Geisha Girl (1952) / Samurai (1945) (DVD)

Samurai (BW, 1945): Orphaned in the Great Japan Earthquake of 1923, young Ken is adopted by an American couple and brought to the United States. Despite his foster parents' best efforts, the boy grows up hating his new home. Upon reaching adulthood, Ken travels to the land of his birth and offers his services as an undercover spy. Returning "home", he organizes his fellow Japanese-Americans to prepare for an invasion. But Ken finds his allegiances are not so clear-cut when he is ordered to kill his adopted family. This WWII propaganda film was produced to warn audiences about the dangers posed by Japanese spies, though ironically it arrived too late to be of use. The war would be over a week after its premiere on August 24, 1945. A scene in which Ken engaged in "sadism" with a Caucasian girl almost led the Production Code Administration to ban the film's release. Despite the presence of multiple Japanese characters, no actual Japanese actors appear in Samurai. Starring Paul Fung. Directed by Raymond Cannon.

Geisha Girl (BW, 1952): "Rocky" Wilson and Archer MacGregor are two American soldiers who decide to stop in Japan for a little R&R on their way home from Korea. A case of mistaken identity brings them into possession of tiny devices that can explode with the force of an atom bomb. Now the two GIs are on the run from Communist spies who'll stop at nothing to get their weapons back. They'll need the help of a sexy female secret agent and a scatter-brained hypnotist to make it out of Tokyo alive. Shot entirely in post-occupation Japan, this unusual film comes from George and Irene Breakston, the same husband-and-wife team who made The Manster (1959). Leading man Steve Forrest would hit the big time next year appearing alongside John Wayne in So Big (1953). Lovely Martha Hyer (then married to screenwriter C. Ray Stahl) was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in Some Came Running (1958). Tetsu Nakamura is a veteran of Japanese monster movies including The Mysterians (1957), The H-Man (1958) and Mothra (1961). Starring Steve Forrest, Martha Hyer and Tetsu Nakamura. Directed by George Breakston.

• action
• adventure