Back to Bataan (1945): John Wayne’s War Movie in the Philippines, Instructing and Inspiring, Co-Starring Anthony Quinn

John Wayne’s paternal attitude toward the younger generation and his function as a sociological father extended beyond his relationships with American soldiers.

In 1945, the movie Back to Bataan depicts events that are inspired by actual events, but largely fictionalized, which took place after the Battle of Bataan (1941–1942) on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.

Back to Bataan
Back to Bataan.jpg

Theatrical poster

Two war films, “Back to Bataan,” set in WWII, and the Vietnam War actioner “The Green Berets,” John Wayne serves as role model to Philippine and Vietnamese children, respectively. The working title of the film, “The Invisible Army,” was dropped in favor of a more clear and direct title.

The feminist critic Joan Mellen has perceived this aspect of the films’ plots as a testament to Wayne’s screen image–and by extension to the U.S. ideology in general–namely, embodying an alarming imperialistic and patronizing attitude toward smaller, weaker nations, represented in those pictures by children.

Note:

If you wan to know more about John Wayne’s career and films, please read my book:

For Back to Bataan, Wayne was contracted to RKO Radio to play the lead, Colonel Joseph Madden, who helps the Philippine guerrillas fight the Japanese. The ensuing picture was artistically better but commercially less popular than “Bataan”(1943), a war film starring Robert Taylor that had benefited at the box-office due to the timeliness of its release (See Review).

In the course of the story, Colonel Madden develops a special relationship with Maximo (Ducky Louie), the Philippine kid who adores him. When Maximo’s father is killed, Wayne is the one to provide comfort, “War hurts everyone.”

In an earlier, quite touching scene, Madden commits him to the war effort by the symbolic gesture of handing the boy his Colonel’s insignia. He also teaches Maximo how to take orders and behave like “a real man.”

Absorbing the lessons, later on, Maximo volunteers to spy. Captured and tortured by the Japanese, he misleads them, forcing their truck over a cliff. Thus, in Wayne’s best manner, Maximo prefers to die heroically, by tricking the enemy, than to reveal important military secrets.

“Back to Bataan” originated in 1944, when John Wayne was asked by the State Department to make a movie about the Philippine guerrilla forces. This movie could not have been made without the assistance of the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, and the Philippine government, all of which were acknowledged in the credits.

John Wayne’s American Vs. Anthony Quinn’s Filippino

As in all of Wayne’s pictures, to elevate his stature, he is contrasted with another man, Captain Andres Bonifacio (Anthony Quinn) and his Filippino men. Initially, Bonifacio feels let down and betrayed by the American withdrawal from the islands, and it’s Wayne who encourages him to continue to fight heroically, when Bonifacio suspects that his girlfriend (Feli Franquelli) is a traitor for the Japanese–rest assure that she is not.

Rumor has it that there were clashes on the set between Colonel Clark, the film’s adviser, and director Edward Dmytryk, who allegedly ridiculed the former’s patriotism and Catholic beliefs. Dmytryk does not report any of these in his autobiography, though he recalls one battle with the Colonel. When the make-up and prop men dirtied the Philippines’s clothes, the Colonel reportedly rejected on the ground that they were “the world’s cleanest people.” Having served most of his career in the Philippines and one of the few to be evacuated before the surrender to the Japanese, he was very loyal to their country. According to Dmytryk, Colonel Clark had contempt for General MacArthur–unlike Wayne who had unshakable faith in him.

This was not one of Wayne’s personal favorites. In later years, he said that he didn’t like the leftist tendencies of Dmytryk and some members of his crew, all of whom became victims of HUUAC investigations during McCarthy’s witch-hunting in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Wayne also didn’t like the way that Dmytryk shot a scene in which his Colonel is blown out of a hollow by an exploding shell.

“They Were Expendable,” made by Ford and starring John Wayne and Robert Montgomery, which was released several months later and covers the same events, albeit from a different perspective, is artistically a more interesting and fully realized picture.

RKO arranged for two premieres of Back to Bataan on June 25, 1945, in Boston and Honolulu, and the movie performed well at the box-office.

Wayne’s War Films

Wayne’s war films saluted various branches of the Armed Forces. The Flying Tigers, for instance, paid tribute to the American volunteer Airmen who fought for China’s freedom. And The Fighting Seabees saluted the construction engineers of the Navy. The Hollywood war movies were so propagandistic that many ended with explicit appeal to the audience to enlist in the Armed Forces. In Pittsburgh (l942), Wayne plays an ambitious coal miner who rises to head a huge industrial enterprise, while abusing his friends and associates. He redeems himself, however, during Pearl Harbor, when every American is needed for the War effort. Pittsburgh starts as a rowdy comedy but ends as a heavy-handed government propaganda movie, stressing the nation’s interest and the part played by the coal industry in modern warfare–narrated by a voice-over quite solemnly.

