ksf-2 Post WW II flick about soldiers in occupied Japan, helping the children of the village. Aldo Ray is sergeant O'Reilly, who starts out resenting the Japanese, but comes to appreciate them and their way of life. Dick York is O'Reilly's cohort Corporal Muhlendorf. York is one of the Dicks who will be Samantha's husband on the TV show "Bewitched", and had made only four films before this. Touching story of a soldier who befriends an orphan, and gets his outfit to help the orphans. Ray is sometimes natural in his role, and sometimes both he and York seem extra-awkward with their lines. Strong supporting roles by Mitsuko Kimura as Yuko, the interpreter, and also by Philip Carey as the all-knowing Colonel, who teaches O'Reilly several lessons along the way. One of only two films directed by Richard Murphy, who had made his mark as a Hollywood writer... and ... had just finished serving in the Air Force in New Guinea and the Philippines in 1945, so he certainly had knowledge of serving in the military in a foreign land. Ray and Carey had both also served in the military during WW II, so the cast had the right background for the post-war storyline. Solid story, if a little soapy-sudsy sweet at times.

auldyj I was a U.S. Air Force airman in the 1503rd Air Transport Squadron. Our squadron shared air terminal facilities at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo with Japanese civilian airlines as well as a few other international airlines. My tour of duty was 1954-1955. During that period, a small portion of Three Stripes In The Sun was filmed at this airport located in Tokyo Bay. The Columbia Pictures crew recruited a few of us off duty enlisted men to be extras in a scene where Aldo Ray is just arriving in Tokyo from the U.S. Our part was to depart the aircraft by walking down some portable steps to the tarmac and then marching into the air terminal building in a single file. That all seemed simple enough but the first take didn't go so well. One of the navy guys stumbled and fell down the steps so we had to get back into that hot aircraft that had been baking in the sun to do it again. This really upset Aldo Ray because he was a little hung over from doing the town the night before and he didn't relish getting back into that oven.

bobp31 This movie was filmed in Osaka, Kyoto, Camp Otsu and around Beiwako (Lake Biwa). My commanding officer Lt. Brazil was the officer in the movie that loaned his jeep to Aldo Ray. I also had another friend in the film Dick Simonaue that played a M. P. that had a speaking part. The film was well made and showed the resentment that some of the American service men had for the Japanese. This is understandable because it took place in that period between 1945 and 1951. Most of the men there had just fought in the war and remembered how some of the Japanese soldiers killed civilians and tortured their prisoners. After a while they begin to see that the average Japanese people were not much different then ourselves. This brought about the understanding and liking the Japanese people. The picture was finished in February of 1955 and shown in the Camp Otsu theater in June of 1955. If it ever comes back to TV I would like to tape it because of the fond memories that I have of that time. Robert

sharptongue Heartwarming tale, based on a true story. An American GI in Japan for the post WWII occupation hates the Japs, and is rather a grouch. But he falls in love with a Japanese orphanage worker and proceeds to do much to help the plight of the orphaned children. This includes actually stealing army supplies, and diverting them to the kids !The story doesn't fall into the trap of being soppy or sickly sweet, and the depiction of army life is pretty realistic. A feelgood story, very well done. Highly recommended.