I love this movie so much

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

I am so surprised that this movie was made in 1949. It plays much like war propaganda films made during the war. The story of the rubber shortage during the beginning of the war and some Americans and others getting involved to steal rubber in Malaysia. Spencer Tracy does some fine acting here. He also punches out several people and somehow it seems like he actually does. Valentina Cortese is the leading woman, she is even shorter than Tracy. James Stewart has a different type of role here as a brother trying to get revenge with the Japanese after his brother is killed in the war. Sydney Greenstreet is a bad guy whose playing both sides. Lionel Barrymore has a brief role early in the film. John Hodiak is featured as Kellar.For some reason, when the film ends, it has the feel of what might have been a war propaganda film. This might be because the story was written by Manchester Boddy who wrote a film called "Mr. Blabbermouth" which was one of those films. Frank Fenton converted it for the screen as he did other films often in the 1950's.

This is a good action-adventure picture based on the true account of how very necessary rubber was gotten out of Malaya, under the nose of the Japanese, for the Allied war effort in World War Two.Spencer Tracy and James Stewart are teamed as a two-fisted con (sprung from Alcatraz for the job) and a hard-bitten reporter recruited by American intelligence (represented by John Hodiak). There's some action, some atmosphere, some romance. The premise of the film is unusual enough to hold your interest. Like some other MGM films of the time, the entire foreign locale has been recreated on the back lot and the sound stages of the studio. You may recognize the river area and other locations from earlier films.The direction by Richard Thorpe is, as usual, competent. If you're a fan of masculine-oriented action-adventure films from that era, this one has good acting, writing, and a touch of intelligence. The fine cast includes Sydney Greenstreet, Valentina Cortesa, Gilbert Roland, and Lionel Barrymore.

Malaya (1949) *** (out of 4) Washed-up reporter John Royer (James Stewart) is picked up by a government man who forces him into telling them how to sneak rubber out of Malaya. Royer agrees to help the government and he enlists the help of an old friend (Spencer Tracy) and soon the two are questioning their motives as they try and help the war cause. I've read quite a few reviews for this title and it seems that the majority of people were disappointed and I can certainly understand where they're coming from. After all, with such a terrific cast you really could argue that MGM should have spent more time coming up with a better story as there's no question it's quite standard WWII fair. With that said, it's the terrific cast that makes this worth viewing and I think seeing all the big names together makes the film worth sitting through. Not only do you have Tracy and Stewart but we've also got Lionel Barrymore and Sydney Greenstreet in his final film appearance. I thought watching the four of these men together was a lot of fun and especially the banter between Stewart and Tracy. I was a little surprised to see Stewart taking a supporting role but he's certainly very good in it and manages to bring that charm of his across without a problem. His character is also a patriotic one and I thought the actor did a great job at getting this across. Tracy is also exceptionally good here even though the character certainly wasn't going to stretch the legend any. Greenstreet is terrific as always and it's really amazing to see how good he could be with what appeared to be very little effort. It's a real shame that this turned out to be his final film. Barrymore plays the type of character he was typically doing during this point of his career but it was fun seeing him and Stewart together a couple years after IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. The film also offers up some exciting action scenes and especially at the end, which I won't ruin but the effects of the battle were extremely realistic and they put you right there in the middle of the action. Again, I can see why some might be disappointed that the film is so light in areas but seeing the four stars together makes it very much worth seeing.

Someone had the wits to make a 1940's patriotic war movie in the style of film noir. Is it hokey? Of course it is!! But when it's done like this, you have a sense of watching a war film at its best. Part of it is a literate script that goes far beyond the usual patriotic hoo-ha and gives a sense of real urgency to the war in Asia. Part of it is some totally professional acting by Stewart, Tracy, Greenstreet and, not least, John Hodiak in the role of an FBI agent. If you're bored, as I am, by the John Wayne, flag-waving nonsense that proliferated during the war, try this on. It manages to be improbable and believable at the same time.