What accounted the most for the popularity of the War movies was their timeliness and immediate relevancy. Director Dmytryk recalled that the initial screenplay for Back to Bataan showed “White Americans as responsible for all the heroics,” but with the help of adviser Ben Barzman, the film became both more realistic and in tune with the changing events. “While we were shooting,” Dmytryk observed, “the situation in the Pacific was changing from day to day.” For example, General MacArthur’s return to the Philippines and the prisoners’ release from the prison camp of Cabantuan had to be incorporated into the scenario.

Credits:

Directed by Edward Dmytryk
Produced by Robert Fellows
Screenplay by Ben Barzman, Richard H. Landau based on a story by Aeneas MacKenzie and William Gordon
Music by Roy Webb
Cinematography Nicholas Musuraca
Edited by Marston Fay

Production and distribution company: RKO Radio Pictures

Release date May 31, 1945

Running time: 95 minutes
Box office $2,490,000

Note:

If you want to know more about John Wayne’s career and life, please read my book:

xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng đá atalantabundesligacầu thủ haalandUEFAevertonxosokeonhacaiketquabongdalichthidau7m.newskqbdtysokeobongdabongdalufutebol ao vivofutemaxmulticanaisonbetbsport.fitonbet88.oooi9bet.bizhi88.ooookvip.atf8bet.atfb88.cashvn88.cashshbet.atbóng đá world cupbóng đá inter milantin juventusbenzemala ligaclb leicester cityMUman citymessi lionelsalahnapolineymarpsgronaldoserie atottenhamvalenciaAS ROMALeverkusenac milanmbappenapolinewcastleaston villaliverpoolfa cupreal madridpremier leagueAjaxbao bong da247EPLbarcelonabournemouthaff cupasean footballbên lề sân cỏbáo bóng đá mớibóng đá cúp thế giớitin bóng đá ViệtUEFAbáo bóng đá việt namHuyền thoại bóng đágiải ngoại hạng anhSeagametap chi bong da the gioitin bong da lutrận đấu hôm nayviệt nam bóng đátin nong bong daBóng đá nữthể thao 7m24h bóng đábóng đá hôm naythe thao ngoai hang anhtin nhanh bóng đáphòng thay đồ bóng đábóng đá phủikèo nhà cái onbetbóng đá lu 2thông tin phòng thay đồthe thao vuaapp đánh lô đềdudoanxosoxổ số giải đặc biệthôm nay xổ sốkèo đẹp hôm nayketquaxosokq xskqxsmnsoi cầu ba miềnsoi cau thong kesxkt hôm naythế giới xổ sốxổ số 24hxo.soxoso3mienxo so ba mienxoso dac bietxosodientoanxổ số dự đoánvé số chiều xổxoso ket quaxosokienthietxoso kq hôm nayxoso ktxổ số megaxổ số mới nhất hôm nayxoso truc tiepxoso ViệtSX3MIENxs dự đoánxs mien bac hom nayxs miên namxsmientrungxsmn thu 7con số may mắn hôm nayKQXS 3 miền Bắc Trung Nam Nhanhdự đoán xổ số 3 miềndò vé sốdu doan xo so hom nayket qua xo xoket qua xo so.vntrúng thưởng xo sokq xoso trực tiếpket qua xskqxs 247số miền nams0x0 mienbacxosobamien hôm naysố đẹp hôm naysố đẹp trực tuyếnnuôi số đẹpxo so hom quaxoso ketquaxstruc tiep hom nayxổ số kiến thiết trực tiếpxổ số kq hôm nayso xo kq trực tuyenkết quả xổ số miền bắc trực tiếpxo so miền namxổ số miền nam trực tiếptrực tiếp xổ số hôm nayket wa xsKQ XOSOxoso onlinexo so truc tiep hom nayxsttso mien bac trong ngàyKQXS3Msố so mien bacdu doan xo so onlinedu doan cau loxổ số kenokqxs vnKQXOSOKQXS hôm naytrực tiếp kết quả xổ số ba miềncap lo dep nhat hom naysoi cầu chuẩn hôm nayso ket qua xo soXem kết quả xổ số nhanh nhấtSX3MIENXSMB chủ nhậtKQXSMNkết quả mở giải trực tuyếnGiờ vàng chốt số OnlineĐánh Đề Con Gìdò số miền namdò vé số hôm nayso mo so debach thủ lô đẹp nhất hôm naycầu đề hôm naykết quả xổ số kiến thiết toàn quốccau dep 88xsmb rong bach kimket qua xs 2023dự đoán xổ số hàng ngàyBạch thủ đề miền