
After living abroad for several years, journalist John Royer returns to the United States just after the U.S. enters World War II. His boast that he could easily smuggle rubber, a key wartime natural resource, out of Malaya has him tasked with doing just that. He manages to get someone from his past, Carnaghan, sprung from Alactraz and together they head off to South East Asia posing as Irishmen. Once there, Carnaghan lines up some of his old cronies and with Royer and a few plantation owners plans to smuggle the rubber out from under the Japanese army's watchful eye.
Directed by Richard Thorpe, Malaya leans on a strong ensemble — Spencer Tracy, James Stewart, Valentina Cortese — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about adventure titles of 1949.
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During World War II, a small group of survivors is stranded in a lifeboat together after the ship they were traveling on is destroyed by a German U-boat.
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