A very unusual anti-war war film co-scripted by an American and a Japanese. It’s a sad story about the slender thread of human tolerance and understanding, and how easily it can be tied and snapped again.
It’s 1944 and a crippled C-47 transport plane carrying US Marines crash lands on a remote coral island in the Pacific which is held by a Japanese platoon, who are also cut off from their command.
After rival snipers have whittled both sides down to a handful of men, the leaders, Kuroki (Tatsuya Mihashi) and Bourke (Clint Walker) launch an uneasy truce.
The men enjoy a few days of blissful relaxation from war and even come to respect one another as men – but the flashpoint to violence is never far away.
Frank Sinatra – who also directs in his only film director role – takes a subsidiary role as the island’s “doctor”, Francis Maloney.
Lt. Kuroki
Tatsuya Mihashi
Sgt. Tamura
Takeshi Katô
Lance Cpl. Hirano
Homare Suguro
Cpl. Fujimoto
Kenji Sahara
Lead Pvt. Ando
Masahiko Tanimura
Pvt. Arikawa
Tôru Ibuki
Pvt. Okuda
Ryûchô Shumpûtei
Pvt. Tokumaru
Hisao Dazai
Pvt. Goro
Susumu Kurobe
Pvt. Ishi
Takashi Inagaki
Pvt. Sato
Kenichi Hata
Chief Pharmacist Mate Francis Maloney
Frank Sinatra
Capt. Dennis Bourke
Clint Walker
2nd Lt. Blair
Tommy Sands
Sgt. Bleeker
Brad Dexter
Air Crewman Keller
Tony Bill
Cpl. Craddock
Sammy Jackson
Cpl. Ruffino
Richard Bakalyan
Pvt. Johnson
Rafer Johnson
Pvt. Dexter
Jimmy Griffin
Pvt. Searcy
Christopher Dark
Pvt. Hoxie
Don Dorrell
Pvt. Magee
Phillip Crosby
Pvt. Waller
John Howard Young
Pvt. Swensholm
Roger Ewing
Pvt. Roth
Richard Sinatra
Director
Frank Sinatra
