Malaya (1949)

Set in 1942 WWII, a smuggler (Spencer Tracy) is released from prison to assist a foreign correspondent (James Stewart) in smuggling much needed rubber from a Japanese held island. Directed by Richard Thorpe (JAILHOUSE ROCK), this war adventure film is a bit of a disappointment considering the star power of Tracy and Stewart in the same movie. The film doesn't amount to much and both Tracy and Stewart seem out of their element. It's the kind of routine action movie where, say, Errol Flynn and Alan Ladd would be more at home. Very loosely based on a true story, post war audiences liked the film enough to push it into the profit column. Not a bad film at all, just nothing special but I suspect entertaining enough for most. With John Hodiak, Valentina Cortese (wasted), Sydney Greenstreet (in his final film role), Gilbert Roland, Lionel Barrymore, Richard Loo and Roland Winters.