Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)

[first lines]
Cpl. Allison, USMC: Let's just keep it quiet, ma'am. You speak English?
Sister Angela: Yes.
Cpl. Allison, USMC: Are there any Japs around?
Sister Angela: You're... You're an American.

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Cpl. Allison, USMC: [Sister Angela walks up next to Allison as he stares at the waves on the shoreline; beat] Hello, Ma'am.
Sister Angela: Good morning, Mr. Allison.
Cpl. Allison, USMC: I must've been off my rocker last night. A marine oughtn't to get married. His duties are with the family or the corps. One of 'em's gotta get the short end. In the service, they'd ask us, 'what's better? A bad husband, or a bad marine. Well, he ends up *both*. Do me a favor, huh, ma'am? Just... just forget I opened my big mouth.
Sister Angela: [walking away] ... certainly, Mr. Allison.
[He continues to stare out at the waves]

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Cpl. Allison, USMC: Shh! Of course I am, ma'am alive and kickin'. Now, didn't I tell you never to leave this cave?
[wagging his finger at her]
Cpl. Allison, USMC: I am very put out with you...
[she starts to argue]
Cpl. Allison, USMC: yes, I am! *Put out!*

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The script called for several Japanese-speaking officers and a company of Japanese troops to be on the island. There were no Japanese men on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, where the film was shot. A half-dozen who spoke the language were finally found in a Japanese emigrant community in Brazil and flown to the location to play the officers. For the non-speaking roles of Japanese troops, the company hired 50 Chinese who worked in the island's restaurants and laundries. This caused friction with the local islanders, who found it difficult if not impossible to get their clothes cleaned or to get a meal in a restaurant because most of the employees were working on the film.
After spending so much time in Trinidad/Tobago, Robert Mitchum became enamored with Calypso music, so much so that he recorded an album of the stuff. It was called Calypso - Is Like So, and was released on Capitol Records. It features him doing spot on imitations of the style and is still available on CD.
The knife used by Cpl. Allison is a Ka-Bar. It is standard issue for the US Marines since 1942.
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