Escape to Burma

1955 film by Allan Dwan

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Escape to Burma

Directed by| Allan Dwan
Written by| Talbot Jennings
Hobart Donovan
Based on| story "Bow Tamely to Me"
by Kenneth Perkins
Produced by| Benedict Bogeaus
Starring| Barbara Stanwyck
Robert Ryan
David Farrar
Murvyn Vye
Lisa Montell
Robert Warwick
Reginald Denny
Cinematography| John Alton
Edited by| James Leicester
Music by| Louis Forbes

Production
company

Filmcrest Productions

Distributed by| RKO Radio Pictures

Release date

* April 9, 1955 (1955-04-09) (US)[1]

Running time

| 87 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English

Escape to Burma is a 1955 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Allan Dwan starring Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Ryan and David Farrar. The film was based on the short story "Bow Tamely to Me" by Kenneth Perkins, originally published in the October 31, 1936 issue of Collier's (reprinted in the June 1938 issue of Pearson's Magazine).

## Plot

[edit]

In the 1920s, British Burma, the son of a local ruler, the Sawbwa, was killed - apparently by his European mining partner, Jim Brecan. The Sawbwa wants Brecan caught and executed, while Captain Cardigan wants him caught for trial. Brecan flees through the jungle with a bag of rubies from the mine and reaches the estate of Gwen Moore, who uses elephants to harvest teak. Brecan arrives there calling himself "Jim Martin". He and Gwen are attracted to each other. After he helps her deal with some problems, including a killer tiger, she makes him her manager.

Cardigan arrives at the estate, and Brecan flees when he realizes who Cardigan is. Gwen follows them, preventing Brecan from killing Cardigan, which allows Cardigan to capture Brecan. He starts to take them back to Rangoon. However, when they stop for the night, they are attacked by Kaw bandits, which allows Brecan to escape. Weather soon forces all three to spend another night together in an abandoned Buddhist temple. Brecan and Gwen return to her estate, where the local police attack. After Gwen is wounded, Brecan surrenders. He is taken to Rangoon for punishment.

A boy who was the dead prince's servant shows up with a letter from the prince to the Sawbwa. The Sawbwa condemns Brecan to death; he is taken out for a pre-execution flogging. Gwen and Cardigan arrive, and she convinces the Sawbwa to read the letter. The prince had the plague and, in his delirium, was about to expose a village to the disease, forcing Brecan to shoot him. The Sawbwa releases him. Brecan gives all the rubies to the Sawbwa, and it appears Brecan and Gwen will live happily ever after.

## Cast

[edit]

* Barbara Stanwyck as Gwen Moore
* Robert Ryan as Jim Brecan/Martin
* David Farrar as Cardigan
* Reginald Denny as The Commissioner
* Robert Warwick as The Sawbwa
* Murvyn Vye as Makesh
* Lisa Montell as Andora
* Robert Cabal as Kumat

## Reception

[edit]

The film was made on a budget of just over $2 million and made roughly $2.5 million at the box office. Most reviews for the movie were positive. The film was noted because the indigenous people of southeast Asia were portrayed as being "respectable" and "dignified" at a time when they were frequently the subject of negative stereotypes in other films. The practice of indirect rule in the British Empire was also accurately portrayed in the film, as members of the British authorities are portrayed as showing deference to local rulers such as the Sawbwa.[2]

## See also

[edit]

* List of American films of 1955

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Escape to Burma: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
2. ^ The Journal of Cinema and Media Vol. 51, No. 2 (FALL 2010), pp. 324-333

## External links

[edit]

* Escape to Burma at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Allan Dwan

