Prison Ship

"Prison Ship" is an unusual film in that it clearly was meant as anti-Japanese propaganda. However, like "First Yank in Tokyo" it took too long to get the movie to theaters and actually debuted just AFTER WWII had concluded. Because of this, I am sure it did poorly at the box office, as folks just wanted to get on with life and forget that awful war.

The movie's odd plot, according to IMDB and other sources, isn't far from reality. During WWII, prison ships operated by the Japanese were dubbed 'Hell Ships' due to the awful conditions. The story is set aboard one of these ships, though its purpose is different. Instead of transporting people to prison camps or work programs (where they were often worked to death), this one is a decoy ship...filled with prisoners and with lights exposed to encourage American ships to attack it. Once the prisoners realize this, they are determined to take over the ship. But, once they do...what about possible attacks on it by Allied forces??

This is not exactly a realistic story. First, like too many WWII propaganda movies, this one has a most ridiculously multinational cast of prisoners. Imagine...Dutch, American, British AND French folks all in the small group of prisoners! Second, the story has lots of plot holes and problems, such as why make a copy of the cell keys when they actually HAD the keys and easily could have opened all the cell doors?! And, when two of the prisoners attack a guard...why do all the other prisoners just stand there?! After all, they were about to die! There are more logical flaws...so it's a film you just have to watch and NOT try to understand all the difficulties!

So, is the film any good? After all, it's a cheaply made B-movie with very modest pretensions. Well, it IS entertaining and engaging. Plus, while cheap, the acting is actually pretty good. Worth seeing if you like WWII propaganda flicks OR if you are bored and curious. But certainly NOT a film to rush to see.

By the way, among the group of prisoners is one who stands out because she's mouthy and memorable and has a lot of lines. Yet, oddly, Barbara Pepper is not listed in the credits. And, if you are familiar with her, she later gained some fame as Mrs. Zipfel on "Green Acres".