It's because it simply isn't very good, not painfully bad exactly, just a meanderingly paced time filler is all. Adapted by Lamar Trotti from a novel by Ira Wolfert, it stars Tyrone Power, Tom Ewell and Micheline Presle. The plot focuses on Chuck Palmer (Power) & Jim Mitchell (Ewell) who are stranded in the Philippine Islands waiting for Gen. Douglas MacArthur's return. As the impending surrender to the Japanese is unappealing to the guys, they attempt to escape the Islands. Only to be thwarted at every turn. So digging in they set about building a communications station to aid the guerrillas in the war effort. But the Japanese are closing in.
First time viewers should not be fooled by some of the advertising catch phrases that proclaim this to be a rousing spectacle, or a great Pacific adventure. It's a sedate character driven story that's more concerned with flag waving jingoism than any adherence to action entertainment. Which would be fine if Trotti's script wasn't so unimaginatively bland. It's nicely shot at the actual locations by Harry Jackson, and Power is as ever, watchable; working from actual military experience helps of course. But with Ewell and Presle out of their depth {the former out acted by ants in one of the film's rare suspenseful moments} and the romantic sub-plot as tiresome as it pointless, this only serves to be a huge disappointment as a picture, and a blot on the directors CV. 4/10
First time viewers should not be fooled by some of the advertising catch phrases that proclaim this to be a rousing spectacle, or a great Pacific adventure. It's a sedate character driven story that's more concerned with flag waving jingoism than any adherence to action entertainment. Which would be fine if Trotti's script wasn't so unimaginatively bland. It's nicely shot at the actual locations by Harry Jackson, and Power is as ever, watchable; working from actual military experience helps of course. But with Ewell and Presle out of their depth {the former out acted by ants in one of the film's rare suspenseful moments} and the romantic sub-plot as tiresome as it pointless, this only serves to be a huge disappointment as a picture, and a blot on the directors CV. 4/10