Back To Bataan
Outnumbered-But Not Outfought!
1942. The Philippines. Enemy forces take control of the island nation. But as one type of war ends, anther begins. Col. Joseph Madden and others like him organize uncaptured American troops and Philippine fighters into effective guerilla-warfare operatives.
With equal parts grit and patriotic zeal, John Wayne portrays Madden in this heroic salute to the Philippine resistance forces who continued the fight in the years leading to General MacArthur's return. Among the true life incidents in the film's morale-boosting narrative is the liberation of prisoners from Cabanatuan-an event underscored by an on-screen roll call of real life U.S. soldier freed by that daring rescue. Seeing these haunted but happy faces was a touching moment for audiences then. It remains so today.
Member Reviews
Another Solid Wayne War Film - MovieProf
"Back to Bataan" features John Wayne and a young, virtually unknown Anthony Quinn, both apparently playing real-life characters from the Second World War. Wayne is Colonel Madden, purposely left behind after the Japanese invasion of the Philipines to raise a Filipino resistance. Quinn is Captain Bonafacio, grandson of a famous Filipino hero.
What is so impressive about this film is its obvious attempt to show how important a role the Filipino resistance played in the eventual independence of the islands. At 95 minutes, it is not overly long, and there are plenty of battle sequences to keep any viewer interested.
Member Reviews
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Another Solid Wayne War Film - MovieProf
"Back to Bataan" features John Wayne and a young, virtually unknown Anthony Quinn, both apparently playing real-life characters from the Second World War. Wayne is Colonel Madden, purposely left behind after the Japanese invasion of the Philipines to raise ...