BắcSoi Cầu MB thần tàisoi cau vip 247soi cầu tốtsoi cầu miễn phísoi cau mb vipxsmb hom nayxs vietlottxsmn hôm naycầu lô đẹpthống kê lô kép xổ số miền Bắcquay thử xsmnxổ số thần tàiQuay thử XSMTxổ số chiều nayxo so mien nam hom nayweb đánh lô đề trực tuyến uy tínKQXS hôm nayxsmb ngày hôm nayXSMT chủ nhậtxổ số Power 6/55KQXS A trúng roycao thủ chốt sốbảng xổ số đặc biệtsoi cầu 247 vipsoi cầu wap 666Soi cầu miễn phí 888 VIPSoi Cau Chuan MBđộc thủ desố miền bắcthần tài cho sốKết quả xổ số thần tàiXem trực tiếp xổ sốXIN SỐ THẦN TÀI THỔ ĐỊACầu lô số đẹplô đẹp vip 24hsoi cầu miễn phí 888xổ số kiến thiết chiều nayXSMN thứ 7 hàng tuầnKết quả Xổ số Hồ Chí Minhnhà cái xổ số Việt NamXổ Số Đại PhátXổ số mới nhất Hôm Nayso xo mb hom nayxxmb88quay thu mbXo so Minh ChinhXS Minh Ngọc trực tiếp hôm nayXSMN 88XSTDxs than taixổ số UY TIN NHẤTxs vietlott 88SOI CẦU SIÊU CHUẨNSoiCauVietlô đẹp hôm nay vipket qua so xo hom naykqxsmb 30 ngàydự đoán xổ số 3 miềnSoi cầu 3 càng chuẩn xácbạch thủ lônuoi lo chuanbắt lô chuẩn theo ngàykq xo-solô 3 càngnuôi lô đề siêu vipcầu Lô Xiên XSMBđề về bao nhiêuSoi cầu x3xổ số kiến thiết ngày hôm nayquay thử xsmttruc tiep kết quả sxmntrực tiếp miền bắckết quả xổ số chấm vnbảng xs đặc biệt năm 2023soi cau xsmbxổ số hà nội hôm naysxmtxsmt hôm nayxs truc tiep mbketqua xo so onlinekqxs onlinexo số hôm nayXS3MTin xs hôm nayxsmn thu2XSMN hom nayxổ số miền bắc trực tiếp hôm naySO XOxsmbsxmn hôm nay188betlink188 xo sosoi cầu vip 88lô tô việtsoi lô việtXS247xs ba miềnchốt lô đẹp nhất hôm naychốt số xsmbCHƠI LÔ TÔsoi cau mn hom naychốt lô chuẩndu doan sxmtdự đoán xổ số onlinerồng bạch kim chốt 3 càng miễn phí hôm naythống kê lô gan miền bắcdàn đề lôCầu Kèo Đặc Biệtchốt cầu may mắnkết quả xổ số miền bắc hômSoi cầu vàng 777thẻ bài onlinedu doan mn 888soi cầu miền nam vipsoi cầu mt vipdàn de hôm nay7 cao thủ chốt sốsoi cau mien phi 7777 cao thủ chốt số nức tiếng3 càng miền bắcrồng bạch kim 777dàn de bất bạion newsddxsmn188betw88w88789bettf88sin88suvipsunwintf88five8812betsv88vn88Top 10 nhà cái uy tínsky88iwinlucky88nhacaisin88oxbetm88vn88w88789betiwinf8betrio66rio66lucky88oxbetvn88188bet789betMay-88five88one88sin88bk88xbetoxbetMU88188BETSV88RIO66ONBET88188betM88M88SV88Jun-68Jun-88one88iwinv9betw388OXBETw388w388onbetonbetonbetonbet88onbet88onbet88onbet88onbetonbetonbetonbetqh88mu88Nhà cái uy tínpog79vp777vp777vipbetvipbetuk88uk88typhu88typhu88tk88tk88sm66sm66me88me888live8live8livesm66me88win798livesm66me88win79pog79pog79vp777vp777uk88uk88tk88tk88luck8luck8kingbet86kingbet86k188k188hr99hr99123b8xbetvnvipbetsv66zbettaisunwin-vntyphu88vn138vwinvwinvi68ee881xbetrio66zbetvn138i9betvipfi88clubcf68onbet88ee88typhu88onbetonbetkhuyenmai12bet-moblie12betmoblietaimienphi247vi68clupcf68clupvipbeti9betqh88onb123onbefsoi cầunổ hũbắn cáđá gàđá gàgame bàicasinosoi cầuxóc đĩagame bàigiải mã giấc mơbầu cuaslot gamecasinonổ hủdàn đềBắn cácasinodàn đềnổ hũtài xỉuslot gamecasinobắn cáđá gàgame bàithể thaogame bàisoi cầukqsssoi cầucờ tướngbắn cágame bàixóc đĩa开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育亚新体育亚新体育亚新体育爱游戏爱游戏爱游戏华体会华体会华体会IM体育IM体育沙巴体育沙巴体育PM体育PM体育AG尊龙AG尊龙AG尊龙AG百家乐AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人<AG真人<皇冠体育皇冠体育PG电子PG电子万博体育万博体育KOK体育KOK体育欧宝体育江南体育江南体育江南体育半岛体育半岛体育半岛体育凯发娱乐凯发娱乐杏彩体育杏彩体育杏彩体育FB体育PM真人PM真人<米乐娱乐米乐娱乐天博体育天博体育开元棋牌开元棋牌j9九游会j9九游会开云体育AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人爱游戏华体会华体会im体育kok体育开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育欧宝体育ob体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育开云体育开云体育棋牌棋牌沙巴体育买球平台新葡京娱乐开云体育mu88qh88