This Month

After the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, America's focus was split from the rising German threat to the rapidly approaching war in the Pacific. The Japanese had struck at home and to many, the only appropriate retribution would be found in Tokyo. A number of similarly titled movies, such as First Yank into Tokyo (1945), Destination Tokyo (1943) and Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) focused on this theme. In the same vein, the documentary Appointment in Tokyo (1945) gives the real life account of the US campaign in the Pacific which led to bombing raids on Tokyo and the eventual Japanese surrender.

The film opens with the following: "To Every American: This is a report on your forces in the Pacific. The story of one glorious campaign which contributed immeasurably to the United Nations defeat of Japan." Obviously, this was a fight America took personally -- and as such, the documentary wastes little time with history lessons. It assumes knowledge of the timeline in the Pacific, the battles and the heroes. Appointment in Tokyo chronicles General MacArthur's return trip to the Philippines via Australia and New Guinea, as well as Admiral Nimitz's pathway through Hawaii and the Marshalls. It discusses the capture of the Marianas, which brought Japan within flight range of the new B-29 (bombing began in November 1944). And it includes details of victories at Guadalcanal and Okinawa, focusing heavily on the devastating toll in the Philippines. It also features actual Japanese newsreel footage, captured from the enemy.

Appointment in Tokyo was produced by the Army Signal Corps (a special unit of the Army in charge of film and photography work) with the cooperation of the US Navy and Air Force. The documentary was directed by Jack B. Hively, who was perhaps best known for directing several entries in The Saint film series. Hively joined the Signal Corps in 1942 and rose to the rank of major by war's end. His post-war career focused mainly on television where he directed episodes of Lassie, Death Valley Days and Eight is Enough.

The documentary follows the action all the way to Tokyo and beyond, occasionally taking a more intimate look at the soldiers' experience - from drinking a first beer after nine months to the muddy and unhealthy living conditions found on many Pacific islands. Appointment in Tokyo ends in victory -- on the USS Missouri with General MacArthur presiding over the Japanese surrender.

Director: Jack B. Hively
BW-56m.

by Stephanie Thames