Malaya

Smuggling landed Carnahan in Alcatraz. Smuggling will be his ticket out. It's World War II, and Uncle Sam needs a man of Carnahan's bold talent to sneak vitally needed rubber out of Japanese-held Malaya. The rare pairing of James Stewart and Spencer Tracy sparks this tale of an intrigue-filled, true-life wartime operation. Tracy portrays tough, edgy Carnahan. Stewart is sly foreign correspondent and Far East expert John Royer, a man with a plan who tells U.S. officials: "With the right kind of money and the wrong kind of man, I can get that rubber out for you." And with its right kind of stars, this brawny classic gets maximum heroics every moment. Adventure and starpower -- Sydney Greenstreet in his final film, Lionel Barrymore and Gilbert Roland -- are on the map in Malaya.

• drama