Objective, Burma!
Released – February, 1945 
Directed By - Raoul Walsh
Starring – Errol Flynn (Capt. Nelson), James Brown (SSgt. Treacy), William Prince (Lt. Sid Jacobs), George Tobias (Cpl. Gabby Gordon), Henry Hull (Mark Williams).
Description – Objective, Burma! is loosely based on the six-month raid by Merrill’s Raiders during the World War II Burma Campaign.
Capt. Nelson leads a group of Army paratroopers dropped into Burma and assigned to destroy a Japanese radar station that has been detecting Allied aircraft flying into China.
With the help of local guides and a Chinese Army Captain the team successfully takes out the radar station and its personnel believing the hardest part of their mission to be over. No such luck. When the troops arrive at an old air-strip to be used as their pick up point they find the Japanese army waiting for them.
With it now impossible for the rescue planes to land for them, Capt. Nelson has only one option for escape. The men must make a long, difficult trek through the enemy infested jungle. To limit the chance of the men being detected, they split into two groups intending to meet up at a deserted Burmese village.
When the group led by Capt. Nelson arrive at the village they find that their comrades had been captured and decapitated by the Japanese. Once again they are forced back into the jungle in an effort to avoid the enemy with their chances for survival looking very bleak.
NOTABLE: Objective, Burma! was nominated for three Academy Awards; Best Film Editing, Best Writing, Original Story, and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture.
This motion picture was pulled from release in Britain after only one week and banned from future showings. The Burma Campaign was predominately a British and Australian operation and the film, due to its Americanization, was seen as an insult to their efforts.
Though criticized for playing World War II heroes while having no military experience himself, Errol Flynn did make every effort to enlist during the war. He was always rejected due to his health. Flynn suffered from a heart condition, had tuberculosis, malaria, and had a bad back. These health issues were kept quiet by the studios as they felt Flynn’s box office appeal would suffer.
While working on World War II films, Errol Flynn was always his most professional and co-operative as he respected those who served their country.
Tags: 1940's war, errol flynn, george tobias, henry hull, james brown, oscar nominations, raoul walsh, warner brothers pictures, william prince
