Across the Pacific is a must-see if you like The Maltese Falcon, since Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet are reunited in another exciting film noir. The two romantic leads enjoy a wonderful chemistry together, with comfortable quips, sultry gazes, and spontaneous kisses full of passion and pizazz. After their first kiss on the ship's deck, they sway together seductively with the ebb and flow of the ocean. Then, Mary gets seasick and Humph ribs her about eating bread pudding at lunch. For what's marketed as a war drama, the script is quite funny and romantic. This is the side of Humph audiences didn't get to see very often: the smiling, nice side that won him an Oscar nine years later.
I found myself laughing so often during Across the Pacific, I completely forgot it was supposed to be a war movie. Why wasn't the script edited and turned into a romantic comedy? In one scene on the boat, Humph gets her a blanket, joking that if she gets pneumonia, their romance won't take off. "What will happen to it anyway if you don't shave?" she quips back, since Humph sports a five o'clock shadow, barely noticeable by today's standards, but which simply wasn't fashionable back in the '40s.
From Humph joking that Mary's never wears clothing-an inside joke that mirrors her penchant for bathrobes in her films-to Humph pulling a gun on his villain and warning, "Mine's bigger than yours", this movie is extremely charming. If you don't believe me that he can pull off charming, since he's best known for playing "trenchcoat" characters who don't really care for women, rent this movie. He and Mary are so adorable together, and their constant playfulness will have you laughing and smirking alongside them. For my money, I'll take Across the Pacific over The Maltese Falcon any day.
