Malaya

directed by Richard Thorpe
Category: "Action/Adventure"
Year of Release:1949
Date Added:04/16/2026
Date Watched:04/16/2026
Description:John Royer (James Stewart) is a reporter from Southeast Asia. He goes to Washington at the start of WWII with a plan to smuggle raw rubber out of Malaya, which is occupied by the Japanese. To help with his plan, Carnahan (Spencer Tracy) is freed from Alcatraz, where he was sentenced after Royer wrote a story about his smuggling. They sneak into Malaya and contact the Dutchman (Sydney Greenstreet). He tells them of three plantations where secret hordes of rubber can be found. They manage to get the rubber from the first two out to waiting American cargo ships. The third planation is owned by a German who betrays them to the Japanese. The rubber shipment is attacked, and Royer is killed. In honor of his friend, Carnahan determines to get the third horde out of the country. Japanese Colonel Tomura pretends to be willing to let it go for gold, but he's really planning on grabbing the rubber, the gold, the American ship, and Carnahan with the help of a battleship. But Carnahan is one step ahead. Tomura is killed, the battleship is torpedoed, and the Americans get the rubber. Carnahan is injured, but we later learn that he is recuperating on an island with Luana, the singer from the Dutchman's bar.
My Rating:7

Reviews for Malaya

Review - Malaya

Pretty good. Odd seeing someone other than Stewart be the lead. In his final scene in this movie, Stewart is standing on the deck of a boat, dressed like a gangster, with a cigarette in his mouth and a rifle in his hand. It's a decidedly different look for him. The story was pretty good and kept my interest. I've now watched every one of Stewart's feature-length movies.
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