryan in particular shining as the villain. Look close and you will see John Ford regular, Harry Carey Jr in a small unbilled part.
This 20th Century Fox film, shot in Cinemascope is a loose remake of the same studios 1948 production, THE STREET WITH NO NAME. The cast includes, Robert Ryan, Robert Stack, Cameron Mitchell, Shirley Yamaguchi, Brad Dexter, Sessue Hayakawa and Deforest Kelly. The film is set in Japan and was shot on location.
This one starts with a slick bit of robbery. An American military supply train travelling between Kyoto and Tokyo is held up and a supply of heavy machine guns and ammo lifted. The train's engine crew, and the military guards are killed. The Japanese Police and American MP's are called in to solve the case. Police Inspector, Hayakawa, and MP officer, Dexter, get nowhere fast trying to close the case.
Several weeks later, a man, Biff Elliot, is brought in suffering from several bullet wounds. The bullets match those from the train robbery. Elliot had been left for dead by his gang during a thwarted robbery. The Police and the MP's question the man but he refuses to spill any info on the gang. He does however let slip that he is secretly married to Japanese woman, Shirley Yamaguchi.
Next we have Robert Stack show up from the States. The man hunts up Yamaguchi and shows her a photo of her now dead husband and himself. He tells the woman that he is a longtime pal of the deceased hubby. (The photo is a faked up job) The whole thing is ploy by US Army Intelligence to get to the bottom of the arms robbery. Stack is undercover as a hood out to make some easy cash doing a protection racket bit. This soon draws the attention of just the people he is after. Robert Ryan and his group are making a fortune pulling robberies etc throughout Tokyo and surrounding area.
Stack is soon asked to join said enterprise by Ryan. Cameron Mitchell and Deforest Kelly are the main members of the criminal crew. Mitchell takes an immediate dislike to Stack, which soon has the two coming to blows. Ryan has Stack doing collection and other easy jobs before having him join in a real heist.
They hit a payroll office at a dockside factory. Guns are pulled, and several guards go down of severe lead poisoning, as does one of the gang. The gang has a rule about killing any gang member who gets wounded on a job. There is to be no one left behind to talk to the Police. Stack picks up a bullet but Ryan decides to break his own rule and grabs Stack up.
Now the film becomes a game of cat and mouse as Stack uses Yamaguchi to help hide the fact that he is really a MP. Yamaguchi is seen passing info to Army MP, Dexter by gang member, Kelly. The gang though just thinks that the woman is having a bit on the side. When a robbery goes wrong, Ryan is sure there is a rat in the house. He wrongly picks Cameron Mitchell as the duplicitous rodent, and ventilates him.
Ryan is soon put right by his newspaper reporter contact as to his error. Ryan now plans on mending his mistake, so he takes Stack and Kelly out on a robbery of a pearl seller. Once there, he lets Kelly in on Stack being an undercover man. They render Stack less than vertical, then, set him up with a gun and a pocket full of pearls. Ryan calls the Police and tells them there is a man with a gun at the shop. Ryan figures that the Police will show, see Stack with a gun and take care of Stack for him.
The idea goes sideways when Stack regains his senses early. Then the Police show up quicker than Ryan had expected. Shots are fired and Ryan slips out a side door. The Police though are all over the building and Ryan is pursued to the roof. The roof is covered with an amusement park. A brisk chase over various rides etc is needed before Ryan is cornered. Ryan, handy with a gun, manages to drop several of the Police before Stack puts him down for the count.
This one has some nice action scenes, particularly the opening train robbery. But, there are also several dead spots throughout the film. The colour Cinemascope vistas are nice, but work against any sort of gritty, film noir look. Some of the scenes come across as a bit too much travelogue like.
Director Sam Fuller did better work on his earlier films like, THE STEEL HELMET, FIXED BAYONETS and in particular, PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET. Fuller, a personal favourite was a triple threat working as a writer and producer on some of his films. This is not a bad film, but it could have been better.
The film was lensed by the talented Joe MacDonald. The 3 time Oscar nominated MacDonald was the cinematographer on, THE DARK CORNER, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, THE STREET WITH NO NAME, YELLOW SKY, NIAGARA, WARLOCK, THE YOUNG LIONS, THE CARPETBAGGERS and THE SAND PEBBLES.
The acting is quite good with Ryan in particular shining as the villain. Look close and you will see John Ford regular, Harry Carey Jr in a small unbilled part.