Manila, Open City
Manila, Open City (International Title: American Tank Force) is a 1968 war film written, produced, and directed by Eddie Romero about the Battle of Manila in World War II.[1] The film was screened upon the launching of the National Film Archive of the Philippines in December 2011.[2]
| Manila, Open City | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Eddie Romero |
| Produced by | Eddie Romero |
| Written by | Eddie Romero |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Leopoldo Silos |
| Cinematography | Dik Trofeo |
| Edited by | Elsa Abutal |
Production company | Nepomuceno Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 86 mins |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language | |
The film is in the public domain.[3]
Plot
In the final days of World War II, Allied forces approach Manila. The occupying Japanese army turns on the locals.[4]
Cast
- Charito Solis as Sor Matilde
- James Shigeta as Capt. Murakami
- Alex Nicol as Col. Bergen
- John Ashley as Morgan
- Mario Montenegro as Marcos Liwag
- Ric Rodgrigo as Guerilla Commander
- Vic Diaz as Col. Hamada
- Ben Perez as Capt. Kondo
- Nova Villa as Young Girl
- Eddie Garcia
- Cachupoy
Production
The film was one of a series of war movies Romero made which featured American actors, others including Lost Battalion (1960), The Walls of Hell, The Ravagers, and The Raiders of Leyte Gulf. The film featured John Ashley who would team with Romeo on Brides of Blood and a series of other horror movies.[5][6]
Romero says the production company imported Ashley and Alex Nicol, and it was on this film he met John Ashley.[7][8]
References
- Server, L. (1999). Eddie Romero. Film Comment, 35(2), 44-51. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/210262875
- Nocon, Ramon (27 October 2011). "Finally, a national film archive". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
- Magno, Alexander T. (16 July 2015). "Old documentary films show fierce Battle of Manila". CNN Philippines.
- Deocampo, Nick (2016). EIGA: Cinema in the Philippines During World War II. PublishDrive. ISBN 9786214200832.
- "Award Winning Director Eddie Romero Dies at 88". Giulf Times. 30 May 2013.
- Vagg, Stephen (December 2019). "A Hell of a Life: The Nine Lives of John Ashley". Diabolique Magazine.
- Leavold, Andrew (2006). "Strong Coffee with a National Treasure:An Interview with Eddie Romero". Cashiers du Cinemart.
- SERVER, LEE, and EDDIE ROMERO. “EDDIE ROMERO: Our Man in Manila.” Film Comment, vol. 35, no. 2, 1999, pp. 44–51. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/43455360.
External links
- Manila, Open City at IMDb
- Manila, Open City at BFI
- Complete copy of movie at Free Movies Cinema
- Manila Open City at Letter Box DVD