Blood on the Sun (1945)
Director: Frank Lloyd
Actors: James Cagney, Silvia Sidney, Porter Hall, John Emery, Robert Armstrong, Rhys Williams
Runtime: 98 min.
An American newspaper reporter in Tokyo shortly before World War II is determined to get his hands on the 'Tanaka Plan' which outlines the Japanese strategy for world conquest.
Trivia: This movie gave James Cagney the chance to blend his tough-guy persona with physical prowess as he trained in judo specifically for the role — one of the earliest Hollywood films to depict martial arts in action. Riding high from his Best Actor Oscar win for Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Cagney brought intensity and movement to the patriotic thriller. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction (Black and White) for its richly stylized depiction of 1920s Tokyo. Its plot is loosely based on the real-life “Tanaka Memorial,” a controversial document that allegedly revealed Japan's plan for global domination, giving the film a timely wartime edge.