Van Johnson
Lt. Michael Grayson
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Synopsis
Assigned to train Japanese American soldiers, a young lieutenant must confront prejudices he brings into command. Service in Europe gradually tests his assumptions against the conduct of the men beside him. The film dramatizes the experience of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and includes veterans among its cast.
Cast
DirectorsRobert Pirosh
Historical context
By focusing on loyalty, prejudice and daily life within the regiment, the film asks viewers to reconsider who is recognised as American. Archival images of military honours connect its squad-level drama to the unit's wider wartime record.
Inspirations
The story draws on the real 442nd Infantry Regiment, whose soldiers were largely Nisei, Americans of Japanese descent. Six veterans appeared in the film. Fictional dramatic situations are therefore placed alongside the experiences and presence of people connected to the unit.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Van Johnson — Photographer: Eric Carpenter (1909–1976) · Public domain
- Lane Nakano — Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain
- Warner Anderson — ABC Television via WBKB-TV (WLS-TV since 1968). The station is owned and operated by ABC. · Public domain
