Review of Escape to Burma

A better title would have been Escape IN Burma. A Technicolor jungle adventure, starring Barbara Stanwyck, as American teak forest queen Gwen Moore, and Robert Ryan, as American mining engineer/entrepreneur, Jim Brecan. Brecan had a 50-50 partnership with the prince of the local principality. They seemed to mostly mine precious gems, such as rubies. However, the prince was recently shot to death for unknown reason, and Brecan is the prime suspect. Perhaps robbery was a prime motive, as he took a sack of high value rubies with him when he fled into the jungle....... There is conflict over whether the justice system of the British or of the local Swabwa(ruler) should define the fate of Brecan. Cardigan, the British investigator chosen to bring in Brecan, wants a British trial, whereas the Swabwa wants to execute him without a trial, as he appears to be surely guilty. Alternatively, searchers have the right to shoot him dead if he resists arrest.......Brecan steals a horse from the local native policeman, and heads for Gwen's compound, in her teak forest. He claims he's Jim Martin. For some reason, Gwen takes an immediate liking to him, despite it not being clear why he came. Soon, she makes him her manager. When Cardigan shows up and accuses Martin of being Brecan, Gwen can't believe he's a murderer. Cardigan points to Brecan's luger pistol, noting that the bullet taken out of the prince was from a luger. Eventually, Brecan admits that he did shoot the prince, but that he felt he had to, as the prince was better off dead than alive. We would not get a more specific explanation until the finale. Brecan, Gwen , and Cardigan would continue to interact for most of the rest of the film. Gwen didn't want Brecan to kill Cardigan, as that would be a capital offense, should he be declared not guilty of killing the prince. Brecan escaped several times, either from Cardigan, or from thieves, only to be caught again. The Sawbwa's posse was also out looking for Brecan. I'll let you see the film, to find out what Brecan meant by "better off dead than alive". I will say that things turn out well for Brecan and Gwen, as Brecan's excuse, surprisingly, is accepted, both by the Sawbwa, and by Cardigan....... There are occasional shots of jungle animals, mostly Gwen's tame elephants, used in hauling teak logs to the river. However, at one point, her workers refused to venture into the forest, because they claimed the forest tiger spirit had killed a large elephant, and might kill them. Gwen and Brecan took their rifles on a tiger hunt. Gwen was nearly mauled by a tiger after she slipped and lost her rifle. But, Brecan came to the rescue.. Another scary moment is when a large black panther is following Gwen, on her horse......... About the primates that frequented inside and outside Gwen's compound: I saw 2 chimps. Of course, their natural range is confined to central Africa. An orangutan was evident. Again, it's not native to Burma(Myanmar). I also saw what looked like capuchins, native to South America. On the other hand, I didn't see any macaque monkeys, leaf monkeys, nor gibbon apes: all native to Myanmar........Historically, the Sawbwa were hereditary rulers of the semi-independent Shan States, of east Burma...... Apparently, the filming mostly took place in the World Animal Jungle Compound, in California........Robert Ryan's flat personality always bothers me. .......Again, this film is available at YouTube