Blood on the Sun

Spy, Thriller

In 1929, the existence of the "Tanaka Memorial", a Japanese plan devised by Baron Giichi Tanaka to conquer the world, is published in the Tokyo Chronicle.

The Japanese secret police visit the newspaper's headquarters, demanding that editor Nick Condon disclose the source, to which he replies, "The American Press". Ollie Miller, a Chronicle reporter who obtained the original plan, makes plans to take it out of Japan. After Miller flaunts the money he was paid for his services at a local press bar, a secret police informer there arranges to have Miller killed.

When Condon goes to Miller's cabin on the ship, to see him off, he finds Ollie's wife Edith murdered and their cabin ransacked. Condon narrowly misses another woman exiting the cabin, but glimpses a ruby ring on her hand. Later that night, Miller is shot outside Condon’s house.

Before he dies, Miller gives Condon his copy of the Tanaka Memorial plan. As the secret police, led by Captain Oshima, arrive, Condon hides the document in his bedroom, behind a portrait of Emperor Hirohito. Revering the portrait, Oshima does not search it, but ransacks the rest of Condon's house and subdues him when he resists.

Condon wakes up the next morning in a prison cell. The Japanese police have fabricated a story about him having a drunken party the previous night and fixed his house to hide the damage, and the document is missing. Condon’s search for it is interrupted by a courier inviting him to Baron Tanaka’s home.

At Tanaka’s home, the Baron offers Condon a substantial sum of money if he returns the document. Condon realizes Tanaka does not have the document, someone else took it.

Suspecting that the other party consists of Japanese anti-war liberals interested in sneaking the document out of the country, Condon publicly announces his intention to return to the United States.

That evening, he meets Iris Hilliard, a half-Chinese woman. Seeing a ring on her finger, he suspects she was the woman he saw fleeing Edith’s cabin, but the two are attracted to one another. Unbeknownst to him, Iris is a spy for Baron Tanaka, tasked with retrieving the plan.

Disgruntled at being passed over as Condon’s replacement as editor, Cassell, an unscrupulous reporter, inadvertently reveals to Condon that Tanaka ordered him to introduce Iris to him. Armed with this knowledge, Condon confronts Iris, who confesses that, while she does work for Tanaka, in her heart she is loyal to Japan’s liberal fraction.

Having no fear of the Emperor’s portrait, she took the Tanaka Memorial from his house. Condon takes the document and leaves. Eavesdropping on their conversation, the secret police imprison Iris in her hotel room, but she escapes. Disgraced by his failure, Tanaka commits seppuku.

Before Condon leaves for the United States, Iris contacts him, asking to meet on a fishing dock. Evading the secret police tailing him, Condon meets Iris, who is accompanied by Prince Tatsugi, a liberal within the Japanese government who hates the right-wing militarists. Aware that the Japanese government will claim the document is a forgery, Tatsugi places his signature on it, legitimizing it.

The police arrive and kill Tatsugi. Condon gives the document to Iris, who flees in a fishing boat. Condon stays behind to delay the policemen.

After defeating Captain Oshima at judo and evading the secret police, Condon arrives outside the United States embassy. He is shot and incapacitated, but when the Japanese search him, they are unable to find the document. An American diplomat rushes from the embassy to help Condon. The head of the secret police asks Condon to forgive his enemy, but he refuses a proffered handshake and replies, "Sure, forgive your enemies – but first, get even!". {Wikipedia}

Movie Info

Directed by: Frank Lloyd
Starring: James Cagney, Sylvia Sidney, Porter Hall
Written by: Garrett Fort, Lester Cole
Produced by: William Cagney

Cinematography: Theodor Sparkuhl
Edited by: Walter Hannemann
Music by: Miklós Rózsa
Production company: William Cagney Productions
Distributed by: United Artists

Release date: June 28, 1945 (New York City)
Running time: 94 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English

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