The Bamboo Prison

The Bamboo Prison is a 1954 American Korean War war–drama film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Robert Francis, Brian Keith, Dianne Foster and Jerome Courtland. The working title was I Was a Prisoner in Korea. The US Army denied their co-operation with the producers[1]

The Bamboo Prison
Directed byLewis Seiler
Produced byBryan Foy
Written byEdwin Blum
Jack DeWitt
Starring
CinematographyBurnett Guffey
Edited byHenry Batista
Production
company
Release date
December 1954
Running time
79 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Due to the clear communist sympathies within the film several US cities banned it, although it was said that Sgt Rand was actually a spy for the US pretending to be a sympathiser.[2]

Plot

A group of American soldiers are held in a prisoner of war camp in North Korea in the final phase of the Korean War.

Prisoners who show sympathy with the communist cause are given special privileges but are understandably hated by the other prisoners, who see them as traitors.

The camp "brain-washer", Comrade Clayton, is permitted to have his beautiful Russian wife, Tanya, live on camp. Sgt Rand one of the communist sympathisers (known as Progressives) falls in love with her, and his special prileges permit him to go to her house. However, she is not a communist sympathiser.

Meanwhile the camp priest, Father Dolan, is actually an impostor, trying to glean information through confession.

Despite their differences Rand helps his rival Cpl Brady to escape.

At the end of the war Sgt Rand stays in Korea as he is disillusioned with the capitalist system and its exploitation of the working man.

Cast

References
  1. p. 65 Young, Charles S. Name, Rank, and Serial Number: Exploiting Korean War POWs at Home and Abroad Oxford University Press, 1 Apr 2014
  2. Hollywood Diplomacy H S Chung

List of films set in or about North Korea


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