Escape to Burma (1955)

In one of the oddest casting choices in film history (and of a certain legend's career), the role usually played by Maria Montez is taken over by...Barbara Stanwyck??? She's the matriarch of a Burmese plantation who welcomes strangers into her house with open arms (and apparently an open bar), not even checking their references. The moment alleged killer Robert Ryan shows up, she's eying him up and down like a search light, offering him a second drink just as he's chugged down his first.She's just inspected the elephants and the men who use them to work in the jungles and fired one of them for repeatedly abusing the elder of the pack. This Elephant Queen of Burma treats the riders well, and immediately places a Sabu-like youngster on the back of the abused pachyderm, promising him great rewards if he does his job well. But the natives believe that evil spirited tiger has killed an elephant in the jungle, and Stanwyck heads out there with Ryan to prove that it was a real tiger, not some invisible spook with the power to kill beasts of burden three times the size of real tigers.On the search for Ryan is David Farrar, hired by the ruler of Burma to find the man they believe killed the prince. Ryan and Stanwyck encounter Farrar after their return from the jungle and this leads to another jaunt into the tropical forest where they encounter bandits and an oncoming monsoon. The three of them are forced to spend the night in an abandoned ancient ruins where chimps, orangutans and other assorted small monkeys reside. Before you can say, "Me Tarzan, You Jane", the king's men are on the march, having arrested one of the bandits who is in possession of one of the late princes' bracelet.Unbelievable adventure in the realm of Maria Montez/Yvonne de Carlo adventures of the 1940's (with a touch of "Elephant Walk" thrown in), this seems totally out of Stanwyck's element, and even her performance seems out of whack, sometimes so kindly you'd think she'd never played all those deadly film noir vixens. Visions of various jungle animals (including the deadly tiger as well as a black panther) add to the colorful vision of this jungle paradise, and the audacious set design is equally camp in its presentation. "You two men make me prefer the company of elephants!", she barks at one point to the fighting men, and certainly, her pachyderm pals are as loyal to her as her servants. Much of the acting of the mostly British cast playing the Burmese is amateurish and silly, but this isn't without its compensation. I've never had so much fun laughing at a Barbara Stanwyck movie in my life, and it wasn't one of her classic screwball comedies.

This adventure movie produced by RKO , Radio Picture Inc , deals with a man on the run for a killing he did not commit and he finds refuge and romance in an isolated jungle mansion . As a local prince in British Burma has been murdered , apparently by his prospecting colleague called Jim Brecan (Robert Ryan) . The bereaved daddy wants Brecan's head , no questions asked , but Captain Cardigan (David Farrar) of the colonial Rangoon District Force hopes to encounter him first for a fair trial . As the fugitive in British Burma hides on a teak plantation and find solace in the arms of a rich owner called Gwen Moore (Barbara Stanwick) . Brecan finds certain protection , thanks to a mutual attraction with Gwen and help each other , soon makes him indispensable . In the plantation Jim works as a right-hand man . Later on , they flee and find shelter in a Burmese jungle temple . The jungle , of course, is endangered by some kind of wild life , for this reason they find themselves in a strange atmosphere . There takes places a searing story of sudden love and sudden death in the hot green hell of the Burma jungle.Burma's balmy jungles provide the backstage for a torrid love between Barbara Stanwick and Robert Ryan , in this post-prime Allan Dwan effort . ¨Escape to Burma¨ is a B-adventure movie , a menace melodrama with a wide view of a huge tropical bungalow , exotic scenarios with rage excessively colorful , big bull elephants , an amazing mansion , a love story , chases and many other things . A monsoon , a violent as well as spectacular fighting between Robert Ryan and some bandits , elephants doing pirouette , a likable chimpanzee (though only live in Africa) and an orangutan are among the movie's extra added attractions . Action fans will enjoy the continuous pursuits and confrontations between Robert Ryan and David Farrar . Furthermore, an exciting final climax at the mansion in which the protagonists are besieged by an army . This picture bears remarkable resemblance to ¨Elephant walk¨ (1954) by William Dieterle that contains a similar jungle scenario (Sri Lanka) , elephants and known actors as Elizabeth Taylor , Peter Finch and Dana Andrews . ¨Escape to Burma¨ packs a colorful cinematography print in Technicolor by John Alton who along with Nicholas Musuraca are considered to be two of the best cameraman specialized in Noir cinema . Thrilling as well as evocative musical score by Louis Forbes . This quickie was professionally directed by Allan Dwan , a craftsman working from the silent cinema . He was Gloria Swanson's favorite director and after he began to work for Triangle in 1916 , he also won the respect of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford , who were , at that time, the most powerful couple in the film business . Dwan directed over 1400 films , including one-reels, between his arrival in the industry (circa 1909) and his final film in 1961 . Among them some good Western as ¨ Restless breed¨, ¨The rivers edge¨, ¨Cattle Queen of Montana¨ and ¨Montana Belle¨ , being ¨Silver Lode¨ is his unqualified masterpiece . ¨Escape to Burma¨ results to be an acceptable and passable picture . Watchable results for this classic adventure movie .

My word, what a lot of old tosh this is. Barbara Stanwyck, languishing deep in the Burmese jungles with just a bunch of superstitious natives and a herd of old elephants for company, finds herself playing hostess to a fugitive Robert Ryan. Ryan's on the run from a dour David Farrar who is convinced he murdered the local rajah's son. Of course it's not long before Stanwyck's swooning in Ryan's arms – that leisurely once-over she gives him when they first meet leaves us in no doubt as to where their relationship will lead, and although Farrar is on the side of the law, he's essentially the bad guy because – guess what? – Ryan didn't kill the Rajah's boy after all! Well, actually he did, but it was a sort of mercy killing, so it doesn't count.Stanwyck's still looked in pretty good shape here – although she doesn't look quite so good when standing next to her young native girl servant if you know what I mean. The decent work must have been running out for her by then though, because although the story is reasonably entertaining, the dialogue is almost laughable – especially in the first few minutes when Stanwyck is looking over her rag-tag legion of elephants. Early on, she's portrayed as this strong, independent woman, off hunting a tiger to ease the natives' nerves, but instead of shooting the tiger she falls over and has to be rescued by big butch Bob and after that she just melts.

The BBC aired this recently and as it was directed by super veteran Allan Dwan I happened to tape it.Ryan plays the typical US macho hero of the fifties, a fightin',shootin'(a Luger no less!) and kissin'guy. Mrs. Stanwyck is the owner of a plantation near Rangoon and she is not to be messed with. Third character is your run-of-the mill British, slightly repressed policeman, on the hunt for Ryan who supposedly has murdered the son of the local potentate.If you are a fan of Dwan's work better skip this one. The only good thing about it is the crisp clear color photography, the rest is pretty embarrassing. Clichéd would be putting it mildly. The script seems to be written in an afternoon and the same can be said of the movie itself.It is a bit unfair to Allan Dwan, as he made countless movies and still turned out some excellent stuff near the end of his very long career, as the classic marine epic "The Sands of Iwo Jima" and the sexy "Slightly Scarlet". So do not judge him on this silly jungle epic.