Go For Broke! (1951)

Directed by: Robert Pirosh

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: The story of Japanese-American soldiers who fought in Europe during World War II.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): When we first meet the soldiers in their barracks, they are relaxing. Many are shooting dice, but one man named Frank (Akira Fukunaga) is lying on his bunk with a tabby cat lying on him.

Go For Broke - tabby cat lying on top of Frank Akira Fukunaga in barracks

Tommy (Henry Nakamura) warns the others about their new platoon leader, Lt. Grayson (Van Johnson), and walks over Frank’s bed. Frank sits up, holding the cat on his lap.

Go For Broke - tabby cat in lap of Frank Akira Fukunaga in barracks

The cat remains on Frank’s lap throughout the scene.

Go For Broke - tabby cat in lap of Frank Akira Fukunaga with Sam Lane Nakano in barracks

Go For Broke - tabby cat in lap of Frank Akira Fukunaga with Sam Lane Nakano and Tommy Henry Nakamura in barracks

When Frank lies down again, he places his feet near the face of Sam (Lane Nakano). Sam pushes the feet away which causes Frank to sit up and the cat to bolt.

Go For Broke - tabby cat in lap of Frank Akira Fukunaga

Go For Broke - tabby cat in lap of Frank Akira Fukunaga starting to lie down animated gif

Later when Lt. Grayson enters the barracks, he spots the cat being slyfully shooed away by Frank, who is pushing at it with his foot trying to get the kitty to leave. Grayson makes sure to note a bowl of milk on the floor next to Frank’s bed (stolen from the mess hall) and the fact he brought a cat into the barracks among the many infractions he cites against the men.

Go For Broke - tabby cat slinking across in barracks

Go For Broke - Lt. Grayson Van Johnson eyeing tabby cat slinking across barracks animated gif

Behind the Scenes

The story is based on the serving men of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most highly decorated unit in World War II. Director Robert Pirosh, who also penned the film, had previously written comedies and had often vowed never to write a war story. But after serving in the military he changed his mind and he wrote the script for Battleground, which won an Academy Award. He then wrote Go For Broke! and in the course of creating the story he added, according to The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on May 27, 1951, “many passages of Pidgin-English, one striped cat and one pig.”

The article elaborates on the cat’s appearance by explaining, “As every cat owner knows, cats have minds of their own. No amount of ‘Kitty! Kitty!’ or the edible bribes can persuade a cat to act. ‘Just turn him loose,’ Pirosh now knows, ‘and hope for the best!’ Kitty’s best in ‘Go For Broke!’ at first consisted in adlibbing meows, usually in the midst of dialogue. When required to walk out of camera range, Kitty curled up in a ball and feigned sleep. Called upon to lie still, Kitty grew curious, investigated shelves and the upper reaches of the set. Several hours and gray hairs lates, Pirosh completed the sequence, sent out for more aspirin, and called in the pigs.”

The pigs were to play one pig, the one that Tommy adopts in Europe, through various stages of the animal’s life. Much much more press was given to the pigs of the film, although Pirosh came to the conclusion that pigs, histrionically speaking, are worse than cats to work with on a movie set.

It should also be noted that Akira ‘Sunshine’ Fukunaga was one of several original members of the 442nd who played parts in the movie. Pirosh reportedly hired him for the part after explaining that he “was” Frank and that no acting was necessary. Akira said of the experience, “The five of us who went to Hollywood to act in the film will never forget the experience as long as we live. We thank Mr. Pirosh for selecting us and give a special vote of thanks to Van Johnson for teaching us the tricks of the trade.”