1910s|

* Woman's Honor (1913)
* Calamity Anne's Vanity (1913)
* Quicksands (1913)
* The Greater Love (1913)
* Her Big Story (1913)
* The Restless Spirit (1913)
* Back to Life (1913)
* Red Margaret, Moonshiner (1913)
* Bloodhounds of the North (1913)
* The Lie (1914)
* The Honor of the Mounted (1914)
* Remember Mary Magdalen (1914)
* Discord and Harmony (1914)
* The Menace to Carlotta (1914)
* The Embezzler (1914)
* The Lamb, the Woman, the Wolf (1914)
* The End of the Feud (1914)
* The Tragedy of Whispering Creek (1914)
* The Unlawful Trade (1914)
* The Forbidden Room (1914)
* The Hopes of Blind Alley (1914)
* Richelieu (1914)
* The Unwelcome Mrs. Hatch (1914)
* Wildflower (1914)
* The County Chairman (1914)
* The Straight Road (1914)
* The Conspiracy (1914)
* The Dancing Girl (1915)
* A Small Town Girl (1915)
* David Harum (1915)
* The Love Route (1915)
* The Commanding Officer (1915)
* May Blossom (1915)
* The Pretty Sister of Jose (1915)
* A Girl of Yesterday (1915)
* Jordan Is a Hard Road (1915)
* The Habit of Happiness (1916)
* The Good Bad-Man (1916)
* An Innocent Magdalene (1916)
* Manhattan Madness (1916)
* Fifty-Fifty (1916)
* Accusing Evidence (1916)
* Fighting Odds (1917)
* A Modern Musketeer (1917)
* Panthea (1917)
* Headin' South (1918)
* Mr. Fix-It (1918)
* Bound in Morocco (1918)
* He Comes Up Smiling (1918)
* The Dark Star (1919)
* Cheating Cheaters (1919)
* Soldiers of Fortune (1919)

1920s|

* The Luck of the Irish (1920)
* The Scoffer (1920)
* The Forbidden Thing (1920)
* A Splendid Hazard (1920)
* A Perfect Crime (1921)
* The Sin of Martha Queed (1921)
* A Broken Doll (1921)
* The Hidden Woman (1922)
* Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood (1922)
* Lawful Larceny (1923)
* Zaza (1923)
* Big Brother (1923)
* A Society Scandal (1924)
* Manhandled (1924)
* Her Love Story (1924)
* Wages of Virtue (1924)
* Argentine Love (1924)
* The Coast of Folly (1925)
* Night Life of New York (1925)
* Stage Struck (1925)
* Sea Horses (1926)
* Padlocked (1926)
* Tin Gods (1926)
* Summer Bachelors (1926)
* The Music Master (1927)
* The Joy Girl (1927)
* East Side, West Side (1927)
* French Dressing (1927)
* The Big Noise (1928)
* The Iron Mask (1929)
* Tide of Empire (1929)
* The Far Call (1929)
* Frozen Justice (1929)
* South Sea Rose (1929)

1930s|

* What a Widow! (1930)
* Man to Man (1930)
* Chances (1931)
* Wicked (1931)
* While Paris Sleeps (1932)
* Her First Affaire (1932)
* Counsel's Opinion (1933)
* I Spy (1934)
* Black Sheep (1935)
* Navy Wife (1935)
* Song and Dance Man (1936)
* Human Cargo (1936)
* High Tension (1936)
* 15 Maiden Lane (1936)
* Woman-Wise (1937)
* That I May Live (1937)
* One Mile from Heaven (1937)
* Heidi (1937)
* Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938)
* Suez (1938)
* Josette (1938)
* The Three Musketeers (1939)
* The Gorilla (1939)

1940s|

* Frontier Marshal (1939)
* Sailor's Lady (1940)
* Young People (1940)
* Trail of the Vigilantes (1940)
* Look Who's Laughing (1941)
* Rise and Shine (1941)
* Friendly Enemies (1942)
* Here We Go Again (1942)
* Around the World (1943)
* Abroad with Two Yanks (1944)
* Up in Mabel's Room (1944)
* Brewster's Millions (1945)
* Getting Gertie's Garter (1945)
* Rendezvous with Annie (1946)
* Calendar Girl (1947)
* Northwest Outpost (1947)
* Driftwood (1947)
* The Inside Story (1948)
* Angel in Exile (1948)
* Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)

1950s|

* Surrender (1950)
* Belle Le Grand (1951)
* The Wild Blue Yonder (1951)
* I Dream of Jeanie (1952)
* Montana Belle (1952)
* Woman They Almost Lynched (1953)
* Sweethearts on Parade (1953)
* Flight Nurse (1953)
* Silver Lode (1954)
* Passion (1954)
* Cattle Queen of Montana (1954)
* Escape to Burma (1955)
* Pearl of the South Pacific (1955)
* Tennessee's Partner (1955)
* Slightly Scarlet (1956)
* Hold Back the Night (1956)
* The River's Edge (1957)
* The Restless Breed (1957)
* Enchanted Island (1958)

1960s|

* Most Dangerous Man Alive (1961)

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