The image of Tokyo Rose looms large in the popular history of WWII in the Pacific, but who Tokyo Rose was and what she did remains something of a mystery. Few of her scratchy broadcasts were preserved and GI memories contradict each other (for a time authorities even thought Amelia Earhart was the infamous broadcaster). Actually, a score of Japanese women could have been the mystery voice, but after the war, ambitious and unprincipled journalists settled on Iva Toguri, an American born and educated Nisei who was visiting relatives in Japan and was left stranded there by the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This documentary reconstructs the postwar search for Tokyo Rose detailing how the government, prodded by sensation seeking columnist Walter Winchell, singled out Toguri, who seemed guilty more of bad luck and bad judgment than of treason. The film covers Toguri's reasons for going to Japan, the process by which she was selected for the "Zero Hour" broadcasts, the postwar legal nightmare which led to a federal prison term, and her final pardon by President Gerald Ford. It's a riveting story, mostly well told, but the video ends abruptly and never draws any lessons from this sad tale. Despite the reservations, this is recommended for university and larger WWII collections. (S. Rees)
The U.S.A. Vs. Tokyo Rose
(1995) 48 min. $99.95 ($295 w/PPR). The Cinema Guild. Vol. 11, Issue 2
The U.S.A. Vs. Tokyo Rose
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: