There were countless military movies made during World War II. Many Hollywood stars entered the military. Errol Flynn wasn’t able to join the armed services. He had a number of physical ailments that prevented this. He did the next best thing. He starred in a few war films. One of those movies was Objective Burma. It is a good story about the men fighting in the pacific theater.
Flynn plays Captain Nelson. He is charged with commanding a group of men, going to Burma. Their mission is to take out a Japanese radar station. They parachute into the country, and go about their mission. They succeed in taking out the station, but are delayed in returning, due to a large presence of Japanese soldiers.
Captain Nelson and his men must fight their way out, and wait for a plane to take them out of the jungle in two days. Along the way, the horror of war is shown. Nelson and his men discover a soldier mutilated by the Japanese. This causes the civilian reporter to become hysterical and angry saying that the enemy should be wiped off the earth. Another soldier In Nelson’s command, is seriously wounded. Nelson won’t leave him. The men carry him on a stretcher, until he recovers. There are more than a few soldiers who die while on the mission. The civilian reporter, Mark Williams, is an older man, who has a hard time in jungle conditions. Williams finally collapses and dies. The character is played very well by Henry Hull. The actor was the first thespian to play a werewolf, in a major film, Werewolf of London. Hull was an experienced stage actor, before coming to Hollywood. His veteran reporter shows how war affects everyone, even a seasoned reporter. The film is lightened by the presence of George Tobias. He plays Cpl. Gabby Brown. It s similar to the role he had in Sgt. York. Tobias isn’t known for his film roles. He became famous as Mr. Kravits, the husband of the nosy neighbor on Bewitched.
Objective Burma! shows Errol Flynn in a different role. He is a leader of men in war. He does a fine job as Captain Nelson. He suffers defeat and loss, and does nothing he wouldn’t ask his men to do. It is a step out of his swashbuckling roles as Robin Hood and Captain Blood. He was a fine actor. His performance in this movie has to do with his acting range. It also has to do with Raoul Walsh. He would not tolerate bad behavior or unprofessionalism. Flynn made several movies with Walsh and they became friends. Walsh effectively had jungle sounds throughout this movie. They were supplied by C.A. Riggs. He had worked on the sound on The Adventures of Robin Hood and Meet John Doe. Raoul Walsh has good shots in the film. One of the best is Flynn’s face when he discovers the dead soldier. There is also the long shot of the Japanese soldiers from the Americans point of view on the mountaintop.
What makes Objective Burma! Stand out, is how men function in war conditions. It also has some tense moments, particularly when Japanese soldiers are very near Flynn’s troops. There is plenty of action throughout the movie. The climax doesn’t let the viewer down. The soldiers take the high ground against the Japanese, giving them the element of surprise. Even though this film was made during the war, it doesn’t seem dated. The movie is something that audiences liked in 1945, and contemporary audiences can still be moved by it.